Wisconsin Technology Council: Learn more about federal funding, research sources at Nov. 10-11 Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium

Contact: Liz Schrum or Tom Still at 608-442-7557

Or visit http://www.wisconsintechnologycouncil.com to learn more

MADISON – Experts who have worked with early stage companies to secure federal grants or to gain access to technology developed in federal labs will speak at the Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium, to be held Nov. 10-11 at Madison’s Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center.

The line-up includes Dan Berglund, director of the State Science and Technology Institute, a national organization that tracks federal funding opportunities as part of its larger mission to foster technology-based economic development in the 40-plus states where it has members, affiliates and supporters. Berglund will speak during a Nov. 10 dinner to honor winners of federal Small Business Innovation Research grants in Wisconsin.

“Dan Berglund and SSTI are a comprehensive resource when it comes to tech-based development trends at the federal and state level,” said Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council. “Few people follow these issues, which can directly affect entrepreneurs, more closely than Berglund.”

Among more than 15 panel discussions at the two-day conference will be:

“Energy funding: Can Wisconsin get its fair share?” There’s an alphabet soup of federal grants, loans and stimulus funding available for energy projects, from “smart grid” technology to alternative energy, as well as some state-based grants and loans. Finding the right program and successfully applying for a grant is no small undertaking, however. Learn from a panel of experts who can tell you how to find the right program – and what steps to take on behalf of your company.

“How to win federal research awards” The federal SBIR and related STTR grant programs are a valuable source of start-up money for tech-based companies. Hear from two SBIR experts who will describe how to apply for grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Energy. Also hear from the tech transfer manager at the U.S. Army’s Medical Research and Material Command on other targeted grant opportunities.

“Intellectual seeds: How your company can obtain federal ag research” How can Wisconsin companies and researchers gain access to the valuable work being done by the federal Agricultural Research Service? This panel will examine how ARS, the in-house research arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is engaging partners to ensure safer food and other agricultural products, assess the nutritional needs of Americans, sustain a competitive agricultural economy, enhance the natural resource base and the environment, and provide economic opportunities.

The annual conference, which has existed under different names for more than 20 years, will feature the fifth annual “Elevator Pitch Olympics” for companies in a seed financing stage and the third annual Wisconsin Angel Network Early Stage presentation track for companies seeking angel investments beginning in the $500,000 range.

Twenty-two companies were selected for the WAN track (Tuesday, Nov. 10) and 18 for the Elevator Pitch Olympics (Wednesday, Nov. 11). Companies in the WAN track feature technologies in major sectors: information technology and Internet services, biotechnology, medical devices, advanced manufacturing and “cleantech.” These companies are located in communities across Wisconsin as well as other Midwestern states.

In addition, 20 Wisconsin companies in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device and industrial biotech industries will be among 49 companies presenting at the MidAmerica Healthcare Venture Forum, which will be held back-to-back with the Early Stage Symposium at the Monona Terrace. The MHVF is an annual event led by the MidAmerica Health Investors Network, which includes 45 venture capital firms from 14 states as members. MHVF sought presenters in a 14-state region. Click here to read more.

The Early Stage Symposium will also feature nationally known speakers such as Bill Joos, co-founder of Garage Technology Ventures, and the “First Look Forum” for pre-commercial, campus-based discoveries. Participants in the angel and “Elevator Pitch” tracks will also be eligible to take part in presentation training seminars. Other special speakers will be announced soon.

The conference is produced by the Wisconsin Technology Council and its partners and sponsors. Visit http://www.wisconsintechnologycouncil.com/events/earlystage to register, review sponsorship opportunities or to learn more.

News media representatives may contact Berglund through Liz Schrum at 608-442-7557 or lschrum@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com