— The head of Rapid Radicals Technology, which won this year’s Governor’s Business Plan Contest, says the company is on track to start earning revenue in 2024 or 2025 through paid pilot programs.
Paige Peters is the company’s founder and chief technology officer. She discussed the company’s path forward yesterday in Wauwatosa during an event held by the Wisconsin Technology Council, which stages the Governor’s Business Plan Contest.
Founded in 2016, Rapid Radicals Technology is developing a decentralized wastewater treatment system aimed at eliminating “sewer overflows and basement backups during intense storm events,” Peters explained.
She said the company’s technology can complete wastewater treatment in under 30 minutes, compared to up to 14 hours for the conventional wastewater treatment process.
“Much of our approach has been kind of an end-of-pipe treatment system to put throughout a sewershed to help deal with all that extra water that comes into our conveyance systems,” she said. “Especially in cities like Milwaukee, which has a partially combined sewer system, where you have both sanitary and stormwater running in the same pipe.”
Peters said the company has received $1.5 million in non-dilutive funding through the National Science Foundation and matching grants through the Center for Technology Commercialization and Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.
“We’ve got our grant funding through Q2 2024, and at that point, I’d say probably within the next year we’ll be starting to have paid pilot systems, so getting … service-based revenue for the pilots that utilities will pay,” she said.
Dean Amhaus, president and CEO for the Water Council, said the long development timeline for water tech companies represents a challenge for the industry.
“You get a lot of investors … they’re looking to do an exit in two to three years,” he said, noting “12 years is fast” for a water technology company to bring a product or service to market.
“You have to think about water technology like a pharmaceutical drug. Testing, testing, testing … plus you factor in regulatory aspects of things at the local level, state level and federal level,” he said. “All of that complicates things.”
Still, Peters said the market for the company’s technology is significant, with over 850 combined sewer cities in the United States alone.
“There’s 152 combined sewer cities within the Great Lakes region … that’s 9,300 outflows,” she said. “And we look at our technology from a decentralized perspective … theoretically, you could put one of these systems in every outflow.”
She said wastewater overflow problems exist throughout the country, with the exception of the more arid southwestern states.
“Definitely in the Great Lakes [area]; there’s a huge problem on the East Coast especially because some of those systems are significantly older,” she said.
— This week’s episode of “WisBusiness: the Podcast” is with Brian Bennett, president and founder of STIR Advertising and Integrated Messaging.
Bennett discusses some of the top trends in digital marketing and messaging, drawing on decades of experience in the advertising world.
“It’s not just about advertising, it’s not just about creative, it’s not just about promotion or video — it’s all of those things done well and properly coordinated so that the sum is greater than the parts,” he said.
STIR has been in business for 20 years, and Bennett says many of the companies he competed against in past decades are no longer around. He says the industry has changed dramatically in the past 10 years.
“Social media didn’t exist. Social media as an advertising platform, not just as a way to share information organically, but as a highly targeted advertising platform,” he said. “With that comes that one-to-one relationship that companies have with their customers. So now we’re setting up databases, we’re creating files, we’re tracking interactions.”
Along with all the opportunities these new spaces present, Bennett also shares his perspective on the pitfalls of using emerging digital platforms to reach customers.
Listen to the podcast here: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2022/wisbusiness-the-podcast-with-brian-bennett-stir-advertising-and-integrated-messaging/
See a full list of WisBusiness.com podcasts: https://www.wisbusiness.com/category/podcast/
— The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty says DATCP has removed from a final rule proposal the licensing requirements for pools at short-term rental properties.
The conservative legal group submitted comments in April to the agency arguing regulations for public pools shouldn’t apply to those at short-term rental properties, a release shows. WILL says these requirements would have “blanketed short-term rentals with pools and hot tubs in red tape,” making it difficult for owners to make a living.
“It’s encouraging to see DATCP abandon their efforts to impose burdensome red tape on short-term rental owners with pools and hot tubs,” WILL Policy Director Kyle Koenen said in a statement. “Property owners will now have some well-deserved certainty that they can make a living without the heavy hand of government impeding their ability to do so.”
See DATCP’s rule proposal: https://will-law.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/115-ATCP-76-Public-Pools-Legislative-Report86.pdf
See the release: https://www.wispolitics.com/2022/wisconsin-institute-for-law-and-liberty-state-agency-abandons-attempt-to-regulate-pools-at-rental-properties/
— Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin has announced a partnership with Planned Parenthood of Illinois to provide abortions at the group’s Waukegan Health Center in northern Illinois.
PPIL President and CEO Jennifer Welch in a webinar yesterday said the abortion provider opened the Waukegan location in 2020 in anticipation of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade and a halt to abortion care in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin has an 1849 law outlawing abortion except in cases where the life of the mother is at risk. AG Josh Kaul has filed a lawsuit arguing the law is outdated and can’t be enforced.
Welch said PPWI physicians and medical staff trained at Illinois facilities earlier this year and received their licenses to practice in the state. Those health care providers are now traveling to Illinois to meet the demand for abortion care.
“We are fortunate to have abortion navigators from both affiliates working closely to help those patients who are forced to travel for essential care overcome legal, financial and practical barriers to our services,” Welch said.
Welch said there has been a “tremendous” rise in the number of patients coming from Wisconsin to Illinois Planned Parenthood centers.
“This is clear evidence that abortion restrictions and bans do not stop people from having abortions,” Welch said.
PPWI CEO Tanya Atkinson said the Supreme Court ruling has had “devastating consequences” for Wisconsinites.
“Despite the loss of abortion access in Wisconsin, all Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin’s health centers remain open — all 22 across the state as well as our telehealth work,” Atkinson said.
Wisconsin Right to Life Legislative / PAC Director Gracie Skogman told WisPolitics.com stopping women from traveling across state lines to obtain abortions is not one of the group’s goals.
“We believe women deserve real options and support, and we believe that pregnancy resource centers here in Wisconsin are best equipped to do that,” Skogman said.
Skogman added the anti-abortion group’s goal is to encourage women to utilize those centers in the state rather than crossing state lines.
Pro-Life Wisconsin Legislative Director Matt Sande told WisPolitics.com he hasn’t spoken to legislators about the issue just yet and is waiting for the next legislative session.
However, Sande said he will “look very closely” at upcoming model legislation from conservative law firm the Thomas More Society to outlaw crossing state lines to obtain an abortion.
“We are happy that abortions are not occurring right now in Wisconsin,” Sande said. “But, you know, these children, these preborn children in Wisconsin, we certainly don’t want them killed in Minnesota or Illinois.”
See the Planned Parenthood release: https://www.wispolitics.com/2022/planned-parenthood-of-wisconsin-leaders-of-planned-parenthood-of-illinois-and-wisconsin-affiliates-announce-partnership-to-increase-abortion-access/
— Dane County health officials have announced they will be adding staff and expanding services provided through the county’s Sexual and Reproductive Health clinic later this year.
The move comes in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade, and aims to ensure “that everyone’s reproductive rights are protected and honored,” a release from Public Health Madison & Dane County shows.
Janel Heinrich, director of PHMDC, says access to reproductive and sexual health services “has never been more critical” than it is now.
“After consulting with partners, we identified preventative care services, including free and easy access to long-term reversible contraception, as one area we could extend our services,” she said in the release.
Officials expect to launch the expansion this fall. The release shows about $360,000 is being allocated by Dane County for the effort this year, and the annual cost of the expanded services will be funded jointly by the county and city of Madison in following years.
See the release: https://publichealthmdc.com/news/public-health-expanding-reproductive-health-services-in-dane-county
— Gov. Tony Evers has announced the seven members of the Naturopathic Medicine Examining Board, which oversees naturopathic doctors in Wisconsin.
The board was established under 2021 Wisconsin Act 130, which also includes provisions for the licensure and regulation of naturopathic doctors. These NDs are educated and trained in accredited naturopathic medical colleges, according to the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians.
The association says NDs diagnose, prevent and treat illnesses to improve health by supporting patients’ “inherent self-healing process.” The group’s website says they focus on identifying the underlying causes of illnesses and develop personalized treatment plans to address them.
The board includes four naturopathic doctors, one primary care physician who has experience in naturopathic medicine or working with NDs, and two public members.
“I am confident in this board and these members’ ability to lead on initiatives that help support positive outcomes for patients, naturopathic doctors, and the field of naturopathic medicine across our state,” Evers said in the release.
See the release: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WIGOV/bulletins/31f1c15
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#TOP STORIES#
# PHMDC to expand reproductive health services and hours in response to Roe v. Wade reversal
# Transportation officials aim to improve traffic safety, flow as they replace a bridge linking Duluth and Superior
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#TOPICS#
# AGRIBUSINESS
– Polzin named extension dairy outreach specialist
# BANKING
– Northwestern Mutual Black Founder Accelerator adds five tech startups to program
# CONSTRUCTION
– Work starting on bridge decks in northeast Wis.
– Howard Commons pavilion, amphitheater will bring need public spaces to village
# ECONOMY
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# EDUCATION
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# FINANCIAL SERVICES
– Find out where Wisconsin ranks among best states for business
# HEALTH CARE
– My Choice Wisconsin acquired by California firm for $150 million
# INFRASTRUCTURE
-Wisconsin set to receive $841M to replace lead pipes
# LABOR
– WMC survey: Nearly all Wisconsin employers to offer pay increases this year to retain employees
# MANUFACTURING
– Fathom consolidating Oakland facility into Hartland HQ
– Rite-Hite readies Milwaukee campus for workers and visitors from around U.S.
– Move over clydesdales, Molson Coors returns to the Super Bowl
# POLITICS
– Federal Trade Commission fines Harley-Davidson for violating new ‘right to repair’ law
# REAL ESTATE
– Frank Productions advances plans for $50 million performance venue near Fiserv Forum
– Major Goolsby’s sports bar now owns its building, sets long-term plans
– A $68 million development bringing nearly 200 affordable apartments to Milwaukee’s central city is opening
– Former Midtown Center Walmart building sold to Affordable Family Storage
# RETAIL
– Walmart’s growing digital business drives $150M statewide investment to remodel stores, including Milwaukee area
– Kroger expands Boost delivery program to Milwaukee, other markets
# TECHNOLOGY
– New Bright Cellars CEO is “laser-focused” on leading the Milwaukee wine startup to profitability
# TOURISM
– What you need to know about the Milwaukee Night Market
# UTILITIES
– S&C Electric Company set to open 55,000 square-foot expansion in Franklin
# COLUMNS
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# PRESS RELEASES
<i>See these and other press releases:
https://www.wisbusiness.com/press-releases/ </i>
