| Welcome to the August 2015 WIN eNewsletter |
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Dear readers-
Three upcoming events speak to the variety of events hosted by the Wisconsin Technology Council and its Wisconsin Innovation Network. The Aug. 14 Lake Superior Business & Technology Conference has become a Northwoods tradition; the Aug. 18 WIN-Madison meeting will offer an entertaining glimpse at sports technologies with Wisconsin roots; and the Aug. 20 WIN-Northeast event will feature a veteran investor who is part of the state’s growing early stage investment scene. Please join us!
Sincerely,
Tom Still, president
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Portfolio shows sharp increase in 2014 angel, venture activity
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The latest edition of “The Wisconsin Portfolio,” an annual publication of the Tech Council’s Wisconsin Angel Network, shows a sharp increase in angel and venture investment activity for the 2014 calendar year.
At least 113 Wisconsin early stage companies raised investment capital in 2014, a 31 percent jump from the prior year, when the total was 86 companies. More than $346 million was raised by those 113 companies, nearly three times more than the 2013 total of about $128 million. Click here to read more.
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| Bills to limit employee mobility opposed by Tech Council |
The board of directors for the Wisconsin Technology Council has voted to oppose two bills that would place new limits on the ability of employees to take new jobs or start their own businesses.
The board voted unanimously among members present to oppose Senate Bill 69 and its companion bill, Assembly Bill 91, which were introduced in the spring to tighten existing law related to employee “non-compete” contracts and similar restrictive employment covenants.
Following a discussion at the board’s July 14 meeting, members concluded existing Wisconsin law is sufficient to protect the rights of employers and employees alike – especially on matters of intellectual property. Here are excerpts from a board resolution: Click here to learn more.
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Shaping future through innovation theme of Aug. 14 Ashland event
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Chancellor Meyer |
Chancellor Robert Meyer from the University of Wisconsin-Stout
will kick off the 2015 Lake Superior Business & Technology
Conference Aug. 14 at the Wisconsin Indianhead Technical iCollege in Ashland. The
conference will consist of panels, lunch, networking and presentations
by the finalists of the Business Idea Contest. The finalists will be
competing for $5,500 in prize money. The first place
contest winner will be awarded $2,500, second place $1,500 third place
$1,000 and audience’s choice will be awarded $500. Click here to learn more. This event is hosted by the Lake Superior chapter of the Wisconsin Innovation Network. |
Innovation in sports, rec tech is topic of Aug. 18 WIN-Madison
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Trends and innovation in the sports technology industry will be the topic of a panel discussion at the Tuesday, Aug. 18, meeting of the Wisconsin Innovation Network in Madison.
Panelists include: Jonathan Fritz, chief operating officer and co-founder, Web Racing Inc.; Dave Grandin, chief executive officer, Kiio Inc.; and Adam Wickersham,
chief executive manager and inventor, RaceTorch LLC. Tom Still will
moderate as the panelists discuss the importance of the sports
technology industry and the effects of innovation on athletes and
emerging companies.
The luncheon will be held at the Sheraton Hotel
on Madison’s John Nolen Drive. Registration and networking begin at
11:30 a.m., lunch at noon and the presentation at 12:30 p.m. Learn more
and register here. |
Venture investor to discuss NEW Capital Fund at Aug. 20 WIN-NE
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Charlie Goff, general partner of NEW Capital Fund, will outline his firm’s investment priorities, opportunities in the region and why they are investing in Wisconsin, at the Thursday, Aug. 20 meeting of the Wisconsin Innovation Network’s Northeast chapter in Appleton.
NEW Capital Fund is a venture investment firm that focuses on making early stage life and material science, information technology and advanced manufacturing investments. The firm, first launched in 2006, is currently investing out of its second fund and has more than $45 million under management.
The luncheon will be held in the D.J. Bordini Center at the Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton on North Systems Drive. Registration and networking begin at 11:30 a.m., lunch at noon and the presentation at 12:30 p.m. Learn more and register here. |
Still to address League of Municipalities executives in Elkhart Lake
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Tech Council President Tom Still will address the League of Wisconsin Municipalities Aug. 20 in Elkhart Lake, where his topic will be “Brain drain and other demographic challenges: Can Wisconsin municipalities help?” His talk will focus on workforce and infrastructure challenges that are key to Wisconsin’s economic success. Click here to learn more and register.
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First Madison Club Shark Tank winner presents at the White House
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Export Abroad, a software company that helps other firms with market research and sales leads in foreign countries, was part of the first-ever White House Demo Day on Tuesday. Export Abroad won a "Shark Tank"-style pitch event early this year hosted by The Madison Club and coordinated and judged with the help of the Wisconsin Technology Council. Click here to read more.
The next investor-related event will be held Thursday, Oct. 15, at the Madison Club, starting at 5:30 p.m. The format for this event will be an “Investors’ Edge” presentation by the Tech Council and its Wisconsin Angel Network on the opportunities and challenges of angel investing, followed by brief investor “pitches” from selected companies. Details to follow in future WIN eNewsletters.
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| August 17 deadline approaching for SBIR Advance grant |
| UW-Extension’s Center for Technology Commercialization is offering a match grant of up to $75,000 to provide additional assistance to companies in the process of completing a Small Business Innovation Research project. This the fourth round of funding awarded to the program by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. Click here to learn more. |
| Connect at Aug 19 UW-Madison Corporate Open House |
Register today for the Corporate Open House on Wednesday, August 19 — a day dedicated to you. Connect with business and industry liaisons from across campus, learn about existing opportunities and collaborations, and discover what’s possible when you work with UW–Madison.Click here to learn more.
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| Tech Council partners with 1 Million Cups Madison |
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Wisconsin Technology Council is pleased to support 1 Million Cups
Madison, which is a free, weekly program to help startups pitch their
businesses to an audience over coffee. Madison meetings of 1 Million
Cups are held 9:15 a.m. Wednesdays at the Madison Central Library. Click here to learn more. |
| 'WisBusiness: The Show' covers news, commentary |
Please watch these latest editions of "WisBusiness: The Show," the twice-a-month Web show covering state business news and issues.
This episode of “WisBusiness.com: The Show” features an interview with Shelley Jurewicz of Food and Beverage Wisconsin on how the cluster approach will enhance one of the state’s oldest brands. Tom Still discusses Lac Du Flambeau’s efforts to diversify its economic base and Liz Schrum presents this week's Tech Metrics, a look at key indicators in the Wisconsin economy.
Click here to view the biweekly show, produced by Red Arrow Production for the Tech Council and WisBusiness.com, as well as archives of past shows. The show is sponsored by UW-Milwaukee and Exact Sciences.
This next episode of “WisBusiness.com: The Show” is set to premier Thursday and features an interview with Brian Schupper of Scale Up Milwaukee on how the Greater Milwaukee Committee is committing to hands-on assistance for emerging companies. Tom Still discusses Wisconsin’s needs for broadband cooperation and Liz Schrum presents this week's Tech Metrics, a look at key indicators in the Wisconsin economy.
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| Inside Wisconsin columns tackle state, tech issues |
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Inside Wis: With surging need for bandwidth, top public CIOs see urgent need for cooperation
Finding and lighting dark fiber will help Wisconsin prepare for the predicted bandwidth crunch brought on by the “Internet of Things” and the explosion in mobile devices, Cagigal and UW-Madison Chief Information Officer Bruce Maas told a July 28 meeting of the Wisconsin Innovation Network.
Still in JSOnline: New state labor laws should help, not hinder, workforce
Ah, for a return to the good old days of the Great Recession ... when the unemployment rate soared into double digits and everyone who still had a job was perfectly happy to keep it.
Inside Wis: Health-care delivery, cost and access is piece of growth puzzle in rural Wisconsin
With 55 clinical sites and more than 700 physicians, the Marshfield Clinic is a dominant source of health care in northern, central and much of western Wisconsin. From dental clinics to food safety testing to research in about 400 active studies, the clinic offers a surprising array of services to its 400,000 or so patients.
Inside Wis: Wisconsin tribe’s efforts to diversify offer example for Indian Country
Managed by an independent board of directors but wholly owned by the tribal nation, the LDF Business Development Corp. was launched to create profitable enterprises and jobs for tribal members. It was done with the knowledge that gaming revenues may rise or fall over time, and that reliance on the Lake of the Torches Resort Casino alone was not a sustainable business model for the tribe and its 3,600 enrolled members.
Still in JSOnline: State business survival strong
A project of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, Scale Up Milwaukee is based on a model developed by Daniel Isenberg, founding executive director of the Babson Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Project. An investor and entrepreneur as well as an academic, Isenberg has worked with entrepreneurship systems in Colombia, Brazil and Denmark. Milwaukee is the first U.S. community to develop an entrepreneurship program based on his model.
Inside Wis: Angel, venture investments in Wisconsin took healthy jump in 2014
Wisconsin isn’t California or Massachusetts when it comes to angel and venture investment, nor will it ever be. However, it is building a stronger support system for young companies and investors who know how to find the most promising deals. That combination can help ensure a cycle with more booms than busts.
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| Innovation news round-up |
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BizTimes: UWM to develop Lubar Center for Entrepreneurship with $10M gift
WisBusiness: Broadband need could triple by decade's end, experts say
BizTimes: Hatching a business: Startups learn to fly in challenging environment
Xconomy: Gener8tor Launches Free Accelerator for WI College Startups
State Journal: Propeller Health's asthma monitor is approved for more devices
UW-Madison: With UW-Madison engineers' expertise, German fusion experiment achieves major milestone
BizTimes: BloodCenter of Wisconsin launches gene deletion/duplication analysis
JSOnline: ZBB Energy completes deal with China-based Solar Power, names new CEO
MBJ: Aurora St. Luke's first hospital in U.S. to use GE Healthcare's '4-D' diagnostic ultrasound
WXPR: Lac du Flambeau featured at Wisconsin Technology Council
JSOnline: Wisconsin doctor's invention could benefit patients, investors
Madison Startups: Fishidy Partners with Nukru
JSOnline: Report outlines role of tax credits in business investment during decade
MBJ: Meet The Water Council’s ‘BREWMaster’
WisBusiness: Medical College of Wisconsin looks for new Green Bay campus to help address doc shortage
JSOnline: ZBB Energy to supply solar, battery power to university in Hawaii
JSOnline: Johnson Controls wins $44.5 million federal contract
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| News, events and opportunities |
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| Get WIN-volved! Membership has its privileges |
Wisconsin Innovation Network (WIN) is The Tech Council's membership subsidiary - a community-based economic development organization dedicated to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. In association with the Tech Council, WIN programs focus on the needs and challenges faced by new and growing technology-based businesses in Wisconsin. When you become a WIN member, your membership applies to all chapters, statewide. Membership is for one year starting with the month you join. Go here to learn more about the benefits of a WIN membership.
Thank you to the following individuals and organizations that have recently joined or renewed their WIN memberships:
Corporate members
Intrepid Wealth Partners
Kiio Inc.
Ziegler Alternative Investments
Individual members
Melinda Caughill
Erik Forsberg
Earl Humphrey
Mark Ronnie
Kristi Thering
James Yarger
David Zachman
Click here to fill out an online application to become a new member or renew your current membership!
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| Sponsor your next regional meeting |
Sponsoring your chapter's next WIN meeting will give you and your company immediate exposure to Wisconsin's best and brightest people. WIN is a network dedicated to giving a voice to the technology community as a whole - from the bottom up! Sponsorship opportunities are available on a monthly or annual basis. Contact Maurice Cheeks for more information.
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| Post events in our community events section |
Click here to add your event to the Tech Council Community Events section that is designed to assist in the development, growth and success of science- and technology-based businesses in Wisconsin.
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