Laura Strong has spent 25+ years navigating the intersection of science, startups, and capital. Chemistry PhD → biotech executive → health tech operator → fund manager.
Along the way, she kept seeing the same problem: Great Wisconsin companies that didn't fit the traditional venture model.
In this episode of the Startup Wisconsin Podcast, Laura breaks down why not every good business should raise venture capital, how Valency Fund's alternative financing models work, and what founders misunderstand about equity investment. Plus: why Wisconsin exits take 15 years and what that means for your fundraising strategy.
Episode Topics
Why venture capital math doesn't work for most Wisconsin companies
Alternative financing: revenue-based financing, redeemable equity, structured exits
The research behind Wisconsin's extended exit timelines
How to match your capital type to your business model
Madison's startup ecosystem dynamics
What founders get wrong about raising money
Manufacturing and agribusiness opportunities in Wisconsin
Your Laptop Isn't a Bop-It January 8, 6:30 PM [Madison] A presentation for software developers on building a keyboard-centric workflow using Vim, tmux, and tiling WMs to boost productivity. Geoff Cureton is a physicist, data engineer and python developer at the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Optimizing AI for Sustainability January 12, 6:00 PM [Madison] A session for AI developers/teams on sustainable AI; learn a three-pillar framework (energy infra, model optimization, frugality) to cut AI energy use. Sowjanya is currently an AI Infrastructure manager at Amazon.
MadJS Monthly Meetup: Roundtable Discussion January 12, 6:15 PM [Madison] Continuing with our happy hour format for a while. Just a handful of JS developers talking about what they're working on and what new frameworks and tools catch their interest.
Market Smarter with AI: Strategies for Modern Entrepreneurs January 13, 12:00 PM [Madison] Curious how AI can make marketing your business easier and more effective? Jump into this hands-on session with Eagan Heath, experienced digital marketing agency owner, as he shares breakthrough ways entrepreneurs and marketers can use AI capabilities to target their customers and create tailored ad campaigns that drive results.
January Code + Brews January 14, 5:00 PM [Milwaukee] This gathering is designed to foster connections within our local tech community. Whether you are a seasoned professional, a hobbyist, or just getting your feet wet in the world of coding, there's a place for you here.
Madison's Geek Lunch January 20, 11:45 AM [Madison] If you've never been to a Geek Lunch, it's an engaging conversation with your geekiest friends, where the topic bounces around depending on whatever anyone wants to contribute. All are welcome regardless of where you lie on any imaginary geek scale. Think "The Algonquin Round Table" with an emphasis on tech.
Sip & Sync in Appleton January 21, 8:30 AM [Appleton] Join us for Sip & Sync - your casual networking meetup where meaningful connections happen over complimentary coffee. Drop in for relaxed conversations, share insights, or simply enjoy meeting fellow WiT members and friends in a laid-back atmosphere.
StartingBlock's Her Network January 21, 9:00 AM [Madison] Join us every 3rd Wednesday to connect with other women founders and entrepreneurs!
Lead & Invest:Empowering Ideas, Creating Impact Thru VC & Angel Investing January 21, 5:30 PM [Milwaukee] Get ready to dive into the world of venture capital and angel investing! Join us in person to connect, learn, and grow your network with fellow innovators and investors. Whether you're new or seasoned, this event is all about empowering ideas and making real impact. Come be part of the movement where bold ideas meet smart investments!
Small Business Clinic January 22, 9:00 AM [Fond du Lac] Practical support and expert advice for entrepreneurs at every stage—from aspiring founders validating ideas to established businesses seeking guidance on growth, marketing, operations, and one-on-one support to overcome challenges.
StartingBlock's Lunch with a Founder featuring Ankit Agarwal January 22, 12:00 PM [Madison] We're kicking off 2026 with a local founder who's changing the standard of care in wound treatment. This is a chance to hear directly from a founder who's navigated the complex intersection of medical device development, FDA approval, manufacturing scale-up, and commercialization—all while building a company right here in the Madison area.
Video Storytelling: Transform Your Business with Engagement January 27, 12:00 PM [Madison] Few things resonate as deeply as a good story. In this creative session with visual storyteller Dan LaCloche of The DLC Effect, we’ll explore simple, yet impactful video storytelling techniques that can help your business break through the clutter to connect with customers and drive engagement for your brand.
Accountability Group at StartingBlock January 28, 9:00 AM [Madison] Join us for Accountability Group! Happening every 4th Wednesday of the month, we'll gather on the 3rd floor in the Cafe to share our goals for the upcoming month, check in on KPIs and review monthly progress, problem solve hurdles that may arise, and hold each other accountable.
UW-Green Bay Pre-Accelerator Showcase January 28, 5:30 PM [Green Bay] Join us for the 2025 UW-Green Bay Pre-Accelerator Showcase, a celebration of innovation, entrepreneurship, and regional impact. This event will feature remarks from Chancellor Michael Alexander of the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, who will share his vision for supporting founders and strengthening the entrepreneurial ecosystem in NE WI.
AI Coding Tools Demo Night January 29, 6:00 PM [Madison] Over the course of two hours, 3–4 presenters will each use a different AI-assisted coding tool—Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code, Gemini, Codex, etc—to build the same small app from scratch in about 20 minutes each, from first prompt all the way through deployment.
February Events
Women in Biohealth: Networking Happy Hour February 5, 5:00 PM [Madison] Whether you’re early in your career, deep into leadership, exploring a transition, or just looking to expand your circle, you’re welcome here. Come solo or bring a friend. Grab a drink, find a seat, and jump into conversation at your own pace.
February Code & Coffee February 7, 9:00 AM [Milwaukee] This gathering is designed to foster connections within our local tech community. Whether you are a seasoned professional, a hobbyist, or just getting your feet wet in the world of coding, there's a place for you here.
MadJS Monthly Meetup: Roundtable Discussion February 9, 6:15 PM [Madison] Continuing with our happy hour format for a while. Just a handful of JS developers talking about what they're working on and what new frameworks and tools catch their interest.
February Code + Brews February 11, 5:30 PM [Milwaukee] This gathering is designed to foster connections within our local tech community. Whether you are a seasoned professional, a hobbyist, or just getting your feet wet in the world of coding, there's a place for you here.
Madison's Geek Lunch February 17, 11:45 AM [Madison] If you've never been to a Geek Lunch, it's an engaging conversation with your geekiest friends, where the topic bounces around depending on whatever anyone wants to contribute. All are welcome regardless of where you lie on any imaginary geek scale. Think "The Algonquin Round Table" with an emphasis on tech.
SaaS Club: Manufacturing + Frontline Innovation Showcase February 24, 3:00 PM [Milwaukee] This installment spotlights innovative startups reimagining manufacturing operations and frontline work, from AI-enabled connected worker tools and real-time guidance platforms to predictive maintenance and frontline workforce optimization.
THAT AI Code Jam February 28, 10:00 AM [Madison] Join us for a day of augmented development and prompt engineering. Whether you are looking to accelerate a side project, learn the nuances of LLMs, or just see how fast you can break an agent, this is your space. This is a 5-hour collaborative working session designed to get you out of "tutorial hell" and into building mode with the help of AI.
The Northwestern Mutual Accelerator™ Powered by gener8tor invests in five high-growth startups per cohort, focusing on those innovating in financial products, client experience, digital health, or transformational technologies. Selected teams will receive a $100,000 investment directly into the current round (if raising) or uncapped convertible bridge note to be converted into the next round (if not currently raising).
StartingBlock's Level Set program is an intense 6 week program designed to help you build and validate a business model. Offered 6x per year, we help you explore the pros and cons of different business models, model revenue and get real world feedback on your ideas.
FOR-M is your first step to creating a tech startup company in Milwaukee. Solidify the startup idea that’s been bouncing around in your head and understand your next steps. This program is limited to 25 founders and will begin accepting folks immediately…so apply soon!
gener8tor Madison invests in six high-growth startups per cohort. This is an industry-agnostic and business model-agnostic program. We accept ALL types of startups across ALL industries and business models.
Two Local Companies Receive SBIR Advance Funds Two Madison-area businesses will receive an SBIR Advance grant, the Center for Technology Commercialization and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation announced.
Milwaukee Investor Appointed as New WEDC Secretary John W. Miller, Milwaukee venture capitalist and Democrat, will lead Wisconsin's economic development agency starting Dec. 15, replacing Missy Hughes.
Qolab's Device Deployed by IQCC Qolab announced recently that its superconducting qubit device has been deployed by the Israeli Quantum Computing Center (IQCC), the first facility in the region.
WARF Awards $200K to Animal Health Projects The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) and Zoetis have awarded $200,000 in funding to six University of Wisconsin research projects.
Qolab Partners with Western Digital Qolab announced today a strategic investment from Western Digital, a manufacturer of hard disk drives.
MadREP Ceases Ops, Transfers to Madison Chamber The Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadREP) is transferring its regional economic development responsibilities to the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce.
Wisconsin VC Funding for November 2025 According to PitchBook, Wisconsin startups raised at least $15.43 million in disclosed funding in November 2025.
2025 Highlights from the Startup Ecosystem 2025 was marked by steady, strategic progress for the Milwaukee 7 startup community as institutions, founders and industry partners worked together to expand opportunity.
Cellectar, Ionetix to Partner Cellectar Biosciences announced today a multi-year supply agreement with Ionetix Corporation, a full-service radioisotope manufacturer.
Promega Study Advances Precision Medicine Promega, alongside several research institutions, announced recently the publication of a new study in Nature Communications, highlighting technological advances.
BrainXell Sees Progress Toward Parkinson's Disease BrainXell Therapeutics announced recently preclinical data demonstrating the efficacy of its neuronal therapy called BXT-110 as a potential disease-modifying treatment.
SHINE Acquires Lantheus' SPECT Business SHINE Technologies announced recently that it acquired Lantheus' SPECT business, which includes the SPECT manufacturing facility in Massachusetts.
Episode 11 now available! Ep 11 - Laura Strong, Founder & CEO of Valency Fund Funding Alternatives and Growth Capital for Wisconsin Startups Laura Strong has spent 25+ years navigating the intersection of science, startups, and capital. Chemistry PhD → biotech executive → health tech operator → fund manager. Along the way, she kept seeing the same problem: great Wisconsin companies that didn't fit the traditional venture model. In this episode of the Startup Wisconsin Podcast, Laura breaks...
Startup Wisconsin is organized by Headway, a digital product agency based in Green Bay, WI. Powered by our state sponsors, Nicolet National Bank and gener8tor. Hey folks! Andrew and I wanted to take a moment to just say, thank you. It means the world to us that you read this newsletter, listen to our podcast, give us feedback, or support us in any way. As we learn to find the best way to serve startup founders, teams, and innovators across our state, we couldn't do it without you. Can't wait...
Episode 10 now available! Ep 10 - Building Autonomous AI for Legal Contract Review Shantanu Singh, Co-Founder, CEO of Obviate.ai Building Autonomous AI for Legal Contract Review Shantanu Singh didn't follow a straight path to becoming a founder. Cell biology researcher → prosecutor → AI startup co-founder. But every "dot" he dropped along the way prepared him for this moment. When ChatGPT launched, it felt like discovering fire. In this episode of the Startup Wisconsin Podcast, Shantanu...