MADISON – Representatives from nearly 50 emerging companies from many industries will hear from experts on a variety of topics as part of the fourth annual Wisconsin Tech Summit in Waukesha.

The day-long event will be held Monday, March 27, at the GE Healthcare Institute in Waukesha, Wis. It will feature scores of “speed dating” strategic meetings between 14 major companies and emerging firms selected from a larger pool.

A series of 30-minute “Office Hours” will run throughout the day to address topics of interest to emerging companies in Wisconsin. The hosts who will be presenting the information are industry experts. Topics in chronological order are:

  • “Doing business with UW-Milwaukee” UW-Milwaukee Research Foundation
  • “Funding your innovation using the federal SBIR program” Center for Technology Commercialization
  • “How to access QNBV and other state resources” Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.
  • “Protecting your assets from cyber threats” Federal Bureau of Investigation
  • “Fueling Wisconsin’s future” Enbridge
  • “How to approach institutional investors” Capital Midwest Fund
  • “Internet of things + blockchain” Husch Blackwell

For details on each session, including exact times, visit www.wistechsummit.com.

General admission registrations are now available through Thursday, March 23. Please review the guidelines for general admission on the website.

The “speed-dating” exercise will foster possible connections between major firms and selected emerging companies. Major companies will be able to hear from emerging firms with innovative products or services tied to areas such as “big data,” connected devices and data analytics in sectors ranging from health care to information systems, and from power electronics to plastics and advanced manufacturing.

Participating major firms thus far include Aurora Health Care, BloodCenter of Wisconsin, Dedicated Computing, Direct Supply, Exact Sciences, GE Healthcare, HP Enterprise Services, Johnson Controls, Marshfield Clinic Information Services, Promega, Racine Metal-Fab, Rockwell Automation, TECHNIPLAS and UW-Madison Research Pathways. Additional companies may be announced in the coming weeks. The opportunity to meet with executives from these major firms is extremely valuable to emerging companies.

Other features of the event will include:

  • An event overview and opening discussion to help set the stage for emerging companies by allowing major companies an opportunity to talk generally about their goals, needs and emerging markets sponsored by Husch Blackwell;
  • An afternoon talk by Chris Rizik, CEO and fund manager for Renaissance Venture Capital Fund in Michigan;
  • A continental breakfast, networking lunch and onsite reception sponsored by Enbridge.

Sponsors thus far include Advanced Materials Industrial Consortium; American Family Insurance; American Transmission Co.; AT&T; Baird Capital; BloodCenter of Wisconsin; Dedicated Computing; Enbridge; Findorff; GE Healthcare; HP Enterprise Services; Husch Blackwell; Marshfield Clinic Information Services; River Valley Bank; UW-Madison Office of Corporate Relations; UWM Research Foundation; von Briesen & Roper; Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.; and WTN Media.

Visit www.wistechsummit.com for more information on the event and registration.