Technology based news from around the state - and the world!

A new partnership between the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and the Port of Milwaukee will make it easier for state businesses to take full advantage of the regional Foreign-Trade Zone. This unique effort is designed to increase the participation in the Port’s Foreign-Trade Zone and boost international trade by managing tariffs and in some cases reducing or eliminating those fees.

On the latest episode of “WisBusiness.com: The Show,” Liz Schrum speaks with Brian Birk, managing director of Sun Mountain Capital in New Mexico, who attended the recent Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference in Middleton; Tom Still discusses Wisconsin’s expertise in health information technology; and the Wisbusiness.com Stock Report for early June 2013.

The biweekly show, produced by Tweedee Productions for the Wisconsin Technology Council and WisBusiness.com, is sponsored by Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., Madison Gas & Electric, UW-Milwaukee and BMO Harris Bank.

Two-time U.S. Open winner Andy North is among several new investors in Kayo Technology Inc., a Madison company that aims to modernize the practice of physical therapy.

What we know is this: Over the next decade, innovation and entrepreneurism are the keys to producing a more robust economy in Wisconsin. And that's why, despite the scary news coming out of the statistic mills, there are still reasons to be optimistic if you're a dyed-in-the-wool Badger.

Sara Linderman, an 8^th grader at Pilgrim Park Middle School and a resident of Brookfield, is the grand prize winner in Wisconsin YES!, a youth business plan contest for students in middle and high school.  

The state Assembly just approved a smart plan to help young companies in Wisconsin expand and hire. Now the Senate should act.

Mark Bugher, who helped to mold UW-Madison's University Research Park into an economic and technology transfer force admired nationally, plans to retire in October.

Just as construction kicked off on the first building at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Innovation Campus this week, Chancellor Michael Lovell announced that the project will receive a $2 million gift from philanthropist Michael Cudahy.

Four years after Kevin T. Conroy took the top job at a struggling biotech company, Exact Sciences Corp. said Monday it has submitted an application to federal regulators for approval to market a DNA-based, non-invasive colon cancer test.

The state's still-emerging high-tech economy saw developments on several fronts last week, creating optimism that years of talk might finally yield significant action.

Before Brian Jensen’s mobile app, Fishidy, showed up in the sporting goods sections of hundreds of Wal-Mart stores, the Sun Prairie native got all but skunked on a fishing trip to northern Minnesota.

The Wisconsin Assembly voted, 91-2, June 6 to approve Assembly Bill 181, the early stage capital bill, and send it to the Senate for further action. Read a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story here. Read a statement from the Wisconsin Growth Capital Coalition here.

Odyne Systems of Waukesha has received a contract to supply its plug-in hybrid system technology to about 120 large plug-in hybrid trucks to utilities under a $45 million contract with the research arm of the utility industry.

The 2013 Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Conference was held June 4-5 at the Marriott West in Middleton. View coverage of the event here.

A company that has developed a portable device for treating diabetic foot ulcers won the grand prize in the 2013 Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest, organizers announced Wednesday.

NitricGen Inc., a Madison-based firm, designed and patented a shoe box-sized device that produces nitric oxide from room air to treat chronic foot ulcers, a serious complication of diabetes. The device electrically creates a flow of nitric oxide gas to be applied by the patient.

Mitchell Fiene, a University of Wisconsin-Whitewater sophomore, has taken his business idea to the skies after finding a solution to an arduous farming practice - crop scouting.

Cellular Dynamics International, created by UW-Madison stem cell pioneer James Thomson in 2004, plans to sell its stock on the public market, the first Madison company to go public in six years.

Wisconsin companies raised more than $163 million in early stage funding in 2012, a 7 percent jump from 2011, according to a new report from the Wisconsin Angel Network.

The numbers remain gloomy, but many believe that after more than a decade of serious effort, Wisconsin finally may be re-invigorating its entrepreneurial climate.

Still on the fence about attending the 11th annual Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference in Milwaukee? Here are 10 reasons to drop in Tuesday and Wednesday for one of the Midwest’s premier events for entrepreneurs.

Watch "For the Record" with Neil Heinen this Sunday at 10 a.m. on WISC-TV Channel 3. Heinen talks about the growing spirit of entrepreneurship and previews the upcoming Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Conference. Guests include Tom Still, Wisconsin Technology Council; Melissa Turczyn, Michael Best & Friedrich and 2013 conference co-chair; and Mark Gehring, Asthmapolis and conference panelist.

On the latest episode of “WisBusiness.com: The Show,” Liz Schrum speaks with Kurt Bauer, president of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, about current and upcoming state legislation, including the state budget; Tom Still discusses why Michigan is a potential role model for our economic development; and the Wisbusiness.com Stock Report for early June 2013.

More than 40 investors and entrepreneurs will talk about best practices, success stories – and even how they learned from failure – during panel discussions at the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference in Middleton. Tracks within the two-day conference are built around three distinct stages that matter to all startup companies: launch, grow and succeed. Seasoned entrepreneurs, investors and others who work with emerging companies will take part in each discussion. To register, visit http://www.witrepsconference.com/.

Janet Gongola, the patent reform coordinator at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Va., will take part in a panel discussion during the second day of the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference in Middleton.

Finalists representing diverse tech-based sectors in Wisconsin’s startup economy will present live to judges in the Governor’s Business Plan Contest during the 11^th annual Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference in Middleton.

Healthcare industry leaders, local health information technology startups, investors and other industry leaders will converge at the first “Start Me Up” Meet-up Day June 10 at the Fluno Center on the UW-Madison campus.

On the latest episode of “WisBusiness.com: The Show,” Liz Schrum speaks with Marian Singer, CEO of Shorewood-based WellIntel, about groundwater monitoring from above ground; Tom Still discusses the impact of new energy reserves being found in America and around the world; and the WisBusiness.com Stock Report for mid-May covers Wisconsin's business climate rankings and business tax rankings.

The biweekly show, produced by Tweedee Productions for the Wisconsin Technology Council and WisBusiness.com, is sponsored by Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., Madison Gas & Electric, UW-Milwaukee and BMO Harris Bank.

Fred Foster, a Madison native who founded ETC (Electronic Theatre Controls Inc.) will receive the 10^th annual Ken Hendricks Memorial “Seize the Day” award at the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference.

A Madison company with a unique, inexpensive technology for authenticating mobile transactions, has been accepted into the highly selective TechStars Boulder start-up accelerator program. Claus Moberg, chief executive officer of Snowshoe Food Inc., and the company's four other employees will spend the summer in Boulder, Co. working with mentors and further developing their company.

Two state agencies will provide a total of $100,000 to Revolution Labs, a Milwaukee program aimed at providing best practices training and funding for five inner-city start-ups, Gov. Scott Walker said Monday.

Dan Blake, 31, took over in March as director of the Wisconsin Angel Network, part of the Wisconsin Technology Council. Read his interview with the Wisconsin State Journal’s Judy Newman here.

ZBB Energy Corp.. said it has received more orders from Lotte Chemical Co. of South Korea for its batteries and energy storage system technology. The Menomonee Falls firm has been working with Lotte for several years under a partnership, working together on the next generation of the company’s zinc bromide flow battery.

Successful investors and entrepreneurs from California’s Silicon Valley will offer perspectives on opportunities and challenges in Wisconsin’s tech sectors during a 90-minute presentation at the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference, to be held June 4-5 at the Marriott West in Middleton. To register, go t http://www.witrepsconference.com/.

Inviragen Inc., a privately held biopharmaceutical company with facilities in Madison, has agreed to be bought by Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. for an upfront payment of $35 million, and future payments of up to $215 million tied to meeting future clinical milestones.

More than 600 businesses in the Madison area are considered high-tech, according to a survey by Madison Gas & Electric. The 2013 Greater Madison Area High-Tech Directory is out, and based on statistics compiled by MGE, there are 625 companies that fall into categories that include computer software development, bioscience and medical devices. That's up from 580 listed a year ago.

On the latest episode of “WisBusiness.com: The Show,” Liz Schrum speaks with Dan Blake, the new director of the Wisconsin Angel Network, about Wisconsin's early stage investment opportunities for businesses and investors; Tom Still explains how bipartisan cooperation is the best way to grow Wisconsin's economy; and the WisBusiness.com Stock Report for early May covers early stage capital and foreign land buying. 

The biweekly show, produced by Tweedee Productions for the Wisconsin Technology Council and WisBusiness.com, is sponsored by Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., Madison Gas & Electric, UW-Milwaukee and BMO Harris Bank.

A company that plans to build a production plant in Janesville says it has reached a milestone that further demonstrates its ability to produce a medical isotope used in more than 40 million medical imaging tests each year.

Middleton-based ETC, Electronic Theatre Controls, is expanding to Mazomanie. ETC, which designs and manufactures lighting systems and rigging equipment for entertainment and architectural uses, has purchased the vacant building that formerly housed commercial printer Sunny Industries, later known as Synergy Web Graphics.

The Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economy and Mining held a public hearing Wednesday in Madison on Assembly Bill 181, which would create a state-leveraged fund-of-funds. Read on for testimony on the bill from Wisconsin Technology Council President Tom Still, Steve Lyons and Trevor D’Souza of the Wisconsin Growth Capital Coalition, and Delora Newton of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce. Also, read blog items from Wisconsin Angel Network Director Dan Blake, including comments from entrepreneurs who join Still during his testimony.

A bill that would create a state-leveraged “fund of funds” to invest in some of Wisconsin’s most promising early stage companies was introduced today by a bipartisan group of state legislators.

As the first place winner of the 2013 BizStarts Milwaukee Collegiate Business Plan Competition, Digifii will be entered into Phase 3 of the Governor's Business Plan Contest.

Tracks within the two-day conference are built around three distinct stages that matter to all startup companies: launch, grow and succeed. Seasoned entrepreneurs, investors and others who work with emerging companies will take part in each discussion.

Ideas, risk-taking and industrial muscle built Milwaukee. To move forward, the region needs brain power and an economy fueled by entrepreneurs and start-ups.

“Higher education -- whether we like it or not -- is in big, irreversible change,” said Ward, speaking to a Wisconsin Innovation Network event on Tuesday in Madison.

Innovation Way was home, for a few hours, to a group of startup companies that are plowing into the world of digital technology and social media. The startups, which set up shop at the 19th annual Biz Expo sponsored by the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, are trying to help traditional businesses in an increasingly digital environment dominated by smartphones and apps.

Jason Lucash, co-founder of OrigAudio and a nationally known entrepreneur whose credentials include landing an investment during an episode of ABC’s “Shark Tank,” will speak at the 11^th annual Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference.

More than 50 Wisconsin biotech companies and research facilities, plus 150 people from the Badger State, are expected to attend BIO International 2013 in Chicago this week.

On the latest episode of “WisBusiness.com: The Show,” Liz Schrum talks with Ellen Nowak of the state Public Service Commission about regulatory issues affecting the business community; Tom Still explains how the finalists in the Governor’s Business Plan Contest reflect state market trends; and the WisBusiness.com Stock Report for mid-April 2013 covers the China trade mission and Oshkosh Corp.

The biweekly show, produced by Tweedee Productions for the Wisconsin Technology Council and WisBusiness.com, is sponsored by Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., Madison Gas & Electric, UW-Milwaukee and BMO Harris Bank.

Wisconsin companies raised $18.42 million of venture capital in the first quarter, the best showing to start the year since 2010.

ZBB Energy Corp. said it has won approval from the Export-Import Bank for loan guarantees to back $1.14 million in loans from InvestorsBank to the maker of energy storage systems and hybrid vehicle controls. The transaction will provide working capital to help support sales of ZBB products that are exported from its factory in Menomonee Falls.

Milwaukee-based Badger Meter Inc. has acquired Los Gatos, Calif.-based software technology company Aquacue Inc. for $14 million. The addition will help advance Badger Meter’s water usage management technology.

A statewide panel of judges have selected 17 entries to advance to Phase 2 of Wisconsin YES!, a youth business plan contest for students in middle school and high school. Students submitted their science- and tech-based 250-word business summaries through the contest website last month to compete in Phase 1 of the contest. Professionals from across the state served as judges, scoring the entries and providing constructive feedback to the students.

There are many paths to economic growth, all with their advocates. Many scholars and businesspeople believe the spark for growth comes from the entrepreneur.

"Entrepreneurship is where the new ideas come from that produce economic progress," Randall Holcombe of Florida State said. "If you didn't have any entrepreneurs, everything would be the same next week as it is this week, same next year as it was last year. Economic progress would come to a halt."

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. plans to pay about $13.6 billion for Life Technologies Corp. in a deal that will position the scientific instrument maker to benefit from the expected growth of personalized medicine, which uses genetic analysis to tailor treatments to patients.

Life Technologies was formed in November 2008 through the combination of Invitrogen Corp. and Applied Biosystems Inc.

Twenty-one entries representing sectors as broad as software, agriculture, transportation, medical devices and innovations in manufacturing are competing in the finalist round of the 10^th annual Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest.

Milwaukee residents know the city is more than just beer and manufacturing, and this week it got some recognition for its growing tech scene. Techie.com put Milwaukee on its list of 10 most unexpected cities for high-technology innovation.

The National Conference on Undergraduate Research will be held this week on the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse campus. This is the second time that UW-L will host NCUR, a national event that brings together students and faculty mentors from across the country to share their research. This is a unique opportunity to shed light on the outstanding research taking place on campuses across our state and how that activity enhances the learning experience.

The Golden Angels Investors LLC will put money into a new fund being raised by TechStars Chicago, an organization that accelerates young companies from offices in the Merchandise Mart in downtown Chicago. The network's investment will be less than $100,000 but it will give the Golden Angels early access for the next four years to the 10 companies TechStars Chicago runs through its three-month-long program each summer, said Tim Keane, the Milwaukee group's founder and director.

The Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority is seeking proposals to form and manage a $3 million venture capital fund that would focus on making investments in Milwaukee. The agency, known as WHEDA, wants the fund to have a special focus on the Transform Milwaukeearea. Transform Milwaukee is a public/private partnership led by WHEDA that is trying to restore economic prosperity to the 30th Street industrial corridor, Menomonee Valley, Port of Milwaukee and an area called the Aerotropolis, which is located south of General Mitchell International Airport.

Madison's new cluster of health care technology companies is coming into its own. With at least five local businesses started by former Epic Systems Corp. employees that have created about 400 jobs in the past three years as well as other companies without Epic ties, a Madison health tech meetup group has been formed. The group has nearly 150 participants, organizer Jonathan Baran said.

Salim Nasser, a NASA engineer, inventor and quadriplegic, has created a wheel that could dramatically reduce how much energy a wheelchair user expends moving his or her chair forward. Now Rowheels, the company he cofounded in 2012, hopes to bring the wheel to market later this year. If successful, it should mean more efficient mobility and healthier bodies for users, Nasser says.

Green Bay-based Aver Informatics was one of 13 companies chosen to join a three-year entrepreneurship program to accelerate growth for consumer health companies.

More than 400 companies from 22 countries applied to be a part of the program. Companies were chosen from across the U.S., Ireland and Israel. The companies will be closely monitored by GE and StartUp Health, a healthtech startup incubator.

Asthmapolis (az-MAP-o-lis), the FDA-cleared mobile health solution for asthma and COPD, today announces it has raised $5 million in a Series A round from The Social+Capital Partnership ("Social Capital"). With the funds, Asthmapolis will deliver new innovations and services for its comprehensive solution of sensors, leading mobile technology and personalized support, extending its reach to the more than 50 million people living with chronic respiratory disease in the United States today. 

The Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center in Madison has won a five-year renewal from the federal Energy Department to continue its research on sustainable next-generation biofuel technologies. The renewal awards the center, based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, $125 million over five years. The center was created with an initial award of the same amount -- $25 million a year over five years -- in 2007. The center's mission is to research sustainable production of cellulosic biofuels -- crops such as switchgrass and  that don't compete with sources of food to make energy.

Three emerging Wisconsin companies have been certified for Early Stage Investment tax credits by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC).  WEDC certified BadgerMax, Inc., Waunakee, Winstruments, Inc., Madison, and SOLOMO Technology, Inc., Madison, as Qualified News Business Ventures, eligible for investment tax credits. In addition, SOLOMO Technology was approved for a $125,000 Wisconsin Venture Debt Fund loan.

Angels on the Water, a recently formed angel investing group in northeastern Wisconsin, said Tuesday it will invest $100,000 into five of the six start-ups graduating from an accelerator program on Thursday night.

Cellular Dynamics International, Madison, said Monday it is opening a facility in Novato, Calif., that will become its second location. The company, founded by UW-Madison stem pioneer James Thomson, has signed an agreement to lease space for up to five years at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging.

A former employee of the Medical College of Wisconsin has been charged with economic espionage, according to a federal criminal complaint. The complaint alleges that Hua Jun Zhao, 42, stole three bottles of a patented cancer research compound valued at $8,000 and additional research data relating to the compound.

Alfalight, Inc., a Madison-based manufacturer of laser components and electro-optical systems sold its commercial segment product lines to a provider of high-definition laser projection light engines for mobile devices.  The terms of the deal with Compound Photonics were not disclosed, but further details can be found on Alfalight's web site. Alfalight will retain its product line for defense customers.  

On the latest episode of “WisBusiness.com: The Show,” Liz Schrum talks with Rose Oswald Poels of the Wisconsin Bankers Association about new lending rules for banks; Tom Still explains why trade is so important to the Wisconsin economy; and the WisBusiness.com Stock Report for late March 2013 covers venture capital and Walgreens.

The biweekly show, produced by Tweedee Productions for the Wisconsin Technology Council and WisBusiness.com, is sponsored by Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., Madison Gas & Electric, UW-Milwaukee and BMO Harris Bank.

SHINE Medical Technologies, Monona, has submitted its application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a permit to build a medical isotope factory in Janesville.

Primorigen Biosciences, Madison, has received a $1.2 million Phase 2 Small  Business Innovation Research grant from the National Institutes of Health.

The Greater Milwaukee Committee is leading an initiative, along with Gov. Scott Walker and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, to develop an "entrepreneurship ecosystem" that will try to spur the growth of high-potential business ventures.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's editorial board urges the Legislature to establish a state-backed "fund of funds" to help power Wisconsin's entrepreneurs.

Madison biotech InvivoSciences has signed a collaborative agreement with Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies, a nonprofit research institution in Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Madison stem cell technology developer Cellular Dynamics International has received a $16 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, according to a Thursday announcement.

If you’ve got $3 million to invest in a startup, Annamalai “Karthik” Karthikeyan would like to have a word with you about activated carbon.

Wisconsin legislators are planning to introduce a venture capital bill separate from the state budget proposal, perhaps as soon as next week, according to advocates who have been meeting with legislators. Gov. Scott Walker’s biennial budget proposal, introduced last month, recommended at least $25 million over two years for venture capital to support early-stage firms. Walker likely left the language purposefully vague to encourage the state Legislature to hammer out the details and potentially devote a larger amount of taxpayer funds to venture capital investments, said Steve Lyons, president of the Wisconsin Growth Capital Coalition, a trade association officially formed in January that is lobbying for increased funding for early-stage companies.

A Middleton company’s device to help blind people “see” — in the making for 15 years — has received approval to be sold in Europe. Wicab’s BrainPort V100 will be available in Germany, Italy, Sweden and the United Kingdom starting in June, around the same time the company submits an application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration seeking approval to sell the device in the U.S., chief executive Robert Beckman said.  

The State of Wisconsin Investment Board and Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation announced at the Wisconsin Innovation Network Madison chapter meeting today they are creating an early-stage venture capital fund focused on information technology. Called 4490 Ventures, a reference to the 44° N latitude and 90° W longitude lines that approximate the center of the state of Wisconsin, the $30 million fund will focus on early-stage companies primarily in Wisconsin.

If raising capital is on your list of New Year's resolutions, angel investment clubs may help you connect your company to startup and growth capital networks. Here are some key trends in angel clubs to pay attention to in 2013.

On the latest episode of “WisBusiness.com: The Show,” Liz Schrum talks with Kelly Lietz, vice president of marketing for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., about the “In Wisconsin” marketing campaign; Tom Still explains job creation statistics in Wisconsin for 2012; and the WisBusiness.com Stock Report for mid-March 2013 covers mining and power plant wages.

The biweekly show, produced by Tweedee Productions for the Wisconsin Technology Council and WisBusiness.com, is sponsored by Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., Madison Gas & Electric, UW-Milwaukee and BMO Harris Bank.

The statewide Wisconsin YES! youth business plan contest will close to entries 5 p.m. Monday, March 18. All Wisconsin students in middle and high school have the opportunity to submit their ideas and receive feedback from professionals across the state. Students will learn how to write a business plan and develop entrepreneurial skills that will help them succeed in a global economy – all while competing for cash and other prizes.

More than 70 entrepreneurs from communities across the state took part in the annual "boot camp" sponsored as a part of the 10th annual Wisconsin Governor's Business Plan Contest.

A start-up company formed by the founder of a Milwaukee-area drug ingredient maker is proposing to build a pharmaceutical research and development facility in Mequon, creating 50 jobs. Major Pharmaceuticals LLC wants to develop a two-story, 79,000-square-foot facility on a 7.7-acre parcel immediately south of Executive Drive and east of Commerce St., according to a filing with the city Plan Commission. That site is in Mequon Business Park, near the northeast corner of Donges Bay and Wauwatosa roads.

On the latest episode of “WisBusiness: The Show,” Liz Schrum talks with Steve Lyons, president of the recently created Wisconsin Growth Capital Coalition; Tom Still explains the need for better cybersecurity in Wisconsin; and the WisBusiness.com Stock Report for early March covers mining and federal spending.

The biweekly show, produced by Tweedee Productions for the Wisconsin Technology Council and WisBusiness.com, is sponsored by Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., Madison Gas & Electric, UW-Milwaukee and BMO Harris Bank.

Swallow Solutions LLC, a Madison company that develops products for people with swallowing difficulties, has raised $1 million in a funding round led by Venture Management LLC. Other investors were NEW Capital Fund LP, Wisconsin Investment Partners and wealthy individual investors.

Some of Walker’s priorities are strong, including a special fund to lure more investment capital for young and innovative companies. The fund is an important step for encouraging job and income growth for workers across Wisconsin.

Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council, talks about Gov. Scott Walker's early stage capital proposal in an episode of “Newsmakers” with Larry Gallup of the Appleton Post Crescent. Click here to view the video.

Fifty-one entries from 28 communities have advanced to the semi-final round of the 10^th annual Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest, contest producers announced Thursday. The contestants were selected from a field of 326 first-round entries by an independent panel of about 70 judges organized through the Wisconsin Technology Council, which is producing the contest in conjunction with its membership subsidiary, the Wisconsin Innovation Network, the Wisconsin Angel Network and other statewide affiliates.

Dan Blake will join the Wisconsin Technology Council as the director of its Wisconsin Angel Network in mid-March, it was announced Wednesday. Blake succeeds Zach Brandon, who recently became president of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce.

The discovery and development of biologics is complex, time-consuming and expensive because they’re derived from living organisms. A new drug discovery company based in Madison, Wis. called Invenra Inc. says it has a platform that could overcome some of the barriers that limit the discovery of new biologic drugs in areas like cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. The company disclosed in a securities filing that it has raised $3 million.

A new angel fund - the first to focus on very young companies in southeastern Wisconsin - has launched with more than $5 million to invest. Organizers of the Wisconsin Super Angel Fund raised money from more than 40 investors, including three foundations and an insurance company, said John Torinus Jr., a general partner and chairman of Serigraph Inc. in West Bend. The fund is the first early-stage fund to form in southeastern Wisconsin, said Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. The other early-stage investors in the region are angel networks, where members receive information about companies and individually make decisions about whether to invest in them.

Four start-ups have been certified for early stage business investment tax credits by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. With the certification, the companies' financial backers will be eligible for a 25% tax credit on the amount they invest in the company. The companies certified for the tax credits are: Easenet Inc., United Community LLC, NexVex Inc. and SpanDeX Inc.

EatStreet, a Madison company with an online ordering system, has raised $2 million in a funding round led by Cornerstone Opportunity Partners LLC, a Northbrook, Ill., angel investment fund. Great Oaks Venture Capital, Independence Equity Management LLC and Gener8tor also invested in the company, the company said.

Exact Sciences Corp., expects to submit its application for a noninvasive, DNA-based test for detecting colon cancer to the Food and Drug Administration in May, said Kevin T. Conroy, president and chief executive officer. The company is ramping up its manufacturing capabilities, "laying the foundation" for insurance coverage of the test, and working to develop the market for it, he added.

Spaulding Clinical Research, a change agent in the clinical research and medical device industries, announced that the company has completed a First-In-Human (FIH) study using their dedicated, 12-bed FIH High-Visibility-Unit (HVU). The study was conducted for a biotech Sponsor developing a non-opioid analgesic.

Click here for the audio of Gov. Scott Walker's news conference held Monday, Feb. 18, at University Research Park in Madison. Walker announced that he is setting aside $25 million in his two-year budget bill to boost venture capital investment in the state.

Gov. Scott Walker will include $25 million in his proposed budget for an investment capital fund that he says would help create jobs by investing in startup and emerging companies in Wisconsin. Walker will hold two news conferences Monday, Feb. 18, to discuss the early stage capital initiative - Click here for the details.

Gov. Scott Walker is setting aside $25 million in his two-year budget bill to boost venture capital investment in the state, but isn't putting forward a plan for how such a program would work. Many in the venture and angel capital communities said they were pleased that Walker will include the venture capital program in his proposed budget, which will be released Wednesday. They expressed hope that the Legislature would boost the dollar commitment and details of the program.

"He's sending a strong signal to the Legislature he wants to work with them and early stage investors to make this happen," said Steve Lyons, president of the Wisconsin Growth Capital Coalition, a trade group that he said counts about 20 investment groups among its members.

GreenWhey Energy, Inc. announced Monday it has secured the construction and long-term financing required to construct and operate its innovative anaerobic digester facility in Turtle Lake, Wis.  When completed in the summer of 2013, the project is expected to be one of the largest facilities of its kind in the United States.

In the latest edition of "WisBusiness.com: The Show," Liz Schrum interviews Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce president Zach Brandon; Tom Still explains the role of patents and innovation in Wisconsin; and the WisBusiness.com Stock Report for mid-February covers help for startups and business scam artists.

The biweekly show, produced by Tweedee Productions for the Wisconsin Technology Council and WisBusiness.com, is sponsored by Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., Madison Gas & Electric, UW-Milwaukee and BMO Harris Bank.

Supporters said the movement to create a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem in southeastern Wisconsin and around the state could receive a critical jolt from several initiatives Gov. Scott Walker wants to fund in the next biennial budget, to be introduced this month.

State lawmakers shouldn't overlook the need for more private investment in budding businesses across the state. Entrepreneurs in most every legislative district have smart ideas and are looking to expand.

Novelos Therapeutics, a Madison company developing a new type of drugs to diagnose and treat cancer, has priced a public offering of 11 million units at 50 cents a unit for gross proceeds of $5.5 million.

Gateway Technical College has expanded its manufacturing, engineering and technology center in Sturtevant that provides short-term, customized training for area employers. Tuesday, the college offered equipment demonstrations at the SC Johnson integrated Manufacturing and Engineering Technology Center, which has acquired a product prototyping laboratory affiliated with Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Governor Scott Walker is proposing ways to support start up businesses in the state. Walker’s office on Thursday announced an extensive list of economic development initiatives, aimed at improving the business climate and encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation.

FluGen, a Madison company that’s been working on an influenza vaccine, says it may have found the key to a universal vaccine that will guard against not only known strains of flu but also unanticipated versions of the virus.

Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to lift the cap on Wisconsin’s Angel Investment Tax program, often referred to as the Act 255 tax credit program, drew support Thursday from the Wisconsin Technology Council and its Wisconsin Angel Network program.

Kayo Technology, Inc. says the kiio FLEX, which attaches to resistance bands, helps physical therapists precisely measure and chart the amount of pressure from a patient's exercise. Then, it transfers the data to computers, smartphones and electronic medical records. The Madison company, which was formed in 2011, raised $1.3 million in just six weeks at the end of 2012 following a presentation at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium in November, said Joseph Hildebrandt, managing director at DaneVest Tech Fund, Middleton.

A record number of individuals from communitites across Wisconsin are competing in the 10th annual Wisconsin Governor's Business Plan Contest, organizers announced Wednesday. A total of 326 entries were received from 296 individuals representing 106 communities across the state, including entries from 22 communities that had not previously participated in the contest.

A Brookings Institution report lists Madison as No. 47 among 359 U.S. metropolitan areas in its number of patents per year, between 2007 and 2011. Milwaukee is No. 28. The figures are "not that surprising," said Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council.

"One of the things that is evident about the Milwaukee area is that industry there tends to drive innovation" while the academic institutions participate at a lower level, he said. It's the opposite in Madison, where UW-Madison's Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation leads patent applications.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. will provide $150,000 to the Whitewater Community Development Authority for early stage capital to local entrepreneurs. The WEDC's Capital Catalyst program provides grants to regional organizations or communities to leverage matching funds to provide seed funding for startup and emerging companies.

This technology is a big step toward filling coverage gaps in areas where a wireless signal is blocked by buildings, hills or bluffs, according to AT&T, which has been testing the transmitters on its Waukesha campus that has a customer call center and other services. It's something the wireless industry, overall, is pursuing more vigorously as networks become strained with traffic from phones, tablets and other devices.

Molly Lahr, director of the Wisconsin Innovation Network with the Wisconsin Technology Council, received recognition from two Madison publications recently. Lahr was named one of Brava Magazine's "Women to Watch" in their January 2013 issue, as well as one of InBusiness Magazine's "40 Under 40". Click here to view the articles.

Wisconsin's graying population and its lack of business startups are leaving the state without enough working-age adults and enough new firms to sustain the growth seen elsewhere in the country, according to a report by the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance.

Another young Madison tech business is getting a running start through the TechStar accelerator. Codiqa, a software tool that makes it easier for anyone to create a mobile app or mobile website, is part of the current class at TechStars Cloud in San Antonio, Texas.

In the latest edition of "WisBusiness: The Show," Tom Still explains why interim leader Reed Hall is the right person to stay in charge of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.; Liz Schrum interviews Amelia Baxter, co-founder and president of Whole Trees; and the WisBusiness.com Stock Report for early February covers farm income and WPS Health Insurance.

The biweekly show, produced by Tweedee Productions for the Wisconsin Technology Council and WisBusiness.com, is sponsored by Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., Madison Gas & Electric, UW-Milwaukee and BMO Harris Bank.

Reed Hall, who's been serving as interim chief executive officer of Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., was named by Gov. Scott Walker as the agency's new CEO. Along with taking steps to correct the agency's problems, Hall said he'll be working with other state agencies as well as local and regional economic development groups to nurture Wisconsin's businesses, encourage new start-up firms and recruit other companies - particularly from Illinois.

The spotlight will be on women who want to be entrepreneurs at the Design-a-thon, a weekend marathon business development workshop set for weekend of Feb. 9-10 in Madison.

Twelve groups have shown interest in a state-funded venture capital program, according to documents released by the agency Gov. Scott Walker directed to explore ideas for an angel and venture capital plan. The groups responded to a request for information by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. The list showed that big names in the venture capital world as well as homegrown firms were taking a serious look at the state and its proposal, said Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council.

Although its roots are deeper, going back to its earliest iteration as the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Memorial Laboratories in the early 1960s, the Waisman Center this year celebrates 40 years of research, teaching and outreach in the interest of developmental disabilities. Exploring the range of disabilities, the Waisman Center community has helped gather new knowledge on the basic biology, developmental course, prevention, treatment and social context of a highly complex set of human conditions.

Wisconsin Youth Entrepreneurs in Science, a statewide youth business plan contest modeled after the successful Governor’s Business Plan Contest, is open for online entries from Wisconsin middle- and high-school students through 5 p.m. March 18, 2013. Public, private and home-schooled students across Wisconsin are eligible to turn their science- and tech-related ideas into business plans and compete for cash and prizes for themselves and their schools. The contest begins with a 250-word summary and culminates in June with awards at the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference.

Krakauer's appearance at the February 2012 luncheon of the Wisconsin Innovation Network at the Sheraton Hotel was close to a seismic event. His message, which I heard him give repeatedly with different emphases over the next 11 months, was a brash call for UW-Madison to reimagine its place in the world. Above all, it was to climb out of the silos of intellectual pursuit and embrace a more creative mash-up of disciplines — hard scientists working with poets working with social scientists working with entrepreneurs.

Governor Scott Walker spoke to the Wisconsin Technology Council board of directors meeting on Tuesday at the American Family Insurance headquarters in Madison. See a round-up of coverage here.

The Wisconsin Technology Council and the state's economic development agency would organize a summit where major companies could connect with high-growth start-ups under a plan being discussed by the tech council's board of directors Tuesday. The "Wisconsin Technology Summit," could be held in early 2014.

Connecture Inc., a fast-growing software company in Brookfield, said it has bought DRX, a company that sells software that enables consumers to compare and enroll in Medicare health and prescription drug plans.

SHINE Medical Technologies, Inc., based in Monona, Wis., announced today that Los Alamos National Laboratory successfully demonstrated the production and separation of molybdenum-99 from uranium sulfate solution using a separation flow sheet designed by Argonne National Laboratory. This work is supported by the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration’s Global Threat Reduction Initiative. This demonstration represents validation of SHINE’s technology in that it utilized both a low-enriched uranium solution and the process flows that will be used in the commercial operations of SHINE.

Entrants in the 2013 Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest will once again compete for more than cash this year. Wisconsin companies have stepped up to offer a variety of service prizes, such as legal assistance, accounting, information technology consulting, marketing and more. For many contestants, these services will provide an important jumpstart in getting their businesses rolling.

Cellular Dynamics International, of Madison, plans to create banks of human induced pluripotent stem cells from five donors using good manufacturing practices, or GMP. The super-clean GMP process enables cells to be used in clinical trials, so the development is a potential milestone in leading to human therapies.

Funding for business startups declined nationally in 2012 but in Wisconsin, venture capital investments rose significantly when compared to 2011, according to a study released last week. One of the largest deals in the past year was for Cellular Dynamics International in Madison which raised $21 million and accounted for almost half of the $45 million raised in the fourth quarter.

In the latest edition of "WisBusiness: The Show," Liz Schrum interviews Dave Grandin, CEO of Kayo Technologies; Tom Still discusses the benefits of creating an early stage capital program in Wisconsin; and the Wisbusiness.com Stock Report covers battery technology and Wausau Paper.

Click here to view the biweekly show, produced by Tweedee Productions for the Wisconsin Technology Council and WisBusiness.com, as well as archives of past shows. The show is sponsored by Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., Madison Gas & Electric, UW-Milwaukee and BMO Harris Bank.

Five start-ups have been certified for early stage business investment tax credits by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. With the certification, the companies' financial backers will be eligible for a 25% tax credit on the amount they invest in the company.

Gov. Scott Walker talked about the need for more early stage capital in Wisconsin during his Jan. 15 State of the State address in the Capitol. Here is what he said:

"During the coming year, I look forward to working with lawmakers in both parties on ways to improve the amount of investment capital available to help startups and other small businesses grow new jobs in our state."

Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council, welcomed the governor's remarks.

"We're appreciative of Gov. Scott Walker’s State of the State speech mention of the
need for an investment capital program in Wisconsin. If state policymakers want
to create more companies and jobs, this idea is a sound investment," Still said.

A proposal on the table through the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. would
establish a master fund seeded with state dollars to attract matching private dollars from angel investors and venture capitalists, both in Wisconsin and beyond. 

The Wisconsin Angel Network is the best resource to identify angel networks. From there, it’s a matter of clearly explaining your technology, what problem it solves, what you plan to do with the money, and how it’s going to get you to the next phase of product and business development. 

Montage Talent Inc., a provider of video interviewing technology, announced it has raised $4 million in a funding round led by Baird Venture Partners. This brings to nearly $10 million the amount of outside money raised by the 5-year-old Delafield-based company.

Brad Schwartz, an expert in blood coagulation and bleeding disorders who recently returned to the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was named as chief executive officer of the Morgridge Institute for Research.

Johnson sat down recently with The Capital Times to talk about why investing in entrepreneurs, rather than convincing companies to relocate to Wisconsin, is key to job growth.

Under new leadership, the state’s economic development agency is taking a targeted, region-by-region approach with the intent of bolstering job growth in Wisconsin.

The Art Commission has secured a $510,000 investment round from individual angel investors in Wisconsin and the Chicago area. The Madison-based company, co-founded by Toni Sikes, is a web-based portal to connect architects and designers with artists who create commission artwork.

Organizers will hold three information sessions this month for entrepreneurs interested in entering the Wisconsin Governor's Business Plan Contest.

The good news is that the UW-Madison campus has stepped up its game. The business school's Weinert Center for Entrepreneurship is taking a special interest in helping what executive director Jon Eckhardt calls "backpack entrepreneurs." The Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, which encourages cross-disciplinary collaboration, offers free business consulting and a workspace for the computer science entrepreneur students. And the computer science department is trying to remedy what they see as a longstanding gap in department programming.

Entrepreneurs can find out what it takes to enter the Wisconsin Governor's Business Plan Contest — and what benefits it can provide — at an informal presentation on Jan. 16 at Brocach Irish Pub & Restaurant, 7 W. Main St.

ABB Inc. plans to develop its new Milwaukee-area headquarters at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Innovation Campus development in Wauwatosa, bringing 350 jobs to that location. The three-story, 95,000-square-foot building will be located on three acres in the western portion of the campus and will be the first private development, according to the UWM Real Estate Foundation.

Wisconsin ranks 42nd out of the 50 states in private-sector job creation, according to the latest available government jobs data.

Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch encourages Wisconsin entrepreneurs to enter the 10th annual Wisconsin Governor's Business Plan Contest in a two-minute video describing the contest and its results over time.

The Madison College Challenge is designed to provide enhanced educational and experiential learning opportunities for Madison College students as well as provide a source of startup funding to the winners of the business plan competition.  Hosted by the School of Business and Applied Arts, the Madison College Challenge is open to all current students enrolled in at least one credit or non-credit course during the spring semester of each year and have successfully completed the Madison College entrepreneurship immersion course “From Innovation to Implementation.” 

The 2013 InvestMidwest is scheduled for April 3-4, 2013 in Kansas City, Mo. InvestMidwest provides an opportunity for high growth companies from throughout the Midwest to present to an audience of over three hundred attendees, including 60 -70 venture capital investors.  

Based on recommendations from the Wisconsin Technology Council and other organizations, State Superintendent Tony Evers proposed $1 million in STEM grants for the 2015 fiscal year to help school districts enhance STEM course offerings and opportunities.

In the newest episode of “WisBusiness: The Show,” Liz Schrum talks to Chris McCannell, a representative of the Angel Capital Association in Washington, D.C.; Tom Still points out some trends to watch in 2013; and the WisBusiness.com Stock Report for early January looks at the fiscal cliff talks.

Click here to view the biweekly show, produced by Tweedee Productions for the Wisconsin Technology Council and WisBusiness.com, as well as our archives of past shows. The show is sponsored by Madison Gas & Electric, Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., BMO Harris and the UW-Milwaukee.

Cellular Dynamics International says it has signed a Center of Excellence agreement with AstraZeneca to speed the pace of drug discovery by using CDI’s stem cell lines and tissue cells. It is the third Center of Excellence agreement with a major, global pharmaceutical company for CDI, the Madison company founded by UW-Madison stem cell pioneer James Thomson.

StudyBlue Inc., a Madison educational technology company, has raised $9 million in a funding round led by Great Oaks Venture Capital, a New York-based firm. The round brings to $14.7 million the amount of money the company has raised from outside investors, said Becky Splitt, chief executive officer.

The state's flagship jobs agency said in its yearly report Friday that it helped hundreds of businesses and opened several new international offices in its first full year. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. said in its report that the money it invested affected a total of 218 businesses and 23,759 jobs in the state last fiscal year. WEDC made a total of $56.2 million available to businesses through 170 grants and loans, the report found.

The 10^th annual Wisconsin Governor’s Business Contest is now accepting entries online for phase one. Hear from a panel of past contestants and judges about how to navigate and get the most out of the contest at the Thursday, Jan. 10 meeting of the WIN-Milwaukee chapter.

PharmaSeek will move in early January across the hall from its current offices, at 8476 Greenway Blvd., Middleton, more than doubling its space. Founded in 1995, PharmaSeek helps pharmaceutical companies set up clinical trials of their potential drugs, recruits patients, and reports results.

In this episode, Liz Schrum talks to Speechtails CEO Patrick Walters, who talks about his company's role in providing pathways to speech therapy for children. Also, Tom Still's commentary touches on the 2013 prospects for early stage capital plan for Wisconsin and the WisBusiness.com Stock Report covers state banks and farmland tax credits. 

Click here to view the biweekly show, produced by Tweedee Productions for the Wisconsin Technology Council and WisBusiness.com, as well as our archives of past shows. The show is sponsored by Madison Gas & Electric, Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., BMO Harris and the UW-Milwaukee.

Work by UW-Madison physics professor Karsten Heeger and his team has been deemed the second biggest breakthrough of 2012 by Science Magazine, beaten out by the detection of the Higgs boson, an elusive sub-atomic particle that is considered key in understanding the universe.

Two more Wall Street firms are keeping an eye on Exact Sciences Corp., the Madison company working on a stool-based, non-invasive test for colorectal cancer.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is taking applications from experienced early-stage fund managers who could receive up to $50 million each to invest in high growth potential startups.

Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation COO Ryan Murray encouraged local entrepreneurs to support the early stage capital program being proposed in the state legislature at a meeting of the Wisconsin Innovation Network-Milwaukee last week.

With a venture capital bill failing last legislative session, Governor Scott Walker has his sights set on another go around. With the idea to fund start-up companies, the governor indicated last week a number of details still need to be worked out, while reinforcing the need for such a resource.

AquaMost, a Madison company with a new system for purifying water, is moving into bigger quarters. The company will graduate from its 5,300 square feet at the Madison Enterprise Center business incubator, 100 S. Baldwin St., to take over 8,000 square feet of space at 103 E. Badger Road on Jan. 1.

Two Madison area biotechs have their products singled out for recognition in The Scientist magazine's Top 10 Innovations 2012. They are Cellular Dynamics International's MyCell Services and NanoLuc Luciferase technology by Promega Corp., Fitchburg. 

ZBB Energy Corp. will supply 40 EnerStore zinc bromide flow batteries to help an island green resort in the Pacific Ocean rely on renewable power sources. The project is the largest island microgrid power system to date for the Menomonee Falls company that is supplying the U.S. military with battery systems. Other ZBB systems have been installed at Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago and on an island in Korea as part of that country’s smart grid pilot project.

When Tech Council President Tom Still spoke Dec. 10 at the Madison Kiwanis Club on the state of angel investing in Wisconsin, he was greeted with a song adapted to the tune of "Angels We Have Heard on High." The seasonally appropriate lyrics:

"Angels we have in our midst
Off'ring money to invest.
En-tre-pre-neurs need assist
So they can become the best.
Eu--phoria; one more bus'ness success!
Eu--phoria; one more bus'ness success! 

Thanks to Madison Kiwanis member (and song leader) Jeanne Engle for the adaptation.

A venture capital proposal seeking tens of millions in state taxpayer dollars should rule out political conflicts of interest such as the potential conflict raised in a similar, but smaller state program, a group of lawmakers on both sides of the proposal said.

In the newest episode of "WisBusiness: The Show," Liz Schrum talks to Jay Singer of MasterCard; Tom Still explains how the oil and gas boom will affect Wisconsin industries; and the WisBusiness.com Stock Report covers exports and iron ore processing. 

Click here to view the biweekly show, produced by Tweedee Productions for the Wisconsin Technology Council and WisBusiness.com, as well as our archives of past shows. The show is sponsored by Madison Gas & Electric, Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., BMO Harris and the UW-Milwaukee.

In our annual feature on Madison’s biotechnology sector, IB’s intent is not to blind you with science, but present a plain-English look at how local companies are developing both science and industry, and hopefully take some of the mystery out of what biotech companies do. 

With a state-funded venture capital bill headed into its second round in the state legislature, industry experts agree: Wisconsin needs more investment capital. But they disagree on who should provide the early stage funding to Wisconsin's entrepreneurs.

Planet Forward features AquaMost and a new way of cleaning up dirty fracking water.

The 10th annual Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest is accepting entries online for the 2013 competition through Jan. 31, 2013. 

What is it about Milwaukee and Madison — that potent mix of mutual disdain, disregard and ignorance that characterizes their odd relationship? If the cities would only cooperate, a "commerce corridor" could spark an economic renaissance.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison remains near the top of the class in spending for research, but has slipped one place in rankings to No. 4. UW-Madison, with more than $1.1 billion in research expenditures for fiscal 2011, ranked behind Johns Hopkins University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and the University of Washington at Seattle, according to a press release.

Madison College is sponsoring a competition next spring for student entrepreneurs. The Madison College Challenge is hosted by the business and applied arts school and is open to all current students enrolled in at least one spring semester class. Students also must have completed an eight-week entrepreneurship immersion course at the college that's offered in the spring. It's open to students from any major or concentration. The contest will award a $5,000 cash prize.

Biotech company Virent, now thriving in a 72,000-square-foot facility, got its start in a 600-square-foot cubicle at a Madison business incubator. NeuWave Medical started with office space in the same Madison incubator with a handful of engineers. It, too, has moved out and employs about 35. Mike Mathews, president of Economic Growth Advisors of Middleton and Janesville’s consultant for its new incubator, spoke about the Madison success stories when asked about the future of the Janesville Innovation Center , which is set to open in January.

Compact Particle Acceleration Corp. (CPAC), a company created as an offshoot of Madison-based TomoTherapy, has clinched its first potential client. CPAC said it has received a letter of intent for one of the first proton therapy systems from Southwest Oncology Centers, with locations in Arizona, Minnesota and Mexico.

Wisconsin has a number of assets attractive to global investment says the head of an advising group to the legislature and governor. As evidence, Tom Still of the Wisconsin Technology Council cites the Chinese investment firm PiYi that visited Wisconsin and other states in September.

The newest episode of “WisBusiness: The Show,” was filmed on site from the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium at Madison’s Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center. In this episode, Liz Schrum interviews Larry Landweber, charter member of the Internet Society’s international Hall of Fame; Tom Still gives his predictions for a potential early stage funding bill; and the WisBusiness.com Stock Report features health care technology and Oshkosh Corp.

Click here to view the biweekly show, produced by Tweedee Productions for the Wisconsin Technology Council and WisBusiness.com, as well as our archives of past shows. The show is sponsored by Madison Gas & Electric, Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., BMO Harris and the UW-Milwaukee.

John Byrnes, managing director of Mason Wells and a former member of the Wisconsin Technology Council, talked about the state’s efforts to spark more venture capital investment during an “Executive Q&A” interview with Kathleen Gallagher of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Click here to read the Nov. 24 story.

More than 100 startups applied by the Nov. 21 deadline to become part of the winter class of gener8tor, an accelerator program for young tech businesses, in Madison and Milwaukee. Five to 10 companies will be chosen for the class, which will be held at the program’s Madison office, 1 E. Main St., and will run from Jan. 4 through March 28, co-founder Joe Kirgues said.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. said Wednesday it has approved $1.75 million of technology development loans for eight start-ups and tax credits for investors in nine other companies.

A fund to help start-up companies is likely on the agenda this state legislative session after a similar bill failed last time around. Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council, is optimistic such a proposal will pass this.

A new company making a high-speed, accurate and user-friendly instrument that reveals the molecular structure of proteins, drugs, and other important materials is the latest spinoff from the University of Wisconsin-Madison chemistry department. 

Richard “Dick” Leazer, one of the first angel investors in Wisconsin and the recently retired co-manager of Wisconsin Investment Partners, has been named to the newly created Wisconsin Investor Hall of Fame.

Private investors have committed more than $2.5 million to the seven companies that represent the first graduating class from gener8tor, a group that works to accelerate start-ups.

Read Judy Newman's "Tech and Biotech" column on the three top presenters in the 2012 Elevator Pitch Olympics.

The 2012 Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium attracted 488 attendees over two days. Thanks to all who participated! Read and watch all the coverage of the conference here. This includes interviews with conference speakers, stories on the prospects for a state-leveraged early stage investment program, and columns and features on presenting companies.

Zach Brandon, who has headed the Wisconsin Technology Council’s Wisconsin Angel Network since early 2011, will become president of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce effective Nov. 26.

A state program approved $11.17 million in tax credits last year for 50 early-stage companies that leveraged more than $44 million in outside investment, according to a new report by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.

Wisconsin’s Qualified New Business Venture (QNBV) program helped 50 early-stage companies leverage more than $44 million in outside investment in 2011, according to a report released by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). The program, also known as the Act 255 program, has helped create more than 1,100 jobs in the last six years, stimulating Wisconsin’s economy.

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of participating on a panel on term sheet negotiations at this year’s edition of the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium in Madison Wisconsin; an annual event that brings together several hundred entrepreneurs, investors and what are gently referred to as service providers interested in growing the high impact business community in Wisconsin and the upper Midwest.

The Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network has recently been awarded a 2012 Federal and State Technology (FAST) grant from the Small Business Administration (SBA) to continue its work as the premiere provider of SBIR services in Wisconsin. Building on a successful history of FAST grant awards leading to improved client successes in acquiring federal funding, WEN is committed to assist small, Wisconsin, technology-based firms in the successful commercialization of cutting edge innovation.

The chances are good for approval of proposed legislation that would raise roughly $250 million to fund nascent companies, a pair of prominent state senators said Tuesday as part of a Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium (http://www.wisearlystage.com/) forum held at Monona Terrace. 

State senators from both sides of the aisle told an audience of entrepreneurs and investors they're optimistic about the chances for passing a bill next year that will pump state and private money into young Wisconsin companies to help create jobs. Darling and state Sen. Tim Cullen, D-Janesville, were on a panel at the Early Stage Symposium (http://www.wisearlystage.com/) at Monona Terrace.

A hard-to-pass proposal to use tax dollars to boost private investment in Wisconsin start-up companies could find its way into the next state budget bill, giving it a pathway through the legislative traps that ensnared it last session, a key state senator said Tuesday.

Investment money — bringing more to Wisconsin and nabbing a piece of it — will be a major theme at the 2012 Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium (http://www.wisearlystage.com/) at Monona Terrace next week.

In the latest edition of WisBusiness.com: The Show, Tom Still talks about the diversity of startup companies in Wisconsin; the WisBusiness.com Stock Report covers a major cybersecurity grant and Harley-Davidson; and Liz Schrum talks to Doug Nelson, regional president of BMO Harris Bank, about the economic outlook and more.

 Click here to view the biweekly show, produced by Tweedee Productions for the Wisconsin Technology Council and WisBusiness.com, as well as our archives of past shows. The show is sponsored by Madison Gas & Electric, Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., BMO Harris and the UW-Milwaukee.

Still on the fence about coming to the annual Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium in Madison? Here are 10 reasons to join nearly 400 registrants Tuesday and Wednesday for one of the Midwest’s premier events for entrepreneurs.

If Wisconsin wants to make a dent in the skills gap, the state will have to make some serious investments in job training, advocates discussed at a luncheon in Brookfield Thursday.

Wisconsin needs a four-pronged strategy for building its “high-growth economy,” according to a report released Wednesday by the Wisconsin Technology Council.

Startup Weekend, an entrepreneurial-based event running 54 hours from Friday, Nov. 9, through Sunday, Nov. 11, is still recruiting software developers and graphic designers to assist in creating 15 to 20 Milwaukee-area software companies.

Many homes in AT&T Inc.'s local-phone service areas will see the company becoming more competitive with cable for broadband service under a new $14 billion investment plan the company revealed Wednesday. But in more outlying areas, the company will start shifting customers from regular phone lines to wireless service.

Passing an early stage capital bill to spur company growth, building a better-trained workforce, improving broadband and high-speed computing networks, and focusing on sectors most likely to produce jobs are major themes of the Wisconsin Technology Council’s 2012-2013 “white papers” report.

Larry Landweber, a University of Wisconsin-Madison computer science professor who was one of 31 inaugural members of the Internet Society's global hall of fame, will speak Nov. 13 at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium in Madison.

For more information and to register for the conference, visit http://www.wisearlystage.com/.

With all the noise about alternative energy technology, a Wisconsin company is going directly to the source of energy efficiency— the engine. DeltaHawk Engines Inc., has developed a family of patented diesel engines with innovative technologies that could send the aviation industry to new heights.

DeltaHawk Engines will present to potential investors at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium Nov. 13-14 at the Monona Terrace. For more information and to register for the conference, visit http://www.wisearlystage.com/.

Researchers at C5.6 Technologies have recently come across a possible treatment for Cystic Fibrosis sufferers across the globe, potentially changing the way patients live with the chronic and debilitating disease.

C5.6 Technologies will present to potential investors at the Wisconsin Early State Symposium Nov. 13-14 at the Monona Terrace. For more information and to register for the conference, go to http://www.wisearlystage.com/.

There are ways to screen every kind of product or service before you buy it. Companies offer ratings, reviews, test periods and other ways to make sure results live up to expectations. However, the options dry up when the purchase in question is a house. That’s ironic, since it is the largest purchase the average person will make in his or her lifetime. Doorjam, a Madison-based company, is looking to change that with its GoTour service.

Doorjam will present to potential investors at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium Nov. 13-14 at the Monona Terrace. For more information and to register for the conference, visit http://www.wisearlystage.com/.

Business trade shows are excellent opportunities to get products out and connect with other companies, consumers and customers. But they can be static, even boring, events. Interactive technology is a way to get trade-show vendors and customers alike engaged. Co-founders Bill Finn and Tim Grove first imagined an all-event mobile application while at a trade show where traffic was not meeting expectations. Together, they created BoothTag, a full trade show and event app that delivers traffic and drives sales.

BoothTag will present to potential investors at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium Nov. 13-14 at the Monona Terrace. For more information and to register for the conference, visit http://www.wisearlystage.com/.

Anyone who has golfed knows it can be one of the most frustrating sports to play. What really frustrated Brian Wroblewski was the fact it was just as hard to manage the process of getting to the golf course as it was playing the game. The solution to this frustration was Golf Pipeline, a website designed to combine all the features necessary to manage your golf game.

Golf Pipeline will present to potential investors at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium Nov. 13-14 at the Monona Terrace. For more information and to register for the conference, visit http://www.wisearlystage.com/.

Piiku, a year-old premium advertising channel, is aiming to break the barrier between advertisers and their consumers. With its patent-pending Exchange Value Engine and a blue-ribbon board of directors, advisory board and management team, Piiku is building an advertising channel that delivers its members and advertisers an authentic viewing engagement of commercials from the most relevant companies.

Piiku will present to potential investors at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium Nov. 13-14 at the Monona Terrace. For more information and to register for the the conference, visit http://www.wisearlystage.com/.

SpeechTails, an online speech and language learning system, is already telling a successful story just two years after it was founded. Launched by Amy Reno, a licensed speech-language pathologist, and her husband, Todd Reno, SpeechTails provides parents and professionals with a low-cost tool to assess and monitor speech development issues in children under the age of 10.

SpeechTails will present to potential investors at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium Nov. 13-14 at the Monona Terrace. For more information and to register for the conference, visit http://www.wisearlystage.com/.

Most people take for granted the ability to swallow, a physical function seemingly as basic as breathing. For an estimated 10 million Americans, however, the ability to swallow can be impaired to the point of requiring medical attention. Madison-based Swallow Solutions LLC plans to revolutionize this medical field by enhancing the quality of life for patients suffering from swallowing disorders, generally known as dysphagia.

Swallow Solutions LLC will present to potential investors at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium Nov. 13-14 at the Monona Terrace. For more information and to register for the conference, visit http://www.wisearlystage.com/.

Girls dream of their wedding day as far back as they can remember. They let nothing stand in their way of their pristine, gorgeous and perfect day. Dreaming of this one day for years, if not decades, calls for everlasting memories. What better memories than capturing the entire wedding story from engagement through honeymoon? WeDo aims to capture these memories by creating a mobile, group photo-sharing platform that brings all the visual wedding ideas and memories into a collaborative mobile experience.

WeDo will present to potential investors at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium Nov. 13-14 at the Monona Terrace. For more information and to register for the conference, visit http://www.wisearlystage.com/.

Mitch Larson grabs a shovel and begins to dig. The hot, summer sun beats down mercilessly as he struggles to dig a drainage trench in his cornfield near Waupaca. Then, in the distance, he spots his savior rolling toward him – the MX Towable Mini Excavator. With the TMX, the trench is effortlessly dug, saving Larson hours of back-breaking work. That scenario explains how Chris Osswald, founder of Extend Manufacturing, hopes to revolutionize home and commercial excavating with his state of the art, towable excavator.

Extend Manufacturing will present to potential investors at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium Nov. 13-14 at the Monona Terrace. For more information and to register for the conference, visit http://www.wisearlystage.com/.

According to Rhodium Group, which tracks Chinese investment into the U.S., over the last 13 years only two Wisconsin firms have received direct investment from China. Given that Wisconsin has been hardly a beacon for Chinese investment, it raises the question: How did a group of investors from a fourth-tier Chinese city — many of whom had never traveled to the U.S. before, and some of whom hadn’t even been overseas — end up on a shopping trip to Madison?

From fishing to biotech, and from mobile applications to new motors and engines, more than 40 early stage companies will present to potential investors at the 2012 Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium, Nov. 13-14 in Madison.

The conference will be held at Madison’s Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center. Visit http://www.wisearlystage.com/ to register and learn more.

A number of companies that will present during the Nov. 13-14 Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium have been profiled by students in the UW-Madison Department of Life Sciences Communication. Read their stories in the Wisconsin Technology Council's Newsroom here.

For more information and to register for the conference, visit http://www.wisearlystage.com/.

Founded by Natasha Vora and her silent partner in January 2012, Iristocracy aims to take eyewear somewhere it has never been. To make eyeglasses as accessible as other fashion accessories, the company has built a website that allows people to try on glasses using 3D technology. 

Iristocracy will present to potential investors at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium Nov. 13-14 at the Monona Terrace. For more information and to register for the conference, visit http://www.wisearlystage.com/.

Exact Sciences Corp., Madison, already conducting a huge clinical trial on its Cologuard stool-based colorectal cancer test, plans to start a second clinical trial for the use of Cologuard in early 2013. The new project will focus on patients with inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

Scientists at the Morgridge Institute for Research, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Indiana University, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have received a $23.6 million grant as part of a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA 11-02) by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate to address threats arising from the development process of software used in technology ranging from the national power grid to medical devices.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. is promoting November as Entrepreneur Month to celebrate the positive business climate and entpreneurial spirit in Wisconsin. See a full list of events and updates here.

Investors from Wisconsin, the Midwest and beyond will share their expertise with entrepreneurs and others at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium, to be held Nov. 13-14 at Madison’s Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center. For more information or to register for the conference, go to http://www.wisearlystage.com/.

One of the conundrums facing entrepreneurs seeking venture or high impact angel financing is when and what to disclose about the entrepreneur’s intellectual property.

Glenn, an interventional radiologist working in Green Bay at the time, is an avowed tinkerer who had come up with several different medical innovations that he'd licensed to companies such as Johnson & Johnson. But when he invented a minimally invasive, patient-friendly alternative to larger chest ports and peripherally inserted central catheters, he decided to start his own company. He dubbed it Stealth Therapeutics, with the aim of designing and developing a portfolio of improved venous access devices.

Stealth Therapeutics took second place in the life sciences division of the 2006 Wisconsin Governor's Business Plan Contest.

In the latest edition of "WisBusiness: The Show," Reed Hall, the interim head of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., says he's confident the organization is headed in a good direction. Also on the show, Tom Still talks about the growing number of new business establishments in Wisconsin and the WisBusiness.com Stock Report covers Exact Sciences and Allstate Insurance.

Click here to view the biweekly show, produced by Tweedee Productions for the Wisconsin Technology Council and WisBusiness.com, as well as our archives of past shows. The show is sponsored by Grant Thornton, Madison Gas & Electric, Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., and the UW-Milwaukee.

Moxe Health, a Madison start-up that uses text messaging and other technology to keep unnecessary traffic out of emergency rooms, has been chosen to participate in a San Francisco program that comes with $100,000 from big-name venture capitalists.

Fourteen panel discussions on topics of interest to entrepreneurs and investors alike will be among the highlights of the annual Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium, to be held Nov. 13-14 in Madison. Produced by the Wisconsin Technology Council and its partners, the conference gives selected companies the opportunity to make presentations and meet with investors. For more information and to register for the conference, go to http://www.wisearlystage.com/. 

Maybe the Midwest is not so much of a fly-over zone for investors any more. A Silicon Valley venture capital firm came to Madison a week ago to talk to some promising local tech companies. Meanwhile, two West Coast venture firms announced plans recently to open Midwest offices. Artiman Ventures, of East Palo Alto, Calif., met with about half a dozen companies at the offices of the Wisconsin Technology Council in Madison, council president Tom Still said.

The National Science Foundation has awarded $500,000 to UW-Madison to upgrade its computing infrastructure so that researchers can more easily move large amounts of data to and from the campus.

Gregory Milman, who has led major programs within the National Institutes of Health and is recognized as an expert on federal Small Business Innovation Research grants, will speak Nov. 13 during the first day of the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium in Madison. For more information and to register for the conference, go to http://www.wisearlystage.com/

A delegation from the German state of Saxony-Anhalt will visit Wisconsin next week to learn more about technology transfer and entrepreneurism.

Headed by Birgitta Wolff, Saxony-Anhalt's minister of the economics and technology, the group of about 20 representatives of industry and academia will visit Madison and Milwaukee, Oct. 24-26, following a visit to Atlanta.

The Greater Madison Convention and Visitors Bureau, a member of the Wisconsin Innovation Network, wants to help attract more tech-based regional and national events to the area. Go to http://www.visitmadison/.com/home to fill out a form that can help the GMCVB's meeting planners reach out to meeting planners for trade associations, academic groups and other regional or national groups with ties to Wisconsin.

"Conventions and conferences not only help the local economy while visitors are here, but the exposure generated by such events helps to showcase the region's tech-based economy," said Tom Still, president of the Tech Council and WIN.

Contact Ann Shea at the GMCVB (608-255-2537) to learn more or to offer ideas.

Larry Landweber, a UW-Madison computer science professor who was among 31 inaugural members of the Internet Society’s global Hall of Fame, will speak Nov. 13 during the first day of the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium in Madison.

Click here to read Judy Newman's column in the Wisconsin State Journal on advances for Madison-area firms BioIonix and Stealth Therapeutics.

In the latest edition of WisBusiness.com: The Show, Tom Still talks about building a skilled workforce in Wisconsin; the WisBusiness.com Stock Report covers GE Healthcare’s recent announcements and the impending close of the Dairy Business Innovation Center; and Liz Schrum talks to Paul Jadin, who will leave the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. to become the new head of Thrive.

Click to here to view the biweekly show, produced by Tweedee Productions for the Tech Council and WisBusiness.com, as well as our archives of past shows. The show is sponsored by Grant Thornton, Madison Gas & Electric, Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., and the UW-Milwaukee.

Bruce Maas, the chief information officer for the UW-Madison, has been named to the board of directors for EDUCAUSE, the association for information technology in higher education. He has also been appointed to the Internet2 External Relations Advisory Committee.

NorthStar Medical Technologies LLC has signed an agreement with Hendricks Commercial Properties to develop a state-of-the-art medical isotope production facility in the Gateway Business Park of Beloit, Wis. The facility will be built to suit for lease. Once complete, the facility will allow for the safe, non-uranium-based production of Molybdenum-99, a medical isotope used daily in the United States for more than 50,000 diagnostic medical procedures—and currently supplied entirely via importation from foreign nuclear reactors.

Minority-owned businesses seeking sales leads and development assistance should attend the Marketplace 2012 Governor’s Conference on Minority Business Development Conference, Oct. 15-16 at the Potawatomi Expo Center in Milwaukee.

The producers of the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium are looking for cutting-edge companies from Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest to present to investors at the Nov. 13-14 conference at Madison’s Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center.

The annual conference gives selected companies the opportunity to make presentations and meet with investors. For many firms, participation in the conference has been a key factor for significant business growth. For more information and to register for the conference, go to http://www.wisearlystage.com/.

The deadline to apply to present is 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 1, 2012.

Bill Watson took the entrepreneurial plunge in the late 1970s. He developed a low-cost, reliable gyroscope, quit his job in Virginia and moved to the Chippewa Valley in 1980 to fine-tune and manufacture the product. Today he oversees Watson Industries, which makes gyro products and systems that are used to stabilize cameras over football fields and antennas on cruise ships or to control unmanned aircraft. Gyroscopes are mechanical devices that maintain or measure orientation.

Skyward, Inc., based in Stevens Point, Wis., has earned a 2012 Readers’ Choice Award for its software-driven school management system. Skyward is a member of the Tech Council's Wisconsin Innovation Network.

If you’ve ever thought about starting a company – especially if there’s technology involved – the next week or two should get those juices flowing. All sorts of activities are on tap, primarily tied to the Forward Technology Festival, Aug. 15-25. Meanwhile, 16 budding entrepreneurs will get intensive training on how to run a business at VentureLab Wisconsin 2012 at University Research Park.

If the city of Monona, at night, looks brighter lately, Rob and Cynthia Everhart had a hand in that. Their growing Monona company, Energy Tech Solutions, provided the energy-efficient LED lights that now illuminate the exteriors of several city-owned buildings and parking lots and parks, from City Hall and the Fire Department to the community center, the skate park, the pool house, tennis courts and more.

The U.S. Air Force has expanded its use of energy-saving technology developed by Wauwatosa-based Telkonet Inc. at one of its bases. The Air Force had already contracted to install intelligent thermostats at more than 2,800 rooms on the base earlier this year, Telkonet said. The company said the savings achieved so far prompted the base to install them in 800 additional rooms.

In today's fast-moving technological world, some words can quickly lose their meaning. Take the word "nanotechnology," for example. We see and hear it all the time. But, other than a vague sense that some pretty amazing things are being done with very small things, most of us don't really have a handle on the promise of this science.

Exact Sciences Corp. was one of the top-performing stocks in Wisconsin over the last year. And that was despite reporting losses totaling $60 million over the 39 months ended March 31.

MADISON – Dan Clancy has announced his retirement as president of the Wisconsin Technical College System. Clancy will step down effective Sept. 14, 2012, following a 16-year tenure, including the past eight years as system president. He is a member of the Wisconsin Technology Council board of directors and its Human Capital Committee.

Saying its current executive director is leaving at the end of the month "to pursue new career interests and opportunities," the Morgridge Institute for Research has named James Dahlberg interim executive director.

Click here to watch 'WisconsinEye' video coverage of the June 26 WIN-Madison meeting, at which Revenue Secretary Rick Chandler discussed the state's tax climate and the prospects for a growth capital program for Wisconsin. Chandler was joined at the meeting by investor Tim Keane and Todd Asmuth of AquaMost.

Starting a business is not the usual course of action for a budding doctor, pharmacist or scientist. But a UW-Madison program is trying to change that.