MADISON – Twenty-one entries from 10 communities are competing in the finalist round of the seventh annual Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest.

The contestants have survived two rounds of judging in the contest organized through the Wisconsin Technology Council, which produces the contest in conjunction with the Wisconsin Innovation Network, the Wisconsin Angel Network and other statewide affiliates. The contest began in late January with 284 entries.

“The business plans in the final round reflect some of Wisconsin’s core technology strengths, as well as the fact that entrepreneurs can be found in all corners of the state,” said Mark Bugher, chairman of the Tech Council.

The 21 plans selected for the final round will be joined by the winner of the Northeast Wisconsin Business Plan Contest and by award-winning plans from two university-based contests, bringing the total number of finalists to about two dozen.

Ideas from this year’s crop of finalists include products or services in energy generation, “green” materials and products, software, health care and Internet services. Entries were submitted in four categories: Advanced Manufacturing, Business Services, Information Technology and Life Sciences.

Contestants will submit a 20-page business plan for review by a panel of 79 judges established by the Tech Council, which is the non-profit and non-partisan science and technology adviser to the governor and the Legislature. Each plan describes the core product or service, defines the customer base, estimates the size of the market, identifies competition, list members of the management team and provides key financial data.

The finalists’ executive summaries as well as those filed by semi-finalists are available for inspection by accredited investors through the Wisconsin Angel Network, which has 25 member angel networks, private equity funds or corporate strategic partners.

About $150,000 in cash and in-kind prizes have been pledged thus far for the 2010 contest; first prize in the statewide contest is worth $50,000 in cash and services. Prize winners will be announced June 8-9 at the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference in Milwaukee.

Sponsors of the 2010 so far include: 5Nines/Matador Consulting; Aberdean Consulting LLC; Alliant Energy; American Transmission Co.; Associated Bank; Earth Information Technologies; Epiphany Law; Fitchburg Technology Campus; Foley & Lardner LLP; The Gialamas Company; Johnson Block CPAs; The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and Journal Interactive; Kollath & Associates, CPAs; The Luminis Group, Ltd.; Madison Area Technical College; Madison Gas & Electric Co.; McAllen TECH Campus; Michael Best & Friedrich LLP; Midwest Airlines; Murphy Desmond; PercipEnz Technologies, Inc.; Perkins Coie; Quarles & Brady LLP; Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c.; Ruedebusch Development & Construction; Smith & Gesteland LLP; State of Wisconsin Investment Board; TDS Telecom; University Research Park; Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek, S.C.; Wisconsin Department of Commerce; WisBusiness.com; Wisconsin Angel Network; Wisconsin Technology Council; WTN Media; and Xcel Energy.

Finalists for 2010 are listed below. Reporters wishing to contact individual contestants may do so through the Wisconsin Technology Council by calling 608-442-7557 ext. 27.

Roxanne Allaire                   Free Energy System                              New Berlin
Jim Blair                               FlexTec Managed Virtual Network       Madison
Kristin Benson Ellsworth   Peeps Eyewear LLC (child vision)     Madison
Mohammad Yusuf Haroon  AdPorts.com                                        Madison
Patrick Heaney                   NCD Technologies (nano-coatings)  Madison
William Henry                      SLAM Inc. (software-as-service)        Madison
Pramote Hochareon          Isolated heart cooling device          Vadnais Heights, Minn.
Karl Holt                               Aero-Stream Septic Remediation      Hartland
Rick Hood                            Green Isle Resources (biodiesel)    Appleton
Aaron Larner                       Viz Chart EMR Software                      Madison
Jeff LeDuc                            SolarWindow                                        Appleton
Jeff Leismer                         VibeTech, Inc.                                       Sheboygan
Jim Maerzke                         Lever-propelled DCD wheelchair     Kenosha
Dan Nickchen                      Liveyearbook                                         Greenville
Rishi Shah                            Flying Cart LLC (web application)    Waukesha
Ryan Shepherd                   Phyllotech (ag-biotech)                        Madison
Nancy Sielaff                         Population Manager (software)         Madison
Gurindar Sohi                      Multicore Software                                 Madison
Craig Tarr                            Solar for Indoor Pools                            Hudson
Joe Vosters                         Friendly Bed Systems                            Appleton
Bryan Woodhouse             S.E.W.S. (medical training)                   Edgerton
Alexy Zdanovsky                Alpha Universe (pathogen detectors)    Madison

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