Gener8tor Grad OpenHomes Raises Seed Funds to Grow Staff, Launch App

Madison, WI-based OpenHomes, a startup that helps people buy and sell homes online, has raised $180,000 in seed funds that will help it expand staff and develop a mobile app, the company said today. Investors include Milwaukee-based CSA Partners, Oshkosh, WI-based Angels on the Water, Wisconsin startup accelerator Gener8tor, and individuals including Mark Bakken, CEO … Continue reading “Gener8tor Grad OpenHomes Raises Seed Funds to Grow Staff, Launch App”

Nonprofit Aims to Boost Early-Stage Healthcare Startups in Milwaukee

The spotlight for healthcare innovation in Wisconsin often falls on the state capital of Madison, and for good reason. The city’s biotech scene has produced a number of successful startups that got acquired or went public, and researchers at its flagship university have for decades made impactful—and at times, incredibly lucrative—discoveries that have fueled a … Continue reading “Nonprofit Aims to Boost Early-Stage Healthcare Startups in Milwaukee”

Wisconsin Roundup: BrightStar, Propeller Health, JCI R&D lab, & More

Here’s a few news items from Wisconsin’s innovation and tech community that you might have missed this week: —BrightStar Wisconsin Foundation announced its next round of investments in local startups, with $285,000 total put into Milwaukee-based The Good Jobs, Fishidy of Madison, WI, and WholeTrees, a Madison-based company that plans to build a production facility … Continue reading “Wisconsin Roundup: BrightStar, Propeller Health, JCI R&D lab, & More”

The Good Jobs Snags $350K To Help Companies Promote Culture

[Updated 4/22/14, 1:13 p.m., to include executives’ full titles.] Milwaukee startup The Good Jobs has secured $350,000 in funding that will allow it to expand staff and step up marketing for its Web tools that help companies showcase their office culture to jobseekers. The funding includes $180,000 from investors, led by Oshkosh, WI-based Angels on … Continue reading “The Good Jobs Snags $350K To Help Companies Promote Culture”

BrightStar Wisconsin Foundation Makes First Investments

BrightStar Wisconsin Foundation, a new philanthropic organization that puts money into startups, has made its first round of investments. BrightStar, which was granted nonprofit status by the Internal Revenue Service in November, says today it’s putting more than $250,000 into three early-stage Wisconsin companies: Engineered Propulsion Systems, New Richmond; Stemina Biomarker Discovery, Madison; and 425 … Continue reading “BrightStar Wisconsin Foundation Makes First Investments”

Wisconsin 2013 VC Activity Drops, Shifts to Software from Biotech

Wisconsin venture capital activity in 2013 appeared to be a mixed bag, as deal flow was up year-over-year, but the amount invested shrank by more than half, according to the quarterly MoneyTree report from PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association. Wisconsin saw $35.9 million invested in 19 deals last year, compared with $95.3 million … Continue reading “Wisconsin 2013 VC Activity Drops, Shifts to Software from Biotech”

Exit Strategy: Wisconsin Investors Seek Next Wave of Startup Wins

Tom Shannon started getting nibbles from potential suitors for Prodesse in 2005, three years after he came on as president and CEO of the biotech firm based in Waukesha, WI. The company was founded in 1996 by Kelly Henrickson, a Medical College of Wisconsin pediatrics and infectious diseases professor. Shannon and a professional management team … Continue reading “Exit Strategy: Wisconsin Investors Seek Next Wave of Startup Wins”