Janesville incubator set to help small businesses
Excerpted from Janesville Gazette
By Marcia Nelesen
Biotech company Virent, now thriving in a 72,000-square-foot facility, got its start in a 600-square-foot cubicle at a Madison business incubator.
NeuWave Medical started with office space in the same Madison incubator with a handful of engineers. It, too, has moved out and employs about 35.
The people who started Sologear, a company that makes ethanol-based fuel for grilling, started in the Madison incubator, as well, and grew into a space of 30,000 square feet. The company later sold the technology to BIC.
Mike Mathews, president of Economic Growth Advisors of Middleton and Janesville’s consultant for its new incubator, spoke about the Madison success stories when asked about the future of the Janesville Innovation Center , which is set to open in January.
The Janesville building features natural light, a good location and lots of parking on the city’s south side near Interstate 90/39. It provides flexible office and manufacturing space.
Its goal is to help launch new businesses, said Vic Grassman, the city’s director of economic development. Companies that leave incubators tend to stay in the areas where they grew, Mathews said. That’s where the companies typically have their work forces and supplies.
