MADISON—Building on its mission to inspire Wisconsin innovation, WiSys is launching a new initiative to establish startup hubs in local communities across the state to support local entrepreneurship.

WiSys VentureHome startup hubs will be “Everything your startup needs under one roof,” and will be established in communities with University of Wisconsin campuses.

“While communities across the state have energetic initiatives for budding entrepreneurs, the local ecosystems often have some unmet needs,” said WiSys President Arjun Sanga. “We work with our local partners to identify these needs and tap into WiSys resources and connections to fill the gaps.”

At the WiSys VentureHome, entrepreneurs will have easy access to:

• Local and statewide ecosystems of resources.
• Research and patented technologies from the UW System.
• Concierge service from a WiSys startup expert.
• Intellectual property and legal strategy advice.
• Established entrepreneurship toolkits.
• Seed funding.

“Starting a business can be overwhelming, especially for new entrepreneurs,” said Toni Sikes, a successful serial entrepreneur, founder and CEO of CODAworx and a WiSys board member. “This one-stop-shop offers in-person support and resources designed to make the difficult task of launching a startup a little bit easier.”

The WiSys VentureHome hubs will focus on launching ideas, innovations, and technologies into the marketplace, with the goal of increasing the number and diversity of startups coming out of Wisconsin. The hubs will also serve as a landing spot for Wisconsin’s entrepreneurial “alumni” to “venture home” and contribute to their local communities.

WiSys will work with local partners to establish the VentureHomes in communities with University of Wisconsin System campuses.

Serving UW System faculty, staff, students and alumni, as well as local community members, the hubs will benefit from a strong connection to the UW System and local community resources.

With help from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and CoLab, the first WiSys startup hub will be the WiSys VentureHome–Eau Claire. A launch party is scheduled for Feb. 19. Details about the party can be found at venturehome.org/eauclaire.

WiSys is a nonprofit organization that works with faculty, staff, students and alumni of the UW System to facilitate cutting-edge research programs, develop and commercialize discoveries and foster a spirit of innovative and entrepreneurial thinking across the state.

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CONTACT:
Craig Sauer
WiSys Marketing & Communications Associate 
[email protected]
920-763-2811