Photo by Richard Hurd
Greater Madison Startups Return to Silicon Valley
Chamber Bringing top emerging companies to represent ecosystem and meet with investors
MADISON – Some of Greater Madison’s most promising startups are headed west to meet with prominent venture capital firms next week as part of a regional business delegation led by the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce. The trip marks a return visit for the Chamber, state economic development partners and emerging business startups, all working together to promote the economic momentum in Greater Madison’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
“Greater Madison is entering a new Golden Era in business, led by competitive innovation sectors and a rapidly-scaling entrepreneurial landscape,” said Chamber President Zach Brandon. “As we continue to build and compete with cities across the globe, it is imperative that we travel with purpose and actively tell our story as a world-class place to build and invest.”
The Silicon Valley trip is the culmination of the Chamber’s popular Pressure Chamber pitch competition, this year held in conjunction with the Forward Technology Festival. A crowd of more than 400 attendees and a panel of invited out-of-state investors crowned Katie Brenner and the team at bluDiagnostics winner, and with it, an all-expenses paid guaranteed spot on the coveted trip. BluDiagnostics’ win caps a big year for the life sciences startup, having also won the Doyenne Group’s 5x5x5 pitch event and the statewide Governor’s Business Plan Competition.
Joining bluDiagnostics will be four equally exciting companies representing different strengths of Greater Madison’s economy, including health, tech and gaming. They include:
- Fetch Rewards – A mobile application that allows shoppers to scan items as they shop, receive real-time savings and virtual cash back, and track their spending and checkout with the scan of a single barcode on their phone.
- Healthmyne – Provides clinicians with real-time evidence-based imaging insights and solutions that significantly aid improved decision-making for optimized patient care and reduced care delivery cost.
- PerBlue – An independent mobile gaming company with a strong portfolio of mid-core progression based Role-playing and Strategy games, including DragonSoul, Titan Empires, and Greed for Glory.
- Redox – The modern API for healthcare integration, Redox connects to existing health system infrastructure, helping developers integrate with EHRs and health systems manage their connections to the cloud.
“We are proud to connect coastal investment to a sampling of our talent and business opportunities,” said Brandon. “We look forward to a productive trip, making new connections, strengthening existing ties and being an ambassador for all of the innovation happening throughout Greater Madison.”
The trip begins with a tour of Googleplex, Google’s Headquarters, made possible by the growing Google hub in Madison. Later in the evening an exclusive invite-only dinner will provide an opportunity for investor interaction and private discussion with business partners. The following day will include company pitches with a dozen global investment firms, followed by a reception sponsored by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation with support from the Badger Entrepreneurship Forum, a Bay-area organization of UW-Madison alumni.
Pressure Chamber and the Silicon Valley trip are supported by Michael Best & Friedrich, State of Wisconsin Investment Board, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, American Family Ventures, Baird Capital, 4490 Ventures, HealthX Ventures, Lindsay Stone & Briggs, Three Oaks Venture Fund and Venture Investors.