Madison, WI – As rural hospitals across Wisconsin face a severe crisis, with multiple institutions at high risk of closure or service cuts due to financial pressure, a new technology is arriving to bring an advanced level of data-driven financial resilience to the healthcare sector. Doogooda Inc., a health-tech startup, has established its U.S. headquarters in Madison to deploy a sophisticated “decision engine” built to serve hospitals of all types — from critical access facilities to academic medical centers — helping them remain solvent and functional.
With roots in South Korea, the startup arrived in America as a result of the Accelerate Wisconsin initiative, a partnership between gener8tor, a nationally ranked accelerator and global venture capital firm, and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). Accelerate Wisconsin invites high-potential international startups to establish U.S. headquarters in gener8tor’s partner communities, delivering fresh innovation, new employment opportunities in the state, and long-term economic growth and leadership. Each startup adds to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the region, sourcing services from area businesses and advancing the creation of local American jobs.
After successfully completing the gBETA program — gener8tor’s non-equity accelerator that supports early-stage companies through mentorship and networking — Doogooda is now integrating into Wisconsin’s innovation ecosystem to address a critical gap: the lack of scientific tools for high-stakes strategic choices. While many hospitals rely on static dashboards, Doogooda’s flagship solution, Decision Brief, acts as a proactive decision engine. By structuring competing priorities into auditable decision briefs, the technology evaluates options across six dimensions — financial, quality, access, workforce, strategic position, and regulatory/community context — and sets reversal conditions for when to change course. This way, the platform ensures leadership can efficiently allocate resources to enhance service quality while proving the value of their choices.
“Rural hospitals often lack the capacity to spend millions on consulting firms or hire full-time data analysts to navigate their financial struggles,” said Lina Song, CEO and Founder of Doogooda, who holds a PhD from Harvard in decision science and health policy. “We are pricing our product at a fraction of the cost of a traditional consultant, allowing these vital community pillars to make high-stakes decisions, such as service line adjustments and navigating government funding, with rigorous scientific methodology.”
Before establishing Doogooda in the U.S., Song deployed structured decision systems for major institutional clients in Korea, including the National Assembly, generating over $500,000 in revenue under her prior Korean entity. The Madison-based startup is currently engaged in technical reviews with a major Wisconsin health system to launch its first U.S. pilot.
“At gener8tor, we take pride in being the bridge that connects world-class founders like Lina Song to the pressing needs of Wisconsin,” stated Clayton Custer, Managing Director at gener8tor. “Through the combination of gBETA and Accelerate Wisconsin, our goal is to retain these high-potential companies for the long term, ensuring they put down deep roots in our state rather than using it as a temporary landing pad. By positioning Doogooda to successfully raise American venture capital, we are enabling an internationally sourced company to convert that investment into sustainable, high-value American jobs right here in Wisconsin.”
Signaling Doogooda’s intent to build a long-term presence in the state, Song has established a partnership with UW-Madison School of Industrial and Systems Engineering researchers to further refine the product’s scientific methodology. Together, they are co-designing a research project to optimize decision-making under uncertainty, utilizing industrial engineering models to improve the accuracy of Decision Brief.
“I believe a rigorous theoretical foundation is essential to differentiate a product’s quality in the competitive health-tech landscape,” Song explained, as she found in Wisconsin an environment where both academia and industry are open to innovation in partnership with startups. “The gBETA program provided immediate access to high-quality healthcare investors, professionals, and mentors. Because the community already trusts gener8tor’s reputation, we were able to start high-level conversations from day one without having to build credibility from zero. While I had experience doing business in Korea, gBETA essentially educated me on the complexities of the U.S. market, teaching me how to pitch, sell, and navigate this new landscape through a highly structured, school-like program.”
Doogooda’s establishment in Madison marks a significant milestone in WEDC’s strategy to leverage international talent for local impact.
“The arrival of Doogooda is a prime example of how the Accelerate Wisconsin initiative is successfully positioning our state as a premier destination for global innovation,” said John W. Miller, Secretary and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, the state’s leading economic development organization. “By partnering with gener8tor to bring high-potential startups to our communities, we are not only fostering long-term economic growth and creating high-skilled jobs but also ensuring that cutting-edge solutions reach the sectors where they are needed most, such as our rural healthcare systems.”
About gener8tor
gener8tor fosters innovation ecosystems through its accelerator programs, venture capital funds, and skills-based workforce initiatives. With a strong track record of supporting high-growth companies, gener8tor has expanded across the U.S. and internationally, building partnerships with governments, corporations, universities, and economic development organizations to drive entrepreneurship and economic impact. gener8tor operates accelerators across 29 U.S. states and six other countries globally, working with over 300 startups per year. To date, gener8tor has worked with more than 2,200 startups that have cumulatively gone on to raise over $3 billion in financing and employ a workforce surpassing 15,800 people.
About gBETA
gBETA is a free, non-equity accelerator designed to support early-stage companies through intensive mentorship and access to gener8tor’s national network. Each cohort supports a small group of high-potential startups and requires no fees or equity from founders. Since launching in 2015, gBETA alumni have raised more than $1.1 billion in capital and created over 7,300 jobs across the U.S. and internationally.
About the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) leads economic development efforts for the state by advancing and maximizing opportunities in Wisconsin for businesses, communities and people to thrive in a globally competitive environment. Working with more than 600 regional and local partners, WEDC develops and delivers solutions representative of a highly responsive and coordinated economic development network.
