The state of Wisconsin and Minnesota have a great deal in common: A shared border, thousands of lakes, Big Ten universities with mammals for mascots and people who speak with accents that non-Midwesterners find funny.

Both states also have talented angel and venture capital investors who look broadly for deals.

Learn how early stage VCs from Wisconsin and Minnesota view prospects for investing in the Upper Midwest at the Tuesday, Sept. 17 meeting of the Tech Council Innovation Network in Eau Claire.

The luncheon will be held at the UW-Eau Claire Davies Center, 77 Roosevelt Avenue, Dakota Room. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m., lunch at noon and the presentation at 12:30 p.m. The cost is $25 for individual members, students and returning veterans, $35 for general admission and included for Tech Council corporate members. Click here to register.

 

Panelists are Jonathon Horne, managing director of Idea Fund of La Crosse, a seed stage venture capital fund established in 2016 to invest in pre-revenue and early stage revenue startup companies; and Mike Schulte, head analyst and head of legal of Great North Labs, which is an early-stage venture fund for the upper Midwest.

 

“Emerging companies from the region should avail themselves of this chance to hear from investors on what it takes to get noticed,” said Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. “We’ll also talk about Wisconsin’s overall investment climate, based on recent Tech Council research.”

 

This luncheon is sponsored by UW-Eau Claire. Momentum West is a partner in the Tech Council Innovation Network’s events in western Wisconsin. The Tech Council is the independent, non-profit science and technology adviser to the governor and Legislature, with events, publications and outreach that build Wisconsin’s tech-based economy.

 

To join, go to www.wisconsintechnologycouncil.com or call 608-442-7557.