MON AM News: Spring gBETA Madison cohort developing tech for health care, manufacturing, energy storage; Advocates applauding new fusion incentive law

April 6, 2026

— This year’s spring cohort for the gBETA Madison startup accelerator includes companies developing at-home health tests, manufacturing technologies, health care operations software and more.

Organizers for the program recently announced the five startup companies chosen for the free, seven-week experience, which aims to prepare entrepreneurs for participating in equity-based accelerators and seeking investment capital.

Participants will pitch to investors and members of the public during an April 28th showcase event in Madison to cap off the program, which is organized by gener8tor and also involves WEDC.

The spring 2026 cohort includes:

*3D Powder Tech, which has technology for accurately measuring the spreadability of powder feedstock material used in metal additive manufacturing.

Its solutions aim to “improve reliability, consistency, and quality” for 3D printing used in industrial applications such as aerospace, biomedical and automotive. The Madison company has raised $155,000 in pre-seed non-dilutive funds to develop a prototype and identify potential customers.

*Doogooda, a startup with an automation platform for operational decision-making in health care, such as staffing, policy updates and more. The Korean company points to a lack of documentation for decisions across these areas, resulting in “decision fatigue” among leadership and “zero audit trail” for justifying decisions to regulators or board.

The company says it’s generated $500,000 in revenue from at least five institutional clients in hospitals, government and other businesses. Founders are looking to leverage initial momentum in Korea’s single-payer health care system to enter the U.S. market.

*FerroMX, which is developing a “next-generation energy storage” system, promising safer and longer-lasting metal ion batteries.

The Madison-based business has done more than 150 customer discovery interviews with battery manufacturers and others in the industry, and has raised $50,000 in non-dilutive funding for further market development of its patented technology.

*HCL, a company with “mineral-based soil technologies” to help farmers improve fertilizer efficiency and water retention while lowering costs and environmental impacts.

With $150,000 in initial annual revenue, the Columbian company is seeking to break into the U.S. market.

*Nelambos, another Madison-based startup that’s developing an at-home self-administered diagnostic test for urinary tract infections. It can be used by patients or caregivers to detect UTIs earlier, with a goal of preventing further bloodstream infections and sepsis and reducing health care costs.

Company leaders have filed a patent application for its test, and have completed at least 250 customer interviews to gauge the market.

Since it began in 2015, graduates of the gBETA program have raised more than $1 billion in capital and created at least 7,000 jobs across the United States and Canada, according to figures from gener8tor.

See more in the release.

— The head of Realta Fusion declared the state “now open for business on fusion” after Gov. Tony Evers signed into law a new tax exemption for fusion energy technology projects.

After the Dem guv last week signed AB 657, now Wisconsin Act 165, the Madison-based fusion company applauded the move. The new law represents the first state-level tax exemption bill for fusion R&D equipment in U.S. history, according to a release from the company.

Realta Fusion CEO and co-founder Kieran Furlong says the new tax exemption sends “a clear and strong signal” from the guv and state Legislature to make the state a hub for the growing fusion industry.

“This ambitious, bipartisan bill will attract fusion developers and supply chain manufacturers to the state, as well as stimulate the creation of new fusion start-ups here,” Furlong said in a statement.

Realta credits the bill’s passage in part to the efforts of WEDC, the 5 Lakes Institute and the Wisconsin Technology Council.

Tech Council President Maggie Brickerman says the new law “helps ensure that cutting-edge fusion technologies developed in Wisconsin can also be commercialized and built here at home.”

Kathleen Gallagher, executive director of the 5 Lakes Institute, said Evers and the vast majority of state lawmakers “have made clear their vision for Wisconsin as a leader” in fusion energy technology.

Meanwhile, Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce President Zach Brandon said the state is uniquely positioned as a global leader in fusion energy, with multiple fusion companies, UW-Madison’s research base and its advanced precision manufacturing sector.

“This bipartisan bill will bolster our continued collective work to advance fusion energy development and commercialization in Wisconsin,” Brandon said. “We applaud the legislature and Gov. Evers for reaffirming Wisconsin’s position as a place that creates sustainable solutions to the world’s most complex challenges.”

The bill cleared the Legislature on a bipartisan basis this session, with a 92-6 vote in the Assembly and 30-3 in the Senate. Its lead authors were Sen. Dan Feyen, R-Fond du Lac, and Rep. Ben Franklin, R-De Pere.

See more on nuclear in Wisconsin in a recent story, and read more about Realta Fusion’s plans for commercial fusion energy.

— Realta Fusion also recently announced a new potentially multi-billion dollar agreement with Commonwealth Fusion Systems to develop specialized machinery needed for its fusion energy systems.

The two businesses recently announced the long-term strategic partnership, which focuses on the design and production of high-temperature superconducting magnets. These are needed to advance Realta’s CoSMo fusion energy technology, according to the announcement.

Under the agreement, which the companies say “has the potential to reach a multi-billion dollar value,” CFS will develop these magnets for Realta’s demonstration prototype as well as planned commercial fusion power plants. It also includes talent-sharing provisions to tap the expertise of Massachusetts-based CFS for the use of these specialized magnets.

Kieran Furlong, the company’s founder and CEO, says working with the world’s leading manufacturer of these specialized magnets means “significantly de-risking one of the most critical of these technologies” needed for commercializing its fusion approach.

“Knowing that we can get the magnets we need, when we need them, from the best developed supply chain, is a huge leap forward for Realta,” he said in a statement.

See the release.

— Gov. Tony Evers has signed into law 21 more bills, including those establishing a new child care tax credit and a tax deduction for financial exploitation.

The guv’s office on Friday announced the list of legislation he signed, including SB 376, which allows income and franchise taxpayers who claim a federal employer-provided child care credit to claim a non-refundable state tax credit for the same amount.

The new law also bars taxpayers from claiming any amount of the federal credit for costs related to a child care facility located outside of Wisconsin, or services located outside the state, according to the release. And it ensures any changes to the federal credit would automatically apply to the state credit as well.

Also on Friday, Evers signed AB 685 into law, creating an individual income tax subtraction for taxable years after Dec. 31, 2023, for money lost by the taxpayer to financial exploitation. The recipient could only claim the subtraction for the year in which the exploitation happened.

See the full list of signed bills.

— Amtrak is holding a webinar April 14 to inform members of the public about the potential “Hiawatha West” 79-mile extension from Milwaukee to Madison.

The railroad has also created a website to gather public comments about the project, which is currently being explored after a more extensive plan fell apart 16 years ago.

Business groups praise Evers and Legislature for adoption of fusion equipment sales and use tax exemption

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