— After winning this year’s Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest, SixLine Semiconductor CEO Katy Jinkins is focused on proving the company’s technology and building industry relationships.
This Middleton-based company is developing advanced electronics components using carbon nanotubes — very small materials that can be incorporated into wireless devices and used for next-generation computing.
Jinkins, the company’s co-founder and co-inventor of the technology, beat out a dozen other finalists during the recent Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference in Milwaukee, hosted by the Wisconsin Technology Council. In an interview yesterday, she said the most helpful part of the experience was getting feedback from the judges through multiple rounds of the competition.
“I think it was just a really great platform and way to bring more awareness to carbon nanotubes and carbon nanotube electronics, but also just to the really high-quality research and technology that’s being developed in Wisconsin,” she told WisBusiness.com.
Going forward, Jinkins said she’ll be working on strengthening and establishing more relationships with big companies in this field. The business is currently finalizing two evaluation contracts with two of those companies, she said, and seeking feedback from potential customers.
Meanwhile, SixLine Semiconductor is raising a pre-seed funding round targeting between $750,000 and $1 million. The business has already raised $475,000, Jinkins said.
“That funding will be very vital in allowing us to hire people outside of this core team that’s really been involved since the beginning,” she said, adding the company is looking to establish a facility of its own and demonstrate the “reliability and uniformity of electronic devices based on nanotubes” at larger industry scales.
She also praised the entire team at SixLine Semiconductor, emphasizing the key role they’ve played in both the competition and in growing the company.
“We have a really strong team, and I’m just really excited to be able to work with such great people, to continue moving forward our vision of commercialized nanotube-based electronics,” she said.
See more on the competition here: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2023/sixline-semiconductor-wins-2023-govs-biz-plan-contest/
See more on the company: https://www.sixlinesemi.com/
— In the latest episode of “WisBusiness.com: The Show,” Troy Tesmer of Soul Mobility talks about the young company’s category winning entry in the 2023 Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest.
Soul Mobility won the Life Sciences category with its system for quickly converting a conventional wheelchair to a power wheelchair.
“The design allows your manual wheelchair frame — which becomes really a prosthetic of your body — to be maintained,” Tesmer said. “And by removing the rear wheels, you click it into the power base, and with three attachment points, no tools and under 30 seconds, you can convert your manual chair into a power chair.”
Because the technology doesn’t take up any extra space, he noted users don’t need to change their home or lifestyle to accommodate it.
The show also previews upcoming Wisconsin Technology Council events.
Watch the show here: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2023/wisbusiness-the-show-with-troy-tesmer-of-soul-mobility/
— This week’s episode of “WisBusiness: the Podcast” is with Dayne Rusch, a Green Bay-area entrepreneur who launched startup companies Vyper Industrial and Vyper Energy.
Vyper Industrial makes chairs for industrial shop environments and other customers. Since getting into the chair business in 2020, the 27-year-old entrepreneur has sold more than 20,000 chairs to high-profile customers including auto designer Chip Foose and comedian Jay Leno.
Building on the success of that venture, Rusch launched Vyper Energy to develop and sell a healthier alternative to energy drinks on the market. As a Type 1 diabetic, he wanted to provide an alternative to existing sugar-free products that were spiking his blood sugar due to sweetening additives.
After hiring a nutritionist and developing the recipe over a year, the company finished production this week. Rusch says the target market for the drink includes health- and fitness-oriented consumers as well as adventure sports like motocross and snowboarding.
“The future ahead is just expanding the team man. We have two awesome companies here — Vyper Energy and Vyper Industrial — and they both make the best products on the market,” he said. “And we want to build jobs here in the Green Bay, Appleton area, and be that really cool brand that people want to associate with around here.”
Listen to the podcast here: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2023/wisbusiness-the-podcast-with-dayne-rusch-vyper-industrial-and-vyper-energy/
See the full list of WisBusiness podcasts: https://www.wisbusiness.com/category/podcast/
— The Assembly State Affairs Committee has approved a bill to overhaul Wisconsin’s three-tiered alcohol industry and create a new Division of Alcohol Beverages despite wedding barn regulations remaining a contentious issue.
Rep. Marisabel Cabrera, D-Milwaukee, was the only no vote in committee as it was approved 13-1, and she indicated it may win her support later. She argued AB 304 needs some more tweaking to make sure the Department of Revenue gets what it needs to establish the new division.
DOR Secretary Peter Barca testified earlier this week the agency would like more funding and positions to staff the new division.
“I’m not saying that I will vote no on the floor,” Cabrera said. “But I think that there’s still a little bit more tweaking that could be done just based on feedback that I have received.”
The legislation would require wedding barns to obtain a Class B liquor license if they hold more than six events per year.
The Wisconsin Farm Bureau is the only lobbying group registered against the bill. Those backing it include Molson Coors Beverage Company USA LLC, New Glarus Brewing Company, Wisconsin Grocers Association and the Tavern League of Wisconsin.
Most wedding barns currently do not touch the alcohol sales part of the event business, instead contracting with outside vendors that bring everything needed to serve drinks. Some wedding barn owners have said requiring them to get liquor licenses would put them out of business.
Chair Rob Swearingen, R-Rhinelander, stressed the importance of regulating wedding barns, arguing the lack of business hours regulations and license requirements makes them “the Wild West.”
“We are talking about beverage alcohol,” he said. “We are not talking about chocolate milk. Alcohol is regulated, it’s regulated all over the state, it’s regulated over the nation, and it needs to be regulated. Wedding barns, in my opinion, are the Wild West.”
See more at WisPolitics.com: https://www.wispolitics.com/2023/thu-pm-update-assembly-committee-signs-off-on-reading-alcohol-bills
— State unemployment remained at the record-low rate of 2.4 percent in May, according to the latest figures from the Department of Workforce Development.
That’s unchanged from the rate in April, when unemployment dipped to 2.4 percent for the first time. Wisconsin’s rate is below the U.S. unemployment rate of 3.7 percent for May, DWD reports.
Meanwhile, the state’s labor force participation rate rose from 64.8 percent to 65.1 percent over the month. The U.S. unemployment held at 62.6 percent.
See the release: https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/press/unemployment/2023/230615-may-state.pdf
<br><b><i>Top headlines from the Health Care Report…</b></i>
— Researchers at UW-Madison have developed a new gene editing method for treating patients with Pompe disease, a type of inherited genetic condition.
<i>For more of the most relevant news on COVID-19, reports on groundbreaking health research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com.</i>
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#TOP STORIES#
# Public Service Commission of Wisconsin looks into possible low-income assistance programs
# Madison startup gains federal backing to continue nuclear fusion research
# VISIT Milwaukee names new board chair
#TOPICS#
# AGRIBUSINESS
– What does this flash drought mean for our crops?
http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=595&yr=2023
– Wisconsin Farm Bureau sets 2023 farm bill priorities
http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=599&yr=2023
# CONSTRUCTION
– Alleged health risks spark class-action lawsuit against Community Within the Corridor developer
– Subcontractor critically injured after being trapped at Lambeau Field construction site
# ECONOMY
– Legislature passes bill aimed at averting Milwaukee financial crisis, lifting aid to local governments
# EDUCATION
– MMSD board takes leap of faith with 8% wage increase
# ENVIRONMENT
– ‘We cannot wait any longer’: Milwaukee close to adopting climate and equity plan
# HEALTH CARE
– Serenity Inns to construct 14-bed treatment facility
# LEGAL
– Walworth company sues owner of Illinois firms following purchase agreement dispute
# POLITICS
– Wisconsin lawmakers send sweeping shared revenue overhaul to Gov. Tony Evers
– Proposals aimed at addressing Wisconsin’s housing shortage pass out of Assembly
– Wisconsin legislators approve shared revenue bill, school choice bills
# REAL ESTATE
– Wisconsin needs housing. Activists, legislators say it should be easier to build.
– 576-unit Bay View housing development set for summer construction start
# RETAIL
– David’s Bridal leases in Wisconsin available for purchase
# TECHNOLOGY
– Milky Way Tech Hub, Latinos in Tech taking over Milwaukee Tech Week
# PRESS RELEASES
<i>See these and other press releases:
https://www.wisbusiness.com/press-releases/ </i>
