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July 2016
The Tech Council Current
News, events and programming from the Wisconsin Technology Council
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2016 Wisconsin Portfolio
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Tom Still,
Tech Council
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Ray Cross,
UW System |
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The 2016 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 previous calendar year. At least 128 Wisconsin early stage companies raised investment capital in 2015, a 13 percent jump from the prior year. More than $209 million was raised by those 128 companies, which was down from the 2014 total of $346 million but largely explained in the context of one major deal: SHINE Medical Technologies’ $127.4 million debt financing round in 2014.
It’s Wisconsin’s first biotech product – and one of its most familiar exports. Learn more about “The Science of Beer” from experts at MillerCoors, one of the nation’s leading breweries, during a July 14 taste-and-tour event produced by the Tech Council in Milwaukee. Please note: Attendees for this event must be 21 years or older and must wear close toed shoes, no sandals permitted on tour.
From hobbyists to farms to commercial users, drones are taking off in Wisconsin. Learn about this rapidly growing technology sector and its effect on the state’s economy at the Tuesday, July 19 meeting of the Tech Council’s Wisconsin Innovation Network in Madison.
Join us Thursday, Aug. 4 at Wisconsin Brewing Co. in Verona from 6 to 9 p.m. for a casual evening of food, craft beer and live music to celebrate Wisconsin’s innovation and technology culture. Hosted by the Wisconsin Technology Council, Brew, Bites & Bytes is a relaxed evening open to people and groups who are a part of the state’s tech and innovation scene. Anyone is welcome to attend.
Many of us associate the hub of today’s startup scene with downtown or the near-east side. For west siders, startup central is University Research Park, where Exact Sciences is perhaps the most familiar occupant. Long before Exact Sciences took up residence in the sprawling 260-acre campus that’s home to some 120 tenants, the Wisconsin Technology Council, established in 2001, hung its shingle on the other side of URP to begin its wonky policy work under the leadership of former Wisconsin State Journal associate editor Tom Still.
The Wisconsin Technology Council invited me to their Innovation Networking meeting on June 28, where WTC president Tom Still spoke about the vital part the UW System plays in driving a vibrant Wisconsin economy. In fact, the main conclusion of the WTC’s recent report, “The Value of Higher Education to Wisconsin’s Economy,” is that further cuts in public support for higher education will harm the state’s economy.
Members of the Wisconsin Technology Council met Monday and Tuesday at UW-Stout, where they heard from Chancellor Robert Meyer on the university’s ties to the business and technology communities in western Wisconsin and beyond. State Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls, spoke Monday night to a gathering of Tech Council board members and community leaders.
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TECH COUNCIL NEWS SERVICE:
JSOnline: Madison Chamber leader touts Wisconsin’s high-tech ‘Third Wave’
UW-Madison News: UW-Madison nuclear researchers receive $3 million in DOE grants
WEDC: Trade Venture offers gateway to South America for Wisconsin companies
Xconomy: Exact Sciences, D2P, & Bon Ami: This week’s Wisconsin watchlist
Release: Jendusa donates $1 million to UWM for entrepreneur-in-residence program
JSOnline: Jim Lindenberg shares insights as a serial entrepreneur
JSOnline: gBETA Milwaukee’s First Five Companies
JSOnline: Cheata motorbikes made in South Milwaukee
WisBusiness: Dems, WMC clash over manufacturing and ag tax credit
UW-Madison News: Gulbrandsen reflects on 16 years shepherding innovation at WARF
WisBusiness: Cross calls for more partnerships between UW System, industry leaders
UW-Madison News: UW-Madison ranked high in list of universities that produce top CEOs
WisBusiness: Report finds ‘little evidence’ of job growth after manufacturing & ag tax credit
DailyReporter: Dane County program to hand out $1.4 million for clean-water projects
BizTimes: Milwaukee groups land $8 million in federal grants for Tech training
WisBusiness: Obama administration giving state groups $17 million to train people for tech jobs
JSOnline: WEDC identifies priorities for economic growth
Release: WARF is taking applications for its free program helping minority, women entrepreneurs
Office of the Governor: Gov. Walker presents 2016 Trailblazer Awards to women business leaders
Madison Startups: Company Profile: Cyder Healthcare Solutions
UW-Madison News: Kawaoka to receive Japan Academy Award, presented by Emperor and Empress
JSOnline: New federal rules set parameters on uses of commercial drones
CapTimes: Wisconsin women share stories of entrepreneurial success
JSOnline: West Allis craft brewery seeks $35,000 city loan to help fund launch
Release: Federal panel reverses its position on Exact Sciences’ Cologuard test
BizTimes: New round of BREW Accelerator winners announced
INSIDE WISCONSIN:
Still in JSOnline: Colorado’s markets are booming — the question is: Why?
Inside Wis: Brexit, Donald Trump and the summer of our discontent
Inside Wis: Gulbrandsen’s legacy at WARF vital to Wisconsin economy
Still in JSOnline: Choosing the correct tool to boost start-ups can be a balancing act
Inside Wis: Inputs, outputs and measuring what moves the economy
Inside Wis: State policies matter in sizing ‘toolbox’ for high-growth economy
WISBUSINESS:THE SHOW:
Episode 168: Covers Tech Metrics, commentary; interview with Hal Karas of Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek
Episode 167: Covers Tech Metrics, commentary; interview with Erik Iverson of WARF
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Jerry Jendusa
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Carl Gulbrandsen,
WARF
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Liz Schrum, WisBusiness:The Show
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Hal Karas, Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek
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INVESTORS' CORNER:
JSOnline: Xemex attracts attention from angel investors
Release: Brightstar Wisconsin celebrates third birthday
Xconomy: Early-Stage Investment in WI Dipped in 2015, But Some Positive Signs
WisBusiness: Wisconsin companies raise $209.5 million last year, a slight dip from 2014
UW-Madison News: Student startup NovoMoto places among top teams in DOE competition
Xconomy: IDAvatars to Move Beyond Healthcare Following Purchase of CodeBaby
BizTimes: Mequon’s iDAvatars acquires CodeBaby
Madison Startups: Company Profile: Easy Way to Health
JSOnline: IDAvatars merges with Colorado company
Xconomy: WISC Partners Raises $8.2M First Fund, Reveals Portfolio Companies
Xconomy: Redox, Cellectar, Shine, & PeptiMed: This Week’s Wisconsin Watchlist
WisBusiness: Smart Choice MRI: Names Mark Lupo chief financial officer
JSOnline: Peptimed raises $200,000 to aid development of cancer-fighting drugs
JSOnline: Silatronix raises $8 million, secures new partners
Release: gener8tor expands to Minneapolis
Release: Wisconsin ranks 18th in private equity dollars invested in 2015
Biz Journal: SHINE Medical to supply medical isotope to Beijing company HTA
Release: Cellular Dynamics expanding team and announcing further partnerships
JSOnline: Redox is on track to help integrate hundreds of apps
JSOnline: SHINE Medical inks supply agreement with HTA Co. Ltd. of Beijing
Xconomy: One Solstice Raises $450K to Match Musicians and Concert Venues
Madison Startups: Company Profile: Madison Tiny Homes
JSOnline: Abodo raises $3.4 million in equity funding
JSOnline: One Solstice raises $450,000 from angel investors
Release: WEDC request to reallocate $8 million in early stage tax credits approved
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www.shinemed.com
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GET INVOLVED:
Wisconsin Innovation Network membership:
Experience for yourself why WIN has been a Tech Council tradition for more than 13 years. With more than two dozen events annually, you'll expand your network while learning from top-notch speakers. When
you become a WIN member, your membership applies to all chapters,
statewide. With five different types of membership, you and/or your
company will be sure to find a membership that fits your business goals.
Join today!
Thank you to the following
individuals and organizations that have recently joined or renewed their
WIN memberships:
Individual Members
Rebecca Dunn
Erik Forsberg
Christopher Jushka
Chloe Kiefer
Bruce Lindgren
Scott Sandstrom
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Corporate Members
Concordia University Wisconsin
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Need help finding the membership level right for you?
Contact Cassidy Wartenweiler, Development and Member Relations Director, at cassidy@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com or 608-442-7557.
Wisconsin Angel Network membership:
Your $750 WAN membership entitles you to
one free pass to both major conferences (Entrepreneurs'
Conference and Early Stage Symposium), as well as regular WIN events.
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