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MADISON – Thirty-six companies that won a combined $19.2 million in competitive federal research grants will be honored Wednesday during a luncheon at the 2016 Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium.

The companies, which are developing products in sectors that range from medical therapies to advanced materials, and from electric motors to sustainable wood products, will receive awards during the conference at Madison’s Monona Terrace Convention Center.

Dr. Lynn Allen-Hoffman, founder of Stratatech, will speak during the luncheon. Stratatech is a human skin replacement company in Madison recently acquired by Mallinckrodt, a pharmaceutical company based in the United Kingdom.

Companies that reported winning Small Business Innovation Research awards in the most recent year are: Advanced Engines Development Corp.; AlgaXperts LLC; AmebaGone Inc.; BellBrook Labs LLC; Cadens LLC; Cell Reprogramming and Therapeutics LLC; Centaur Systems Inc.; C-Motive Technologies Inc.; CompuTherm LLC; ConsortiEX Inc.; Fiberstar Bio-Ingredient Technologies Inc.; FlexCompute Inc.; Flugen Inc.; Glucan Biorenewables LLC; HealthMyne Inc.; Insert Inc.; Intact Solutions; Intelligent Composites LLC; Intraband LLC; InvivoSciences Inc.; Lucigen; Lynx Biosciences; Metria Innovation Inc.; PhylloTech LLC; Platypus Technologies LLC; Pointcare Genomics Corp.; Promentis Pharmaceuticals Inc.; Protein Foundry LLC; SHINE Medical Technologies Inc.; Stemina Biomarker Discovery Inc.; Stratatech Corp.; systeMECH LLC; Thalchemy Corp.; WholeTrees Architecture & Structures; WinnowGen Inc.; and Xylome Corp.

Created in 1982 to spur commercial use of academic research and development, SBIR grants are typically awarded to about one of 10 applicants. In order to be eligible for an SBIR award, for-profit businesses must be American-owned and independently operated, employ the principal researcher of the technology being developed, and have 500 or fewer employees.

The three-stage program is coordinated by the U.S. Small Business Administration, but grants originate with 11 federal agencies. Other conference highlights previously announced:

  • The Tech Council Investor Network tracks on the opening day of the conference will feature 28 companies making five-minute presentations during two sessions, morning and afternoon. Read a short description of each of the 28 companies on the “Presentations” page at https://wisconsintechnologycouncil.com/early-stage-symposium/presentations/.
  • A new “Investor Intros” segment that will give about 90 companies a chance to introduce themselves to about 30 investors.
  • The annual Elevator Pitch Olympics, which will give more than 20 companies a chance to pitch for 90 seconds.
  • Remarks at the Wisconsin W·O·M·E·N reception by Eve Hall, the president of the African-American Chamber of Commerce. The reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the meeting space at M3 Insurance, 828 John Nolen Drive. Register here for this separate event.
  • Nov. 16 panel discussion entitled “Invest in the Midwest: How regional funds view Wisconsin.”
  • Experts from leading national law firms and funds will take part in “A national view: Trends in early stage investing,” 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 17.
  • Remarks 1 p.m. Nov. 17 by Jack Salzwedel, chief executive officer and president of American Family Insurance and a community innovation leader.
  • The Excellence in Entrepreneurial Education award, which will go to Jan Eddy.
  • The Investor Hall of Fame award, which will go to Carl Gulbrandsen.
  • “Office Hours,” which are small-group meetings with subject experts on a mix of topics.
  • The “First Look” forum featuring selected campus-based technologies.
  • Exhibit hall showcasing more than 40 Wisconsin companies.

The Tech Council produces the conference. Sponsors so far include: 100State; Aberdean; Adana Holdings; Advanced Materials Industrial Consortium; Alliant Energy; American Family Insurance; American Transmission Co.; AT&T; Aurora Research Institute; Baird Capital; Baker Tilly; BDO; BloodCenter of WI; BMO Harris Bank; Boardman & Clark; Carroll University; City of Fitchburg; Concordia University; Cresa Madison; Dane County Regional Airport; Dedicated Computing; Enbridge; Findorff; First Business Bank; Fluno Center; Functional Biosciences; Godfrey & Kahn; HealthX Ventures; HP Enterprise Services; Husch Blackwell; Innovator Mindset; Madison College; Madison Gas & Electric; Makin HEY! Communications; Marquette University; Marshfield Clinic; Medical College of Wisconsin – OTD; Michael Best; Midwest Prototyping; Morgridge Institute; Murphy Desmond S.C.; N29 Capital Partners; Neider & Boucher; NEW Capital Fund; New Glarus Brewing Company; Perkins Coie; PreventionGenetics; Promega Corp.; Quarles & Brady; Red Arrow Production; Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c.; Skyward; Smith & Gesteland; Square 1 Bank; State of Wisconsin Investment Board; Summit Credit Union; University Research Park; UW-Madison Office of Corporate Relations; UW-Milwaukee Research Foundation; Venture Investors; Veritas; Wells Fargo; WERCBench Labs; Whitewater University Technology Park; WIPFLI; Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation; Wisconsin Center for Manufacturing & Productivity; Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.; Wisconsin Health & Educational Facility Authority; WTN Media; Ziegler

Learn more and register at www.wisearlystage.com.