Bakken to join ‘Investor Hall of Fame’ Nov. 13 at Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium in Madison

MADISON, Wis. – Mark Bakken, who has been a company founder as well as an investor whose HealthX Ventures boasts a portfolio of nearly three-dozen companies, will be inducted into the Wisconsin Technology Council’s “George Mosher Memorial Investor Hall of Fame” during the Nov. 13-14 Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium.

He will be honored Nov. 13 at a dinner with fellow investors from across Wisconsin, the Upper Midwest and beyond. The dinner is sponsored by Baird Capital.

Companies such as Nordic Consulting Partners and Goliath Networks are among Bakken’s entrepreneurial successes; collectively, his companies raised more than $1.1 billion in venture capital. He was asked by Bill Gates to serve on Microsoft’s first Partner Advisory Council, which he did for six years. Portfolio companies at HealthX are focused on health technologies and are gaining traction nationally. Bakken earned a degree in computer science from the UW-Madison after growing up in the Milwaukee area.

The “Investor Hall of Fame” was established by the Tech Council to highlight the importance of angel and venture investors to the early stage economy. It was renamed in 2019 in honor of the late George Mosher, one of the first inductees and a prolific angel investor.

“Mark Bakken and his team have built HealthX into one of Wisconsin’s most successful venture capital firms, in part because his background as an entrepreneur taught him what other promising companies need,” said Tom Still, president of the Tech Council. “Bakken has consistently stepped forward to invest in and otherwise help young companies and entrepreneurs.”

He joins past Hall of Fame inductees Dick Leazer, Wisconsin Investment Partners; the late George Mosher; the late Roger Ganser, Venture Investors; Jeff Rusinow, Silicon Pastures; the late Carl Gulbrandsen, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation; Tom Shannon, BrightStar Wisconsin Foundation; John Neis, Venture Investors; Jan Eddy, Phenomenelle Angels, Tim Keane, Golden Angels Investors; Bob Wood, Wisconsin Investment Partners; Joe Hildebrandt of Phenomenelle Angel Fund and the DaneVest Tech Fund; and Andy Nunemaker, Golden Angels Investors.

Because the Early Stage Symposium attracts investors across early stage sectors, attendees may rub shoulders with principals from: ATOMS VC, Baird Capital, BrightStar Wisconsin Foundation, Chippewa Valley Angel Investors Network, CSA Partners, Gateway Capital Partners, gener8tor, Golden Angels Investors, Great North Ventures, HealthX Ventures, Hyde Park Venture Partners, Idea Fund of La Crosse, Inventure Capital, Isthmus Project, Madison Development Corp., Milwaukee Venture Partners, Mucker Capital, Pegasus Ventures, Rock River Capital Partners, TitletownTech, Tundra Angels, Venture Investors, Winnow Fund, Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. Venture Debt Fund, Wisconsin Investment Partners, Wisconsin River Business Angels, WISC Partners, Yahara Ventures and Ziegler Link-Age Funds, among others.

Registration is open for the full conference by clicking here.

The conference will also feature:

• A Nov. 13 fireside chat featuring Erik Iverson, CEO of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and Tom Still, Wisconsin Technology Council
• A Nov. 14 keynote session featuring Microsoft’s planned data center
• Targeted panel discussions featuring leading entrepreneurs, investors and others tied to state, regional and national tech sectors
• Two-dozen companies pitching in the five-minute Tech Council Investor Networks tracks, where one founder can ‘win’ and advance to Startup World Cup competition in October 2025
• 16 startups pitching after noon Nov. 14 during the 90-second Elevator Pitch Olympics.
• Exhibit hall showcasing innovative Wisconsin companies.
• A Nov. 13 conference reception, two luncheons, two breakfasts and other networking opportunities, including an investors-only dinner.

The Tech Council produces the conference. Sponsors thus far include: Advocate Aurora Health, Amazon, ark data centers, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, AT&T, ATC, Baird Capital, Baker Tilly, BDO, Business Fitness, City of Fitchburg, CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen), DeWitt, EUA, Exact Sciences, Findorff, Fine Point Consulting, First Business Bank, Foley & Lardner, gener8tor, Godfrey & Kahn, Google, HealthX Ventures, Husch Blackwell, In Business Magazine, Isthmus Project, KW2, Lost Boys Interactive, M3 Insurance, Madison Development Corp., Madison Gas & Electric, Makin’ Hey! Communications, Marquette University, McClone, Michael Best, Microsoft, Morgridge Institute for Research, Neider & Boucher, One City Schools, ORIN Remediation Technologies, Quarles & Brady, Raven Software, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren, RSM US, Ruder Ware, Sadoff E-Recycling & Data Destruction, SustainableHR PEO, State of Wisconsin Investment Board, Technology Entrepreneurship Office at UW-Madison, Technology Innovation Center – Milwaukee, UMOS One Workforce – TechStars, University Research Park, TriNet, UWM Research Foundation, UW-Madison Center for Dairy Research, UW-Madison Dept. of Computer Sciences, UW-Madison Office of Business Engagement, VC3, Venture Investors, von Briesen & Roper, Walmart, WIPFLi, Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Wisconsin Center for Manufacturing & Productivity, Wisconsin Counties Association, Wisconsin Dept. of Financial Institutions, Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., Wisconsin Energy Institute, Wisconsin Historical Society, Yahara Software and Ziegler Link-Age Funds.

To learn more about sponsorship information, please reach out to Angela Schlobohm at angela@wisconsintechnologycouncil.com.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.