News Stories | Economic & Business Development

Madison startup developing drugs based on bones, teeth has new WARF license

· Feb 19, 2020 ·

Located in University Research Park, Dianomi is developing pain medications and other drugs using mineral coated microparticles, which mimic properties in bones and teeth, to make drugs last longer and work more effectively.

The technology stems from research by Bill Murphy, a UW-Madison biomedical engineer who is the company’s co-founder and chief scientific officer. It is based in part on archaeological studies that showed proteins in fossils could remain stable for centuries if associated with calcium-based minerals.

Dianomi’s lead product is a biologic drug for osteoarthritis of the knee, and the company has also worked on a corticosteroid.

The company previously licensed its core technology, the mineral coated microparticles, from WARF, UW-Madison’s tech-transfer arm. The new license expands the technology’s use to nucleic acid therapy — using DNA or RNA, or related compounds, to modify or enhance the expression of desired genes.

The microparticle technology, in combination with nucleic acids, has demonstrated “favorable results” in lab and animal studies, the company said in a statement.

“This new suite of intellectual property expands the capability of Dianomi’s core technology into new indications and markets having significant commercial and clinical interest,” said Martin Ostrowski, chief operations officer and general counsel.

Dianomi said it intends to develop its own internal candidates while pursuing collaborative opportunities in a number of clinical indications, including cardiovascular, rheumatological, oncology, vaccines, regenerative medicine, neuromuscular and spinal degeneration, and general health and well-being.

Dianomi, 504 S. Rosa Road, has 11 employees and consultants. It is part of the Forward BIO Initiative, a collaboration of UW-Madison, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. and BioForward Wisconsin. Murphy is chair of the initiative and director of the Forward BIO Institute, established to advance the state’s bioscience and technology industry.

San Diego-based Ligand Pharmaceuticals said it is investing $3 million in Dianomi for a chance to collect 2 percent to 3 percent of royalties from sales of the Dianomi’s first five products approved for sale.

DATCP’s Farm Center Hosting ‘Unexpected Tomorrows’ Workshops

· Feb 19, 2020 ·

As part of its efforts to support farmers facing increased stress due to economic challenges, the Wisconsin Farm Center at the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is hosting a series of one-day workshops for farmers. These workshops will present opportunities for farmers to hear from others in similar situations as well as learn about stress management techniques and resources available to them. Called “Unexpected Tomorrows,” the workshops are designed to help Wisconsin farmers and their families deal with increased stress, depression, anxiety, and family issues brought on by prolonged downturn in the farming economy. These events will be similar to the Farm Couples Weekend Workshops hosted in partnership with UW-Extension, but are designed for individual farmers, not just couples. Six Unexpected Tomorrows workshops will be held throughout the state this spring and fall:

–March 12, Wausau

–March 26, Green Bay

–April 9, Beaver Dam

–April 16, Dodgeville

–November (dates to be determined), La Crosse and Chippewa Falls

Workshops run from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. There is no cost to attend, and breakfast, lunch and snacks will be provided. Registration is required. To register: workshops. Deadline is one week prior to each workshop. “Farming is a complicated and demanding business even in the best of times,” said Jayne Krull, Bureau Director of DATCP’s Agriculture and Farm Center. “Factor in several years of low milk and commodity prices, challenging weather, and international trade uncertainty, and it’s no surprise Wisconsin farmers are having a difficult time. We hope these workshops will help them connect with other farmers in similar situations, and come away with the knowledge that they are not alone.” The Unexpected Tomorrows workshops are part of a farmer mental health initiative funded through Governor Tony Evers’ 2019-21 biennial budget. Other parts of the initiative include:

–Weekend workshops for farm couples

–Free mental health counseling vouchers for farmers and their family members

–Training sessions and workshops for counselors and peer facilitators to help them better understand the stresses of farming

The Wisconsin Farm Center, part of DATCP’s Division of Agricultural Development, partners with industry groups, government and educational entities and stakeholders to provide services, information, and support to farmers and their families. Services include financial and business consultation, farm succession planning, counseling services, conflict mediation, and consultation related to production opportunities and challenges. For more information, contact the Farm Center at 1-800-942-2474.

5 Predictions That May Reshape Site Selection & Economic Development Strategies in the Next Decade

· Feb 18, 2020 ·

1. Logistics reimagined

From autonomous electric trucks to drone delivery, the logistics industry has major changes ahead over the next decade. The whole supply chain model is going to look a lot different which will have an impact on site selection and economic development strategies. The following summarizes some of the possible impacts:

Unskilled talent will decrease in importance – Automation within distribution centers will ease the pressure of attracting and retaining low-skilled talent. It will also allow distribution centers to locate in higher-cost labor markets, closer to consumers and locations with a less desirable business climates due to taxes, minimum wages, etc.
Increased capital investment – Capital investment to set up a distribution center will increase as automation will drive up the capital investment which in turn will create more tax revenues on equipment as well as drive the need for economic incentives such as tax abatements and credits.
Multistory distribution centers – Amazon is pioneering the multistory distribution center as it expands into urban areas so it can be closer to customers. These facilities will be more expensive to build but require less land. It will create a whole new dynamic for real estate developers and investors.

2. Exponential technological advances

Technological advances in automation, 3D printing, artificial intelligence and driverless transportation will infiltrate multiple industries and create massive changes in site selection strategies and workforce needs. Some possible changes include:

Increased manufacturing reshoring – The manufacturing industry may soon see an even greater domestic resurgence as automation, 3D printing and artificial intelligence will minimize the need for semi-skilled workers and enable companies to dramatically reduce logistics costs by shifting manufacturing back to the U.S. Obviously, there are some products that this trend may not apply to due to source materials or a global customer base. If this happens, then we could see massive capital investments in these facilities which may begin to cluster into the larger metro areas to take advantage of accessing their customer bases more directly.
Declining growth of offshore and nearshore call centers – Call centers will be impacted by automation and artificial intelligence. Automation has already been reducing call volume in the industry while artificial intelligence for call centers is in its very early stages. The impact of these technological advances could rattle the offshore and nearshore call center markets. Companies have historically offshored their easy and less complicated calls while onshoring the more complex, higher-level calls. The end result could diminish the offshore markets and push higher paying call center and back office jobs into the U.S. and Canada where the highest quality of workers can be found.

3. 5G will be an enabler
The roll-out of 5G networks across the U.S. is going to dramatically change how we do everything including how we build things, how we deliver them and where we store our data. It will be the backbone that will enable automation and artificial intelligence to really take hold. Some of the effects include:

Smart manufacturing and distribution – 5G will allow manufacturers to design, build and deliver a true just-in-time model. The impact will be similar to automation and artificial intelligence which will change site selection strategies, increase capital investment in facilities and change overall facility design of manufacturing plants and distribution centers.
Drastic changes in transportation – Autonomous cars, trucks, buses, boats and planes are coming fast. 5G will enable these modes of transportation to be safely rolled into reality. Companies will require less parking at their buildings, high demand occupations like truck drivers will no longer be needed, and future commercial real estate development will need minimal parking. In addition, this could also be the future solution to the national truck driver shortage problem.
Edge data centers – Edge data centers that support cloud applications allow data to be processed as close to the source as possible. Because it doesn’t travel as far, it can be processed much faster, making things like autonomous vehicles safer to drive. 5G will provide high speed, low latency data transmission that will enable edge data centers to support anything from smart cities and factories to retailers for real-time analytics. The ultimate impact will create plenty of opportunities for future capital investment in large and small data centers across all metro areas of the U.S., not just the typical top 10 data center cities.

4. Economic incentive transparency
The regulatory environment for economic incentives issued by economic development organizations to companies and real estate developers has slowly become more sophisticated over the last decade. The c-suite and media have really latched onto economic incentives now so it is only natural that more transparency will be required in the future.

Roll-Out of GASB 77 – The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement No. 77 could be expanding in interpretation to encompass state and local governments to disclose key information about their economic incentives that have not been consistently or comprehensively available before. The release of this economic incentive data and the company receiving them will create a whole new level of accountability which will require economic incentive software management platforms like IncenTrak which was developed by Site Selection Group.
SEC reporting requirements – The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), via proposed Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2015-340, Government Assistance (Topic 832): Disclosures by Business Entities About Government Assistance in November 2015, is also likely to require publicly traded companies to disclose economic incentives they are receiving from governmental bodies. This means companies will have to report on their financial statements how much they are receiving from tax abatements, tax credits, training grants, sales tax abatements, training grants and other related programs. This will create more transparency to shareholders, but also make companies more focused on compliance.

5. Low and slow economic growth
If anything, we learned over the last decade what prolonged, slow economic growth looks and feels like. It is likely there will be much of the same with a few light recessions along the way. The following summarizes some of the good and bad things that might happen:

Moderate economic growth – It is projected that the growth rate of the U.S. economy will be around 1.7% through 2029, according to the Federal Reserve. This may be due to the expectation that the labor force will grow slower than in past years. This isn’t great news but it sure isn’t bad news.
Healthcare focused economy – Healthcare costs will continue to increase which will continue to put a strain on workers and make it more important for employers to try and help. The healthcare engine will in turn continue to create and deliver new services and products that will drive growth in the medical device manufacturing sector, call centers supporting the industry, and continued growth in medical office building development to keep up with demand.
Peaking oil demand – It is projected by the U.S. Energy Information Administration that oil demand will peak around 2027 and remain at that level through 2040. Oil prices will reach $90-100 per barrel which will only create more demand for electric vehicles and more mass transportation. The demand will only support the growth of the production of electric vehicles.
Stable site selection activity – We should see a steadier economy which should equate to a steady supply of new projects fueled by many of the items outlined above including new manufacturing plants, distribution centers, call centers, data centers and other corporate facilities.

Conclusions

Predicting the future is not a science but it’s definitely interesting to think about what our world might look in the next 10 years and how it might impact site selection and economic development. Hopefully, you will find this glimpse of the future compelling and find a way to plan for your next site selection project.

*From Site Selection Group

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Ideadvance Seed Fund opens 11th round of funding to small businesses with UW System ties

· Feb 11, 2020 ·

Ideadvance Seed Fund encourages small businesses looking to solve problems in new ways and diversify into new markets to apply this spring.

This is the 11^th round of money and mentorship available to UW System alumni, students, faculty and staff.

Especially in demand are applications from food technology, agriculture technology and agriculture manufacturing.

The Ideadvance program fosters teams that want to advance a scalable, profitable business model. Grant dollars are earned after demonstrating key learnings toward commercialization goals. Awardees are supported by a teaching team, mentors and the program manager as they work through the Ideadvance Lean Startup program.

Last year’s awards went to a range of ideas, from an all-natural solution to pet aggression and anxiety to an Uber-like marketplace for remote notarization.

The deadline to apply is April 17. Diverse teams from all parts of Wisconsin are invited to connect early with New Idea Concierge Idella Yamben (uwideadvance@uwex.edu or 608-263-3315) to take advantage of resources that can guide them through the application process. An introductory YouTube video is also available.

At this time, teams consisting of only UW-Madison founders are not able to apply. However, hybrid teams with founders that include key members from eligible UW System schools are welcome to compete.

Ideadvance, launched in 2014, has awarded grants to 64 Stage 1 teams and 21 Stage 2 teams, totaling $2.3 million in funding disbursements. Stage 1, with funding up to $25,000, focuses on achieving commercialization milestones to reduce risk and determine need in the marketplace to solve a problem. Stage 2, with follow-on funding up to $50,000, helps a select few to advance their business models to deliver customer solutions and attract investors.

“The Investment Committee has made this program widely available to alumni from eligible schools. As demonstrated through examples like RCI Engineering of Mayville, which used the program to explore options in the public sector, Ideadvance is a unique seed fund available to a range of Wisconsin problem-solvers, including small business intrapreneurs seeking new competitive opportunities,” Yamben said.

UW-Milwaukee alumna Lindsey Roddy of RoddyMedical LLC found value in Ideadvance because her business can change lives faster than what she could do in her health practice.

“My colleague calculated that it would have taken 250 years in her nursing practice to touch as many patients as she had encountered with her business in just one year,” Roddy said.

Awards are determined by an Investment Committee with representatives from UW System, WiSys Technology Foundation, the Center for Technology Commercialization, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and an entrepreneur affiliated with an eligible UW campus. The committee selects proposals with a compelling case for a significant solution to a market problem and a dedicated team focused on learning about risks to their business model. The committee also focuses on the skills and preparedness of the team.

Although high-tech ideas are welcome, entrepreneurs do not need to present a biotech or information technology. The types of eligible businesses are very broad, including ideas in agriculture, manufacturing, music production, textiles, art or business. The main restrictions are that the business cannot be in real estate, direct consumer retail or hospitality, including restaurants.

Ideadvance is part of WEDC’s effort to expand collaboration with the UW System, business leaders and others throughout the state. Through their special S3 initiative, WEDC is removing commercialization barriers by providing financial and operational assistance for business startup and seed-funding challenges.

“Ideadvance is an exciting way to encourage innovation and facilitate connections between the academic and business worlds,” said WEDC Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes. “It provides an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to develop the knowledge base they need to bring their ideas to market while offering businesses new insights into the research and training that’s being done throughout the University of Wisconsin System. We’re pleased that WEDC can be part of this important program.”

To apply, go to http://uwideadvance.org.

Nika Nour to Endnote 3rd M+DEV Conference

· Jan 29, 2020 ·

The International Game Developers Association Foundation executive director joins previously announced keynote, freelance producer Felix Kramer.

The Wisconsin Games Alliance (WGA) and the Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadREP) announced Nika Nour, the executive director for the International Game Developers Association Foundation (IGDAF) and Bravo Spy Games reality TV contestant will be addressing the Third M+Dev Conference in Madison on February 14, 2020. The conference expects to attract hundreds of game developers from across the Midwest to the Alliant Energy Center.

The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) is the world’s largest organization serving individuals who create games and its foundation, IGDAF, is dedicated to forging new paths on diversity and inclusion in games. “Diversity and inclusion efforts are critical to ensuring the growth and success of video game developers, players and businesses, said Nour. “The industry can do more to support women, minorities, LGBTQ, accessibility needs and underserved communities, and the IGDA Foundation’s work would be incomplete if we didn’t focus on the whole inclusivity pipeline.”

“Building a bridge between WGA and industry organizations as important as IGDA and IGDAF is vital to support our ever-growing Midwest game development industry,” said WGA President Brian Pelletier. “We’re thrilled to feature both an industry thought leader and major player in indie game development in our slate of speakers for M+DEV 2020.”

Nour is also currently featured on Bravo TV’s Spy Games, a show featuring 10 contestants living together in a large house and attempting to gather intel on their fellow players while competing in challenges designed by three former spies, alumni of the CIA, Secret Service, and FBI. Players will be eliminated until one remains to claim a $100,000 prize.

“The Madison Region continues to garner attention nationally and internationally as a growing hub for game development. M+DEV is an important tool to build community and raise awareness about the importance of this sector,” said MadREP President Paul Jadin. MadREP, the Region’s economic development organization, supported development of the Wisconsin Games Alliance.

Joining Nour as a plenary speaker is Felix Kramer, a freelance producer, PR, and business developer who has collaborated with indies and small publishers for the past nine years. They work from their home in Canada with teams all over the world, with the goal of making business and production in indie more accessible and available to small teams. Currently they work with Finji (Overland, TUNIC), Shedworks (Sable), Panic (Untitled Goose Game), and Polytron (FEZ). Past collaborations include Night School (Oxenfree), Chance Agency (Neo Cab), and Iron Galaxy (Videoball, Capsule Force).

Game developers for all platforms are welcome as well as creators of board games and card games. For those interested in getting involved, opportunities are available to sponsor, volunteer and more. Tickets are available for pre-sale and at the door. Learn more at mdevconf.com. Questions about Spy Games should be directed to Paria Sadighi at Kinetic Content [310.883.7240 | 818.621.4257 | psadighi@kineticcontent.com].

Madison RegionEconomic Partnership

Madison Region
Economic Partnership