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Wisconsin Startups: Funding, Investors & Startup News

Wisconsin startup news and funding coverage — from Madison's fintech and energy startups to Milwaukee's growing founder community and statewide manufacturing innovation.

Wisconsin Startups: Funding, Investors & Startup News

Midwest Startup Funding for the week ending September 11 2026

Midwest Startup Funding for the week ending September 11, 2026

(Almost) Nobody Is Going to Tell You No: How to Translate a VC Pass

(Almost) Nobody Is Going to Tell You No: How to Translate a VC Pass

Andressen Horowitz 1 billion hardware fund is the Midwest as equity partner or tenant

Andressen Horowitz’s $1.1 billion hardware fund: is the Midwest equity partner, or tenant?

Midwest Startup Funding for the week ending September 4 2026

Midwest Startup Funding for the week ending September 4, 2026

Building the plane while it is taking off

Before You Fundraise, Make Sure Your Company Is Real

Midwest Startup Funding for the week ending August 28, 2026

Man in mid air with basketball for Vote in the 2026 Startup Benchmarks Survey

Vote in the 2026 Startup Benchmarks Survey

The Midwest College Rankings 2026

Midwest Startup Funding to August 21 2026

Midwest Startup Funding for the week ending August 21, 2026

A Rocket for the Inc 5000 fastest growing companies

26 Midwest Companies in Top 250 of the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing 2026

The Secret VC: Midwest Corporate Venture Is Just Private Equity in a Trench Coat

The Secret VC: Midwest Corporate Venture Is Just Private Equity in a Trench Coat

Midwest Startup Funding for the week ending August 14 2026

Midwest Startup Funding for the week ending August 14, 2026

How Midwest builders manage pressure by Aria Spears of Michigan Founders Fund

The Weight Founders Carry: How Midwest Builders Manage Pressure

Pigs might fly but the dollars in Midwest startup funding were strong

Midwest Startup Funding for the week ending August 7, 2026

Humanoid Robots in a factory

Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy reports on AI in Wisconsin

Corporate Venture Is the Midwest's Home-Field Advantage - Don't Let It Go Dormant

The Secret Founder: Belief isn't the bottleneck, execution is.

The Secret Founder: Belief isn't the bottleneck, execution is.

Piggy on a bath - Midwest Startup funding for week ending July 31 2026

Midwest Startup Funding for the week ending July 31 2026

The infrastructure advantage by Ruby Miller build the shovel not just the goldmine

The infrastructure advantage: build the shovel, not just the goldmine

Midwest Startup Funding for the week ending July 24 2025

Midwest Startup Funding for the week ending July 24 2025

German American Chamber of Commerce visits the Midwest from North Rhine Westphalia Midwest

Is this German region a mirror image of the Midwest?

StartMidwest Startup Funding Q2 2026

Midwest Startup Funding Q2 2026: $1.27 billion across 114 deals

StartMidwest Q2 2026 Funding for Wisconsin

Wisconsin startup funding in Q2 2026: the busiest since 2024, carried by one big check

StartMidwest the Midwest Dairy Accelerator in Chicago has chosen six startups for latest cohort

Midwest Dairy Accelerator presents six startups for 2026 cohort

StartMidwest Automate Chicago 2026 Humanoid Robot forum

As GM swaps workers for robots in Detroit, Chicago's Automate show previews what's next

The Secret VC: Everyone wants to ‘invest’, no one wants to lead.

StartMidwest - states across the Midwest are considering what to do about data centers

Midwest states courted data centers for years. Now some are asking who pays.

StartMidwest Mollie Kuramoto High Alpha dangers of a broad ICP for early stage startups

Why Midwest Founders Cannot Afford Broad ICPs

StartMidwest Global Tech Ecosystem Index 2026 Lincoln Nebraska

Where Midwest startup hubs rank in Dealroom's 2026 Global Tech Ecosystem Index

The SBA's Patriot Pitch Competition opens applications through June 10, offering a $1M prize pool funded by Clover for SBA-backed small businesses.

SBA $1M Patriot Pitch Competition for 250th anniversary celebrations

The Secret Founder why does Midwest fundraising feel like applying for a job

The Secret Founder: Why does Midwest fundraising feel like applying for a job?

Microsoft begins limited operations at first Wisconsin data center facility

StartMidwest Madison Wisconsin healthtech company EnsoData raises from CIBC

Madison's EnsoData secures growth capital from CIBC Innovation Banking

Front page of the 2026 State of Talent Access & Hiring Report, a Midwest startup hiring survey by StartMidwest, Digital Reference, and Purpose Jobs.

The State of Talent Access & Hiring Report 2026: What the data tells us.

Red Bull Basement World Final decided after Detroit pitch event

StartMidwest Secret VC Funds are the entry fee of venture capital

The Secret VC: Funds are the entry fee of Venture Capital. The Real Value is Reputation.

StartMidwest Milwaukee Northwestern Mutual opens 150 million Fintech Fund

Northwestern Mutual Announces $150 Million to Accelerate Fintech Innovation

The Operator Gap: What Midwest Startups Are Missing, and What We Can Do About It

StartMidwest Centro Madison gains 3 million from Ascendium Education Group

Centro in Madison Secures $3 million from Ascendium Education Group for Tech Hub

StartMidwest - Fundraising Q1 2026

Midwest startup funding Q1 2026: a record US quarter, but Midwest share shrinks

StartMidwest - VC Advice whether to raise funds or not - Allie Singer

A Midwest VC’s Guide: To raise or not, tis the question

Most University Innovations Aren’t Meant to Be Startups

The 2026 ‘State of Midwest Innovation Ecosystem’ report with Dealroom

StartMidwest - Sebastian Penix - Where is the Innovation Capital

Are We Evaluating Our Ecosystems? Or Just Counting Money?

Corn Rocket - StartMidwest - Inc Fastest Growing Companies Midwest

What Inc.’s fastest-growing Midwest companies list says about growth

StartMidwest - High Alpha - Midwest Founders Take Longer to Raise

Midwest Founders Raise Just as Well — But It Costs More to Get There

StartMidwest - MidwestHouse Pitch Competition

The invisible work powering SXSW: A first-timer’s perspective

StartMidwest - Moneyball in Minnesota by Ellie Piggott of Traction capital

Is Minnesota Primed for Moneyball Investing?

StartMidwest - Gaming in Wisconsin - Midwest Founders Community

Virtual Reality Gaming in Southeast Wisconsin

StartMidwest Mastercraft ventures from Wisconsin writes check for Voyager AI Fintech

Wisconsin’s Mastercraft Ventures writes first check for fintech Voyager AI

StartMidwest - SecretVC - Stop Celebrating Mediocrity

The Secret VC: Midwest Investors, stop celebrating mediocrity

StartMidwest ‘Significant moment’ for Midwest Innovation Ecosystem as Research Universities Open SF Outpost. Third Coast Foundry

‘Significant moment’ for Midwest Innovation Ecosystem as Research Universities Open SF Outpost.

StartMidwest Do Midwest Ecosystems have an Identity Problem?

Do Midwest Ecosystems have an Identity Problem?

StartMidwest - Straylight Capital - Michelle Erickson - the case for tech enabled services

Human-Powered Trust is the Real Moat: A Case for Tech-Enabled Services

StartMidwest Shine Technologies 240m Funding

Wisconsin startup SHINE Technologies Lands $240M

StartMidwest - Substrata - Data Center Cooling - Startup Wisconsin - Jacob Miller

How a UW-Madison Startup Is Rethinking Data Center Cooling

StartMidwest Founder Stories: Justin Turk of ConStrat AI

Founder Stories: Justin Turk of ConStrat AI

StartMidwest author Terry Howerton of TechNexus in Chicago suggests Where the Midwest Should Replicate Silicon Valley

Where the Midwest Should Replicate Silicon Valley

Midwest Moxie: Using sound waves to evaporate tumors - Histosonics

Where Is the Innovation Capital? Midwest Investors Must Catch Up to Their Founders

StartMidwest Realta Fusion Secures 9.5 Million Growth Capital from Silicon Valley Bank

Realta Fusion Secures $9.5 Million Growth Capital from SVB

John Deere announces new cohort of 2026 startup collaborators

The Secret VC The Secret VC: Exit Math Is Destiny - Midwest Funds and Mega Funds are playing different games

The Secret VC: Exit Math Is Destiny - Midwest Funds and Mega Funds are playing different games

Future in the Making: How AI is changing Manufacturing

Startup Wisconsin Podcast: How UW Milwaukee Turns Research Into Startups - Jessica Silvaggi, UWM Research Foundation

Startup Wisconsin Podcast: Jessica Silvaggi of UWM Research Foundation

Why More Midwest SaaS Companies Should Embrace Design Earlier

Why More Healthcare Professionals Should Be Building Startups

StartMidwest author Sebastian Penix talks about The Capital Delusion: Why Founders at Every Level Get Funding Wrong

The Capital Delusion: Why Founders at Every Level Get Funding Wrong

StartMidwest author Caroline Wolanin of Straylight Capital asks Should Founders Talk to Junior VCs? The Advice Is Right — and Also Wrong

Should Founders Talk to Junior VCs? The Advice Is Right — and Also Wrong

StartMidwest asks if The Midwest: the new Data-Center Heartland of America?

The Midwest: the new Data-Center Heartland of America?

StartMidwest CES 2026: the future of tech is now physical, industrial, and operational

CES 2026: the future of tech is now physical, industrial, and operational

StartMidwest The Secret VC: Stop Asking "Who Else Is In?”

The Secret VC: Stop Asking "Who Else Is In?”

The Boomerang VC: Ilana Habib on Midwest Grit, Patient Capital, and Building Bigger in Ohio

StartMidwest Midwest funding for Q4 2025

Midwest funding for Q4 2025

StartMidwest The Secret Founder: Hey Midwest VCs, please stop cosplaying Silicon Valley

The Secret Founder: Hey Midwest VCs, please stop cosplaying Silicon Valley

StartMidwest How Rapid Radicals Is Advancing Water Tech in the Midwest

How Rapid Radicals Is Advancing Water Tech in the Midwest

StartMidwest why Biotech company Fauna Bio set up in Oskosh Wisconsin

Why a Bay Area Biotech Company Set Up Shop in Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Midwest Startup investment was poor in 2025. Where to in 2026?

Wisconsin Startup News 2025: Year in Review

StartMidwest 2025 Midwest startup funding: Year in Review.

2025 Midwest startup funding: Year in Review.

StartMidwest Midwest Startup Founder Stories: Year in Review 2025

Midwest Startup Founder Stories: Year in Review 2025

StartMidwest The Cap Table for Founders: Guide to Equity, Control & Capital

The Cap Table for Founders: Guide to Equity, Control & Capital

StartMidwest How should leaders manage an accusation of inappropriate behavior?

How should leaders manage an accusation of inappropriate behavior?

StartMidwest author Mollie Kuramoto says Midwest Nice Isn’t a Bad Thing. But It’s Also Not Enough.

Midwest Nice Isn’t a Bad Thing. But It’s Also Not Enough.

StartMidwest Startup Wisconsin Podcast: Shantanu Singh of Obviate.ai

Startup Wisconsin Podcast: Shantanu Singh of Obviate.ai

StartMidwest Founder Stories: Charlie & Madeline of Intero Biosystems

Founder Stories: Charlie & Madeline of Intero Biosystems

StartMidwest Nebraska startup CompanyCam becomes first unicorn in that state after $415m round

Nebraska startup CompanyCam becomes first unicorn in that state after $415m round

StartMidwest Applications Open for 2026 US Women in Tech Accelerator

Applications Open for 2026 US Women in Tech Accelerator

Valency Fund: reimagining early-stage finance in Wisconsin

How Mike White and Secchi are helping redefine how real work happens

Founder Stories: Scott & Bryce of Midwest vs… the Rest?

StartMidwest author Madelyn Rutter of Technexus in Chicago explains that to Raise From a Midwest CVC provides a True Strategic Partner

Why Raise From a Midwest CVC? For a True Strategic Partner

StartMidwest Rockwell automation builds 2 billion Wisconsin Factory

Rockwell Automation to Build Wisconsin Factory in $2 Billion U.S. Expansion

StartMidwest The Secret VC: Why Hustle Culture Is Toxic AF

The Secret VC: Why Hustle Culture Is Toxic AF

StartMidwest Future in the Making Podcast with Chris Nolte Hidden Factories

Future in the Making: Hidden Factories

StartMidwest A New Transatlantic Bridge Launches During Global Entrepreneurship Week

A New Transatlantic Bridge Launches During Global Entrepreneurship Week

StartMidwest 2025 SaaS Benchmarks: Where the Midwest Is Winning (and Where It Lags)

2025 SaaS Benchmarks: Where the Midwest Is Winning (and Where It Lags)

StartMidwest The Secret Founder: How Ecosystems Fail (and what it means for all of us)

The Secret Founder: How Ecosystems Fail (and what it means for all of us)

Wisconsin Dairy Innovation Hub Publishes Sixth Annual Report

StartMidwest Nine years of Startup Wisconsin Week

Why We Keep Showing Up: Nine Years of Startup Wisconsin Week