A vital component to a strong economy is
diversification--as one sector dips, another picks up.
This year's crop of Governor's Business Plan Contest
finalists are a good example of the wide range of
technologies Wisconsin's entrepreneurs are developing. A
sample includes products or services in energy
generation or conservation, "green" building, medical
devices, nanotechnology processing, drug research and
production and water treatment technology. To read more
on this year's finalists, follow
this link. While it remains to be seen how Wisconsin
performs in the upcoming months, often well diversified
economies survive and even prosper during economic
downturns.
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Biofuels Conference |
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The first Wisconsin Biofuels Destiny conference
drew 120 attendees to the UW-Stevens Point campus
on April 16-17 for a discussion of the state's
role in biofuels research and production. Topics
included: The economics and investment
potential of biorefining, How federal and
state actions are creating new markets,
Wisconsin's Green Portfolio, and The
technology and product potential of the forest
biorefinery.
Below are links to more
information, including on-demand video:
News
clip from WSAW-TV (Wausau)
WisBusiness.com's
coverage
On-demand
video and slides from presenters
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Entrepreneur Resources |
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Tap into thousands of
business counselors and business leaders from
around the country using the Virtual Advisory
Board. Ask questions and get answers from James
J. Hill Library business information experts,
Hill Library users, SBA and FastTrac business
counselors, and other top business experts.
Additionally, the Wisconsin
Angel Network has many resources available on our
website, including on-demand videos tailored to
help entrepreneurs learn more about the
early-stage financing market. WAN-produced videos
have been viewed more than 4,000 times since their
introduction two years ago.
Follow
this link to our resource page for
entrepreneurs.
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Deals Made |
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No public deals were reported to WAN this
month. However, two high-profile companies are
setting up shop in Wisconsin, a significant "win"
for the state:
Microsoft announced
the opening of a new data lab, read
more.
Google followed with a
hardware and software systems office, read
more.
What this mean for the state,
president of the Tech Council Tom Still's view.
Other Investment
News:
Capital Midwest Fund
launched with $5 million in capital, read
more.
Spectrocon received a $2.1
million NIH grant.
Virent Energy Systems
and Shell announced a joint R&D effort, read
more.
Analogix of Burlington
announced it was sold to Varian Inc. for $11
million in cash.
Coating Excellence
International of Wrightstown was purchased by
Mason Wells, Prudential Capital and
management.
Are we missing a deal or
other investment news? E-mail info@wisconsinangelnetwork.com
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Entrepreneur Profile |
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2DX2
Interested in
eliminating part of your energy bill? A new
company called 2DX2 is using the natural heat of
the earth to supply heating and cooling energy to
homes free from monthly charges. 2DX2 recently
advanced as a finalist in the Governor's Business
Plan Contest. Read
more...
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Energy Independence Fund |
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Governor Doyle is launching a
$150 million, ten-year grant and loan program to
make Wisconsin a leader in renewable energy. The
program will support cutting-edge research and
development, the manufacture and production of new
clean energy products, and ways to make clean
energy use widespread and cost-effective. Awards
require a 50% match. Deadline for application is
June 2. Follow
this link for more information.
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