UW-Green Bay unveils initiative to empower start-ups with global venture collaboration

GREEN BAY (WLUK) — A gamechanger for local entrepreneurs is coming to UW-Green Bay.

Gener8tor is bringing one of its accelerator programs to campus as local leaders believe the global venture firm will catalyze the growth of jobs and wealth in the area.

“Our job is to help them go from that concept to a working prototype, their first customers and their capital they may need to grow,” said Joe Kirgues, who co-founded gener8tor in southern Wisconsin 13 years ago.

Since it started, gener8tor has helped more than 1,500 startups create more than 12,943 jobs across 20 states and four countries. 62% of those companies have raised more than $250,000 in follow-on financing or have been acquired.

With help from Brown County, the state, and Associated Bank, UW-Green Bay’s foundation has raised $500,000 to start gener8tor’s gBETA program on campus.

“If you have that network of professionals who are mentoring you, the chances are you’re going to keep your company in that location and in that community,” said Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach.

UW-Green Bay’s gBETA program is a free, seven week, no equity accelerator that provides startups with concierge coaching, a network of mentors, customers and investors.

Matthew Kee went through gBETA in Beloit eight years ago.

“So in six to eight weeks I went from having virtually very little investors in my network to being able to pitch 20, 30, 40 investors across the country and across the Midwest,” said Kee.

Now, Kee manages Tundra Angels, a group of about 50 investors in Northeast Wisconsin that is excited to see what comes from gener8tor’s partnership with UW-Green Bay.

“It is one of these critical pieces that this ecosystem needs to really move innovation and move startup growth forward,” said Kee.

A goal is to get 30 to 50 startups through the gBETA program in the next three to five years.

The plan is to add gener8tor’s equity-based accelerator program to campus early next year.

It’s expected to cost $1 million per year for both programs to be on campus.

Kirgues says the framework is in place for a three to five-year commitment.

“For every dollar historically that the gBETA program has put out there, the graduates have been able to import about $25 or $25 of growth capital into their community,” said Kirgues. “So, they’ll meet a TitletownTech, but they’ll also be meeting 20 to 30 other venture funds that could be interested in investing in them to create more wealth and jobs here.”

Kirgues says TitletownTech is one of dozens of venture capital firms that have invested in graduates of gener8tor programs.

A cohort of five startups will begin the first gBETA UW-Green Bay program on October 28th.

Kirgues says that group will be focused on startups that can add wealth and jobs to the campus and broader community. He says future cohorts will likely focus more on the food and nutrition industry.

Some Wisconsin-based success stories from gener8tor’s programs include Xena Footwear – a footwear and clothing company for women in construction environments, Fork Farms – an indoor hydroponics company focused on the future of food accessibility, and EnsoData – a healthcare technology company that provides AI solutions related to sleep medicine.