PRESENTING COMPANIES and INVESTORS

Below are the companies that presented at the 2021 Early Stage Symposium. Check back for the 2022 presenting companies soon!

From industrial materials and processes to medical devices and digital health solutions, and from time-saving software to renewable agricultural products, 23 companies will present during the Tech Council Innovation Networks tracks at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium.

Five-minute pitches by each of the companies will be delivered Wednesday, Nov. 3, in morning and afternoon tracks at Madison’s Monona Terrace Convention Center. The in-person event continues Nov. 4.

The 23 companies hail from 14 different cities and were selected from a larger pool of applicants by the conference steering committee, which included investors, entrepreneurs, service professionals and others familiar with Wisconsin’s tech-based economy.

More than 40 early stage investors are slated to attend the conference, which has resulted in multiple investments over time. Here is a summary of each company.

Advanced Ionics – This Milwaukee-based company is developing breakthrough electrolyzers specifically for industrial hydrogen use in sectors including ammonia, petrochemicals, methanol, steel, nuclear and renewable fuels. www.advanced-ionics.com

Altruize by LetsTHRIVE360 – This Beloit-based company has developed an app to allow individuals to track, verify and maintain a lifelong journey of community service data for their own traveling volunteer portfolio. www.letsthrive360.com

Atrility Medical – This Madison-based company has developed medical devices that allow cardiac clinicians to more rapidly identify and treat arrhythmias (abnormal heart beats). www.atrility.com

BIOIONIX – Based in McFarland, Wis., this manufacturer has a patented electrochemical solution to treat brine solutions in the cheese, ready-to-eat meat, and aquaculture markets. www.bioionix.com

Blue Line Battery – Beloit-based manufacturer of intelligent lithium-ion batteries that are more energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, and safer than lead-acid batteries. www.bluelinebattery.com

BoothCentral – Milwaukee-based event management platform for event promoters to efficiently and successfully manage the logistics of their in-person events. www.boothcentral.com

Cellular Logistics – Madison-based company that has developed technology that advances myocardial reparative and regenerative therapies to treat patients with heart failure. www.cellogistics.com

COnovate – Milwaukee-based company commercializing a fundamentally distinct material called graphene monoxide – the world’s first solid form of CO at room temperature and pressure, which has many applications. www.conovateinc.com

Driftless Extracts – Based in Plain, Wis., this plant materials producer is revitalizing agriculture with plant materials as a centerpiece to a renewable future. It is positioning itself for multiple renewable products including powders, packaging, fiber composites and extracts. www.driftextracts.com

Estrigenix Therapeutics – Wauwatosa-based company that developed an orally available drug lead that will support women through the menopause transition by alleviating their everyday symptoms, while also preventing long-term memory decline. www.estrigenix.com

Hoplon – This Mequon-based company has developed a catheter-based system to restore the function of a LVAD (left ventricular assist device) without the need for invasive surgery.

JangoBio – Madison-based company with therapies that improve health and well-being by restoring hormone balance, and in the process, disrupt the way medicine treats a myriad of diseases. www.jango.bio

MPOWR Envision – Based in Rockford, Ill., this company has developed an intuitive, cloud-based SaaS platform that enables teams to align their work around strategic goals and execute their strategy effectively. www.mpowr.com

Otologic Technologies – Madison-based early-stage health tech company developing an artificial intelligence clinical decision support platform to ear disease diagnosis. www.otologictech.com

Plumb Pharmaceuticals – This Madison-based company has developed a platform technology for extended-release medications based on proprietary methodologies for liposome preparation and loading. www.plumbpharma.com

Polco – Middleton-based company that transforms the civic process by promoting civil, constructive, quality policy participation through its online engagement platform. www.polco.us

Printed Aerospace – This Janesville-based drone manufacturer uses 3D-printed systems to provide HaaS (Hardware as a Service) to drone service providers at a cost not seen previously in the industry.

RedFox AI – This Madison-based firm has created an innovative Conversational AI-powered digital assistant that helps patients using at-home medical tests and devices while helping providers reduce friction and cut costs across the patient journey. www.redfox-ai.com

Sift Healthcare – This Milwaukee-based company is demystifying healthcare payments by seamlessly integrating actionable intelligence and machine learning optimizations into revenue cycle workflows to maximize payments, drive revenue strategy and reduce the cost to collect. www.sifthealthcare.com

SmartWell – This Fond du Lac-based company developed a technology platform that can be used to measure, monitor and manage groundwater wells in real time without actually entering the well.

Speakfully – This Eau Claire-based company has developed an anonymous documentation platform designed to help individuals safely navigate difficult experiences at work or in life. www.speakfully.com

VibeTech – Based in Sheboygan and founded with NASA technology, this firm has developed robotic rehabilitation technology to provide exercise to those who can’t walk independently by delivering muscle-contracting therapeutic vibration to the lower extremities. www.vibetechglobal.com

Zihi – Based in Madison, this firm developed a digital endurance sports training platform using advanced computational techniques to make cutting-edge sports science and decades of coaching experience available to anyone with a smartphone or internet connection. www.zihipro.com

Confirmed investors participating at the 2021 Early Stage Symposium:

1915 Studios
4490 Ventures
Bascom Ventures
Baird Capital
Bold Coast Capital
BrightStar Wisconsin
Capital Midwest
Cultivation Capital
Golden Angels Investors
Great North Ventures
HealthX Ventures
Hyde Park Ventures
Inventure Capital
Lancaster Investments
M25 Group
Madison Development Corp.
Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures
Rock River Capital
Sandalphon Capital
TASC Ventures
TitletownTech
Tundra Angels
Venture Investors
WARF Ventures
Winnow Fund
Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.
WISC Partners
Wisconsin Investment Partners
Yahara Ventures
Ziegler

Check back later for more investors!