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WAN's Guide to Early Stage Financing
Looking for start-up capital? WAN has put together a list of resources for entrepreneurs who are seeking financing.
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WisBusiness.com: The Show
See the latest updates on business and investing in Wisconsin.
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WAN Members
Investor-members
Appletree Capital
Badger AgVest
Baird Venture Partners
Brady Corporation Capital Midwest
Capvest Venture Fund
Central WI Business Angels
Continuum Investment Partners
DaneVest
Daycholah Capital
Golden Angels Network
Kegonsa Partners
Lake Superior Angel Network
Marshfield Investment Partners
Mason Wells
MDC Venture Debt Fund
NEW Capital Fund
Peak Ridge Capital
Origin Investment Group
Pennies from Heaven
Phenomenelle Angels Fund
Promega Corporation
Silicon Pastures
St. Croix Valley Angel Network
Stateline Angels
Successful Entrepreneur Investors
Triathlon Medical Ventures
Venture Investors
Wisconsin Investment Partners
Women Angels, LLC
Informal networks: 1
Advisory Committee
Sec. Lorrie Keating
Heinemann (Chair)
Dept. of Financial Institutions
Sec. Dick Leinenkugel
Dept. of Commerce
Tim Keane
Golden Angels Network
Richard Leazer
Wisconsin Investment Partners
John Neis
Venture Investors
Tom Still
Wisconsin Technology Council
David Ward
NorthStar Economics
WAN Staff
Joe Kremer
Director
Emily Jones
Intern |
Newsletter Sponsors
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| In the 500-plus crowd that attended the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium, held Nov. 10-11 at Madison's Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center, Wisconsin entrepreneurs and investors were side by side with those from other states in the Midwest and around the country. The success of the conference and the concurrent MidAmerica Healthcare Venture Forum speaks to Wisconsin's appeal for early stage companies and their investors. With its tax credits to encourage investment in start-ups and its emphasis on innovation, Wisconsin and the I-Q Corridor have a welcoming environment for young businesses and the investors who support them. |
 Out-of-state firms prevail in Elevator Pitch Olympics
Three I-Q Corridor companies won the Elevator Pitch Olympics, an event within the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium in which presenters had 90 seconds to present their businesses to a panel of investors. The winners, who were among 16 presenters, all said they would consider moving to Wisconsin, possibly due to the state's tax credits for investors.
- Drazil Foods LLC (Minneapolis), a producer of herbal tea-based juice for children, was named the company whose presentation was most likely to result in a meeting with investors.
- GeeYee, Inc. (Chicago), a provider of social media analysis, was named the company that was most likely to entice investors to read beyond the first page of its business plan.
- Sword Diagnostics (Chicago), a biotech firm that is developing a method for better disease detection, won the People's Choice Award.
The panel of judges, made up of early stage investors, ranked each presentation on a scale of one to five and provided feedback on the strength of the business plan and of the presentation itself. The event gets its name from the length of the pitches, as presenters must make a case for their companies in about the time it takes to ride an elevator. Learn more about pitching to investors by watching WAN's on-demand video, "Finance Marketing." |
Highlights from MidAmerica Healthcare Venture Forum, Nov. 11-12
Private equity investors from across the Midwest came together in Madison for the MidAmerica Healthcare Venture Forum at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center. This event, which was held alongside the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium, is one of the largest regional showcases of healthcare startups in the country. Click here to view highlights from the conference. |
Imaging firm tops Wisconsin grant recipients
A Rice Lake healthcare technology firm topped a list of Wisconsin grant recipients as it was awarded a $3.35 million federal grant, the largest of its kind during the last completed reporting period. Shared Medical Technology Inc., which provides diagnostic imaging to healthcare facilities in northwest Wisconsin, northern Minnesota, and the Twin Cities area, earned funding from the National Institute of Health with help from the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs' Network. The company, along with 38 other grant recipients, was honored at a dinner during the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium. Read more about the firm and Small Business Innovation Research grants (SBIRs) at this link. More information on SBIRs and other federal grants is available in a WAN on-demand video. |
Venture capital is dead (and other myths)
In the wake of a lot of doom and gloom about investing in this economy, investors and entrepreneurs might not be that optimistic about the state of venture capital. But some perceptions of venture capital appear to be more myth than fact. In this article, Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council, debunks several of these myths and says that venture capital, while still in rough shape, was only "mostly dead," and that signs of life are visible again. |
I-Q Corridor Deals, Acquisitions and Exits
Alice.com completes $6 million round, read more.
Other investment news:
Novo 1 acquired by Glencoe Capital's Michigan Opportunities Fund, read more.
EraGen entered into a strategic partnership, read more.
Central Signal secured a $700,000 SBIR grant, read more.
RedPrairie filed for an IPO, read more. Norwest Venture Partners raised a $1.2 billion fund, read more. |
Upcoming Events
WIN-Milwaukee How to win the Gov's Business Plan Contest - December 10, Milwaukee
Call for companies, December 11 deadline
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In Closing
Many entrepreneurs ask me the same question, "How can I find investors?" One of the best ways to find an investor is to help them find you. The Tech Council and WAN provide many opportunities throughout the year that help entrepreneurs get in front of investors. In early November, the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium provided about 40 entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch to nearly 80 investors during the WAN Track Investor Presentations and the Elevator Pitch Olympics. It is too early to tell if any deals have been completed; however, if past years are any indication, there will be. Follow this link to an example of the value of getting in front of investors, if even for only 90 seconds, from last year's Early Stage Symposium. Learn more on how to find investors and raise money at WAN's Guide to Early Stage Financing.
Please share eVestor with others; if you're not on our e-mail list, click here to join.
Joe Kremer, director
Wisconsin Angel Network
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