53 entries advance to next round in Wisconsin Governor’s Biz Plan Contest

53 entries advance to next round in Wisconsin Governor’s Biz Plan Contest

BizPlanContest-620x350Fifty-three entries from 23 communities have advanced to the semi-final round of the 13th annual Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest, contest producers announced Monday.

The contestants were selected from a field of 206 qualified first-round entries by an independent panel of about 100 judges organized through the Wisconsin Technology Council and its programs, the Wisconsin Innovation Network and the Wisconsin Angel Network.

The semi-finalists reflect the diversity of Wisconsin’s economy and are spread among four broad categories: advanced manufacturing (14), business services (12), information technology (13) and life sciences (14).

Water technologies, health information technologies, software solutions, agriculture, products and processes for manufacturing, and medical devices and treatments were sectors that drew a number of entries. The contest also attracted entries focused on innovations in fishing, fitness and music.

“Trends reflected in the top 53 entries match up well with Wisconsin’s traditional and emerging strengths,” said Toni Sikes, chairwoman of the Tech Council and co-founder of CODAworx. “Good ideas come from all high-growth sectors of the economy.”

The 53 entries competing in Phase 2 of the contest will write 1,000-word executive summaries. Each summary describes the core product or service, defines the customer base, estimates the size of the market, identifies competition, lists members of the management team and provides key financial data.

Once Phase 2 judging is complete in early April, the 53 entries may be made available for inspection by accredited investors through the Wisconsin Angel Network, which has about two-dozen angel networks, early stage funds or corporate strategic partners. About two-dozen plans will move on to Phase 3, in which contestants will write a full 15- to 20-page business plan.

The top dozen contestants will give live presentations at the annual Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference on June 7 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. Category winners, as well as the 2016 Grand Prize Winner, will be announced during the BPC Awards Luncheon on June 8.

Sponsors are contributing cash, office space, legal assistance, accounting, marketing, web development, prototyping and more. About $2 million in cash and in-kind prizes have been awarded since the inception of the contest. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. is a major sponsor.

Additional lead sponsors of the 2016 contest thus far include American Family Insurance; American Transmission Co.; Ascendancy Advisors; AT&T; Pieper Properties; Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren; SCORE Wisconsin; University Research Park; and Whitewater University Technology Park. Associate sponsors include 100state; Cresa Madison; Kollath CPA; Makin’ HEY Communications; Midwest Prototyping; Murphy Desmond; Neider & Boucher; and Smith & Gesteland. Additional sponsors are Aberdean Consulting; BizStarts; EZ Office Supplies; Fine Point Consulting; Madison Gas & Electric; PowerBuy 4 You; Red Arrow Production; UW-Madison Office of Corporate Relations; and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.

Click Here for the full list of semi-finalists in the 2016 contest.