Fifty-one entries from 28 communities have advanced to the semi-final round of the 10th annual Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest, contest producers announced Thursday.
The contestants were selected from a field of 326 first-round entries by an independent panel of about 70 judges organized through the Wisconsin Technology Council, which is producing the contest in conjunction with its membership subsidiary, the Wisconsin Innovation Network, the Wisconsin Angel Network and other statewide affiliates.
The semi-finalists reflect the diversity of Wisconsin’s economy and are spread among four broad categories: advanced manufacturing (13), business services (14), information technology (15) and life sciences (9). That proportion roughly reflects the mix of Phase 1 entries in the contest’s four categories.
Software solutions, industrial products and processes, energy management and controls, gaming and mobile apps, health diagnostics and medical devices were sectors that drew a number of entries. The contest also attracted entries focused on products for children and older adults, as well as sports and recreation innovations.
“The pipeline of entrepreneurs in Wisconsin continues to become more diverse,” said Mark Bugher, chairman of the Tech Council and director of University Research Park. “The entries that advanced to the semi-final round reflect the fact that good ideas come from all high-growth sectors of the economy.”
The 51 entries competing in Phase 2 of the contest are writing executive summaries of no more than 1,000 words. Each summary describes the core product or service, defines the customer base, estimates the size of the market, identifies competition, lists members of the management team and provides key financial data.
Phase 2 plans will be filed online by 5 p.m. March 18; the next judging period will last about two weeks.
Once Phase 2 judging is complete, the 51 entries may be made available for inspection by accredited investors through the Wisconsin Angel Network, which has more than two-dozen angel networks, private equity funds or corporate strategic partners. About two-dozen plans will move on to Phase 3, in which contestants will write a full business plan.
Total cash and in-kind prizes in the statewide contest exceed $100,000. Prize winners will be announced June 4-5 at the annual Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference, to be held at the Marriott West in Middleton. The top dozen contestants will give live presentations at the conference – with judges scoring those pitches as a part of selecting the winners. A major sponsor is the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.
Other sponsors of the 2013 contest to date include: 5Nines; Aberdean Consulting; American Family Insurance; American Transmission Company; AT&T; BDO; Cleantech Open; City of Waterloo; EarthIT; Flanagan Financial/Functional Biosciences; Grant Thornton; JZB Solutions; Kohner Mann & Kailas; Kollath & Associates; Logistics Health; Madison Gas & Electric; Marshfield Clinic; Michael Best & Friedrich; Midwest Prototyping; Milwaukee Institute; Mortenson Construction; Murphy Desmond; Nelson Schmidt, Inc.; Pieper Properties; Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c.; Revelation PR, Advertising & Social Media; Smith & Gesteland; University Research Park; UW-Madison Office of Corporate Relations; Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati; Wisconsin Health and Educational Facilities Authority; and Wisconsin Technical College System.
To become a sponsor, call 608-442-7557 or visit http://www.govsbizplancontest.com/.
Here are the 2013 semi-finalists in the Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest. Reporters wishing to contact individual contestants may do so through the Wisconsin Technology Council by calling 608-442-7557 ext. 26.
Contestant City Idea Abstract
Rick Kawczynski Franklin Better Medical Disinfectant
Pete Matson Waukesha Clouditz
Justin Reed Madison C-Motive Technologies Inc.
Mary Kuckuk Madison CodeEm
Tim Hart Shorewood Custom Healing Abutment
Justin Knupp Middleton CyderMED
Timothy Shedd Madison Datacenter Cooling Technology
Mackenzie Krentz Madison Detour Mobile App
Olivia Nix Milwaukee Diddits
Mitchell Fiene Whitewater DMZ Aerial
Jordan Giessel Oregon EasyShifts
Gary Krause Racine EKG Concepts
Betty Marquardt Poynette Employmate
Heather Johnston Milwaukee Find My Spot
Shobhan Thakkar Fitchburg Gaming – Gristmill Studios(GS)
Petr Zilberman Mequon Glow in the Dark materials
Abby Johnson Madison Green Chemistry Solutions
Dennis Bahr Middleton Helicam Neutron Camera
Sreenath Pillai Madison Infrastructure for Mobile Apps
James Cruikshank Cedarburg Integrated Pharmacy Services
Terry Spilde Madison kNew
Joel Dietz Madison Lab Desk
Pradeep Rohatgi Milwaukee Lightweight composite castings
Allen Oelschlaeger Mequon Martial Arts Marketing Network
Mike Lilek Wauwatosa Mobile work tickets
Charles Potter Mequon MTD Therapeutic Hypothermia
Scott Johanek Shawano MUTO
Frederick Montgomery Madison Nitric Oxide Generator for Chr
Russ Rymut Hartland Nobo
Bret Wagner Fitchburg Oil & Gas Royalty Software
Tom Dougherty Milwaukee OSAT: Real Time Metal Analysis
Joseph Trygar Pleasant Prairie Pharma Detect
Menachem Tabanpour Madison Phosphorus Upcycling
Thom Lemmenes Princeton Pierless Boat Rentals
James Benson Marinette Quality Medical Management
Stephen Parkhill Glendale quickTab
Jon Odorico Madison Regenerative Medical Solutions
Michael Harper Milwaukee ROAM
Alan Stoffer Madison Ronin Studios
David Beebe Monona Salus
Annamalai Karthikeyan Oshkosh Specialty carbon using wastes
Chad Lee Middleton SpectraNotes
Curt Frey Madison TaxBadger
Sarah Wright Cottage Grove The Healthy Challenge
Mike Kobida Madison The Orkan
Jim Schuessler Crandon Trolley Green Energy Platform
David Buslee Delafield Truck Data Measurement
Alan Peters Brookfield True Flow
Peter Petit Pewaukee V-Glass Vacuum Insulated Glass
Brian Mayer Glendale WeDo
Kevin Kleinfelt Sun Prairie WiscBox
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