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The Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium, held Nov. 5-6 at Madison's Monona Terrace, had record attendance with more than 550 registrants over the two-day event. Attendees traveled to Madison from all over Wisconsin, the Midwest, and beyond. We introduced two new elements to the symposium – the “Office Hours” sessions and the “Reverse Elevator Pitch” panel – both earned rave reviews! Forty-four companies had the opportunity to present to investors during the WAN Tracks and the Elevator Pitch Olympics. Sixteen panel discussions covered a wide variety of topics and engaged some of the region’s leading investors and entrepreneurs. Our featured speakers – Brad Feld and Mark Schmitz – filled the ballrooms to capacity and sparked some exciting conversations about reaching beyond conventional boundaries.

•  The full attendee list can be found here.

•  See Tom Still's recap of this year's event here.

•  View downloadable photos of presenters, exhibitors and speakers here.

•  Watch a slideshow of conference photos here.

•  Read a comprehensive list of media coverage here.

Thanks again to all who participated!

Ten trends that define tech sector growth in Wisconsin While Wisconsin continues to lag in the creation of net new companies, directions in sectors that are sources of young, high-growth companies promise to help over time. Here are 10 trends shaping the future of Wisconsin’s tech-based economy.

Philippines typhoon shows need for better storm prediction science
Two days after Typhoon Haiyan left a trail of death and destruction in the Philippines, some of the nation’s leading climate scientists gathered at a higher education conference to talk about how to better predict the next mega-storm. Their conclusion: Whether or not people and policymakers buy into the notion of man-made climate change, the science of forecasting the strength, target and frequency of such storms must qualitatively improve. 

Investor George Mosher is example of ups and downs of angel investing Angel and venture capital investing in Wisconsin has many faces. They range from sophisticated fund managers, inside the state and out, who handle multi-million-dollar deals to the casual investor who may join a hometown angel network and take part in one five-digit deal a year. One of the most familiar and humble faces belongs to George Mosher.

Program aims to better link UW System, state economy It's a common question, often voiced inside the Capitol and within Wisconsin's business community: How can the University of Wisconsin System better align itself with the state's economic future?

Cities, states and regions must ultimately map own routes to success
It’s rarely a bad idea to compare-and-contrast when it comes to business development, whether it’s city to city, state to state or region to region. It can be a really bad idea, however, to get hung up on it. Unfortunately, the latter seems to be the case these days in Wisconsin, where a slow recovery from the Great Recession has sent business, government and economic development leaders scrambling for answers wherever the grass looks greener. 

Why making connections abroad matters for emerging companies
Louis Ho, the director of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s seven offices in North and South America, freely admits he didn’t know that much about Wisconsin until a recent visit to Minnesota’s Twin Cities persuaded him to look across the border.

JSOnline: Cracked cellphone screens are entrepreneur's business
The cracking sound and spider web of shattered glass that comes from dropping your cellphone or tablet is something nobody wants to hear or see — not to mention the expense and mess that follow. But if there's a glimmer of hope that the damaged device can be repaired, that's where Natalya Schilling with Fix Phone Land steps in.

JSOnline: Computer tech support scams targeting residents
Scammers who claim to be from Microsoft or Windows tech support continue to call Wisconsin consumers, saying the consumer has a virus on their computer. The caller offers to "fix" the alleged problem in an attempt to gain remote access to the computer. Several consumers have fallen for the scam and lost hundreds of dollars, according to the Better Business Bureau Serving Wisconsin.

Wisconsin awards HP $221 million Medicaid contract extension
HP Enterprise Services has announced the Wisconsin Department of Health Services has signed a $221 million agreement for HP to continue its 36-year relationship as the state’s Medicaid fiscal agent.

State Journal: The Art Commission changes its name to CODAworxThe Art Commission, a Madison online business that connects artists with design professionals, is now called CODAworx (Collaboration of Design+Art).

JSOnline: EatStreet gobbles up more online restaurant orders

Three years back, Matt Howard, Eric Martell and Alex Wyler were UW-Madison students with a bright idea and not much money. But they had a solid corps of friends, and sometimes that can get you by. The three are co-founders of EatStreet Inc., a promising young Madison tech firm that supplies restaurants with software for handling online orders.

JSOnline: MEDC to consider $300,000 investment in HarQen
The Milwaukee Economic Development Corp. will meet this week to discuss a potential $300,000 investment in HarQen Inc., a Milwaukee digital voice technology firm. HarQen presented during the Wisconsin Angel Network Investors' Track at last week's Early Stage Symposium.

JSOnline: Super Angel Fund invests in two Wisconsin startups
Wisconsin Super Angel Fund LP, which launched in March with more than $5million to put into early-stage companies, said Tuesday it has invested in two Wisconsin-based startups.

JSOnline: Chris Abele's money at work in venture fund
Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele has committed at least $10 million of his own money to a venture capital fund that will invest in early-stage companies here and around the Midwest.

JSOnline: Startup Alithias Inc. gets a boost from big business
In the struggle for sales that is at the heart of every start-up, Alithias Inc. has been helped by a surprising number of much bigger companies. At least seven established companies in Wisconsin have funded beta testing or become early customers of the Milwaukee maker of health care price and quality information software programs. Alithias presented at the 2013 Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium.

JSOnline: Dane County ranks 9th on list of counties with IT job growth
In a world that is rapidly digitizing, Dane County ranked 9th on a list compiled by the Progressive Policy Institute of counties that have had strong job growth in information technology and related sectors during the last five years.

State Journal: Wellbe will be growing after $1.4M from investors

Madison health IT company Wellbe has finished its first fundraising round, receiving $1.1 million from angel investors in Wisconsin and beyond, as well as a $300,000 loan from the Madison Development Corp.

JSOnline: Chinese investment a growing trend in Wisconsin
The Global Water Center, which houses laboratories, university faculty and more than a dozen water tech companies, wouldn't likely have happened without the infusion of $12million from Chinese investors, who provided more than half the cost of acquiring and renovating the 107-year-old warehouse in Milwaukee's Walker's Point neighborhood.

JSOnline: Gauthier Biomedical partners, not just supplies customers
In July 2012, Gauthier Biomedical moved its offices and factory to a $10 million, 80,000-square-foot building in Grafton. The company has invested $8 million in equipment, including more than $4 million in the past two years. It now employs more than 80 people, with plans to hire an additional 25 this year. That growth came by reinvesting profits and without money from outside investors.

JSOnline: PKWare takes radical path with new development
PKWare is a case study in the ideas of influential business thinker Clayton Christensen, whose theories on why successful companies find it difficult to embrace radical innovation have been hailed by such tech luminaries as Steve Jobs and former Intel Corp. CEO Andy Grove.

Tech Council's Still interview for Visionary Talk Radio show
Click here to listen to an Oct. 15 interview with Tech Council President Tom Still on Visionary Talk Radio, in which he discusses the role of the Tech Council, the role of higher education in innovation, and attributes of successful entrepreneurs.

JSOnline: Looking for fish? Check the algorithms
A technology-focused startup company in Madison traces its roots to a really bad fishing trip. Strategic Fishing Systems LLC was formed in 2007 by three guys who describe themselves as "avid outdoorsmen who are passionate about technology." Strategic Fishing Systems won the 2012 Governor's Business Plan Contest in the information technology category.

JSOnline: U.P. power line proposed
American Transmission Co. asked Michigan state regulators to approve a more than $100 million project designed to shore up the reliability of the power grid in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Daily Cardinal: WARF instrumental patent attorney dies Friday
Howard Bremer, a patent attorney who helped develop the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s influence in the worlds of research and innovation, died Oct. 11, according to a news release.

JSOnline: Wisconsin seeks to export more products to Middle East

Wisconsin companies exported more than $1 billion worth of products to the Middle East last year, and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. is taking steps to increase that amount.

UW Regents’ economic growth chair addresses Tech Council board
UW Regent Tim Higgins, chair of the board's Research, Economic Development and Innovation Committee, addressed the Wisconsin Technology Council board of directors on Tuesday, Oct. 9, in Neenah. The meeting was hosted by Plexus Corp.. View Higgins' remarks, as well as the UW System's strategic plan surrounding economic development, here.