MILWAUKEE – Greg Robinson, the manager of the new $30 million 4490 Ventures fund, will discuss his Silicon Valley background and the unique opportunity he sees in Wisconsin companies during the Aug. 14 Wisconsin Innovation Network meeting in Wauwatosa.
Robinson, who spent 12 years in San Francisco’s venture capital world before coming to Wisconsin, was recently named the managing director of 4490, a fund established by the State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB) and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF). The fund is primarily focused on backing promising software startups in Wisconsin.
The luncheon will take place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 10499 Innovation Drive, Wauwatosa. Registration and networking begins at 11:30 a.m., lunch at 12 p.m. and the presentation at 12:15 p.m. The cost is $10 for students, $25 for WIN members and Milwaukee County Research Park tenants, $35 for non-members and included with WIN corporate memberships. Register here: www.wisconsintechnologycouncil.com.
4490, which was formed in early 2013, will have a statewide focus on IT companies with a business-to-business market focus. Robinson, an Arizona native, previously was a partner at Peninsula Ventures in Redwood City, Calif. and also co-founded a software company, Cogent Technologies, which was acquired in 1998.
“We’re excited to hear more about 4490, which is bringing not only capital but also experienced mentorship and connections to the state with Greg at the helm,” said Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council, which produces WIN events statewide.
The first of the Madison-based firm’s funds, which Robinson hopes to grow into successive funds as an established source of capital for state startups, will invest in 12 to 20 companies over a three-year period.
WIN-Milwaukee meetings are held in cooperation with BizStarts Milwaukee (www.bizstartsmilwaukee.com) and sponsored by UW-Milwaukee and the UWM Research Foundation.
WIN is the statewide membership arm of the Tech Council, the independent, non-profit science and technology adviser to the governor and the Legislature. To join WIN, go to www.wisconsintechnologycouncil.com or call Maurice Cheeks at 608-442-7557608-442-7557.
Maurice Cheeks
Wisconsin Innovation Network director
455 Science Drive, Suite 240
Madison, WI 53711
608-442-7557608-442-7557 x27
www.wisconsintechnologycouncil.com