The contestants have survived two rounds of judging in the contest organized through the Wisconsin Technology Council and its programs. A lead sponsor is the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.

One top entry from UW-Madison’s G. Steven Burrill Business Plan Contest will join these 24 plans in the Phase 3 judging round in early May.

The “Diligent Dozen,” or top 12 business plans, will present in front of a panel of judges and conference attendees at the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference on June 3 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. Category winners, as well as the 2014 Grand Prize Winner, will be announced during the BPC Awards Luncheon on June 4.                       

Investments fueling Wisconsin: Portfolio tracks deals, new funds

The soon-to-be-released 2014 Wisconsin Portfolio, an annual publication of the Wisconsin Technology Council and the Wisconsin Angel Network, will outline more than 80 deals that were funded across the state in 2013. 

This year's publication will also focus on several new funds that began making investments this year or are getting up and running. Several groups will be profiled, including a Q&A with Greg Robinson, the new manager of 4490 Ventures, a $30 million fund backed by the State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB) and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF).

If you are interested in a copy of the publication, please contact Gina Leahy at (608)-442-7557 or gleahy@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com.

Sixteen major companies took part in about 200 “speed dating” meetings with 54 emerging companies during the inaugural Wisconsin Tech Summit, held April 7 at the GE Healthcare Institute in Waukesha.

The largest gathering of angel investors was held recently in Washington D.C., with a focus on the rapidly-changing environment when it comes to deal technology, innovations in deal terms and public policy changes affecting startups and investing (crowdfunding, general solicitation, review of accredited investor definition).

The Wisconsin Angel Network, an affiliate ACA member, attended the Summit. Here's a collection of coverage for eVestor readers:

30Forward: Legislators float national programs to increase angel investing
30Forward: Could a $1M crowdfunding raise cost $200,000?
ACA blog: Angel Insights Blog: Paul's Way of the Highway? Angels have many paths | Highlights from the 2014 ACA Summit
The Washington Post: Congress looks to angels to revive economy

U.S. venture investments highest since 2001

Venture capitalists poured more money into U.S. startups in the first quarter of 2014 than has been seen since 2001, according to the latest MoneyTree study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association.

Startup investments totaled $9.47 billion in the first three months of the year, up from $6 billion in the first quarter of 2013. It was the highest since the second quarter of 2001, when investments reached $11.5 billion. Read more on the report here.

Wisconsin had seven investments that totaled more than $18 million, the highest number of venture capital-funded deals in the state in at least the last 9 quarters of the survey.

Also, because of some of the volatility of public markets for tech stocks, some startups are being advised to raise funding now, because the market for big financings might not be so friendly in the coming quarters. A number of analysts have also raised warnings of a tech bubble.

Corvisa Cloud, a  provider of call center software that was founded in 2011, announced it received a $30 million capital infusion from its parent company, Novation Companies, Inc.

"CorvisaCloud is experiencing strong momentum in the cloud contact center arena and as a result, we believe the time is now to take this company to the next level," Lance Anderson, CEO, Novation Companies, said in a news release.

Read more on Corvisa here and here.

Platypus Technologies, a Madison nanotech sensor technology company, recently raised more than $150,000, according to an SEC filing.

The Art Commission (now known as CODAworx), a Madison online community of artists, designers, architects and others who are involved in commissioned design projects, recently raised more than $200,000 from investors. Read more.

Phoenix Nuclear Labs, announced that it was awarded a $1 million grant from the Department of Energy to design and build a high current negative hydrogen ion source. Read more.

Vonlay, a Madison-based healthcare technology consulting firm, announced that it had entered into an agreement to be acquired by Huron Consulting Group. Read more.  

Xolve, a Madison nanomaterials company focused on product application areas in high-end plastics, composites, and energy storage, recently raised more than $380,000, according to an SEC filing.

Okanjo, a Milwaukee startup focused on e-commerce and local advertising, has raised $750,000 of a $1.2 million fundraising round. Read more.

The Good Jobs, a Milwaukee online company that helps match a company's culture to an individuals life and work style, raised a $180,000 from investors and secured a $170,000 loan from the Milwaukee Economic Development Corp. Read more.

WholeTrees, a Madison headquartered firm that offers timber-construction solutions and technology, announced the close of a $1.35 million debt and equity raise. A new recent investor was BrightStar Foundation.