Anna Lardinois

The Wisconsin Frontier Technology Consortium launched a new accelerator program aimed at supporting early-stage startups developing emerging technologies in Wisconsin. The new gBETA Frontier Technology accelerator is for startups working in advanced materials, advanced sensing, artificial intelligence, energy storage, intelligent systems, robotics, quantum computing and quantum sensing.

Many companies grow by expanding production, outsourcing operations, or relocating to reduce costs. But for more than four decades, Milwaukee manufacturer La Lune Collection has taken a different approach, building a national customer base while keeping production rooted in its Riverwest facility. Rather than scaling through volume, the specialty furniture maker has grown by serving a niche market, with pieces installed in homes, hotels, and commercial spaces across the country.

Milwaukee-based fintech startup Voyager AI has raised $500,000 in pre-seed funding led by Mastercraft Ventures to accelerate development of its artificial intelligence platform designed to streamline commercial lending for banks and credit unions. Voyager AI builds secure software that automates many of the most time-consuming parts of the lending process, including regulatory reviews, financial feasibility analysis and internal documentation.