Bolstered by the UW–Madison College of Engineering’s strategic priorities, accelerating Badger engineering through entrepreneurship has been a big push in 2026. The Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Hub, a campuswide initiative designed to transform how the university supports innovators and launches ventures, established in late 2025. Badger Tech Foundry is one of the “spokes” that make up the Hub’s network of programs connecting UW entrepreneurs to the larger Wisconsin ecosystem.
Badger Tech Foundry aims to accelerate and enable the transition of “deep tech” from lab research to marketable products. The Foundry’s focus areas include technologies that are highly technical in nature and have strict guidelines, such as biotechnology, advanced materials, and clean energy. The goal is to help potential founders navigate complex regulatory landscapes and spin out multiple companies. This means working with UW scientists, researchers, and their teams to identify which technologies have the best value proposition in a commercial market and move the most promising innovations forward.
A critical part of spinning out successful companies is training not just for science, but for business. The Foundry works with campus partners like TEO, the Wisconsin School of Business, WARF, and the Small Business Development Center to provide support at all stages on the path from being a skilled scientist to becoming a skilled entrepreneur.
The Foundry and TEO are intentionally complementary in the level of training they provide—TEO’s focus is education, while the Badger Tech Foundry’s focus is on deployment. TEO’s programming like NSF I-Corps™ or Plan Your Impact and WSB’s Morgridge Entrepreneurial Bootcamp are best for students who are at the beginning of their journey.
“TEO’s educational trainings are organized on a schedule and impart necessary knowledge at a different level than ours. We continually work with their team to share resources and identify which teams are ready for which stage,” said EEIR Associate Director John Krutty. “It’s been great having TEO to collaborate with in helping these researchers and entrepreneurs spin out their companies. We want to make sure that we’re all working together, because there’s a need for both perspectives.”
Early Entrepreneur in Residence
Once students or researchers gain prior entrepreneurial education and have a promising technology ready to implement, the Foundry also provides training of their own. The Early Entrepreneur in Residence (EEIR) one-year program utilizes an accelerated timeline to train future founders and launch startup companies with UW tech, including assembling compatible research teams, creating a product and pitch, identifying the right market, sourcing multiple types of revenue streams, and preparing researchers to become CEOs. The Foundry aims for EEIR to create deep tech “serial founders” who can use their training to repeatedly push technologies from the university to the local market.
“We want EEIRs to impart their skills and start another company in the region. They can then continue to stimulate startup ecosystems in Madison and elsewhere in the state,” said Krutty.
An essential part of the program is to connect EEIRs to the larger Wisconsin entrepreneurial network—early, and often. Once participants establish their initial product, pitch, and value proposition, the priority is pitching to potential investors, co-founders, or strategic partners who can help launch a new company. The Foundry brings advisors, collaborators, and potential co-founders to campus, which young entrepreneurs can benefit from.
Get Involved
Strategic industry partners and investment groups play a key role in the launch of new companies. For those who want to get involved with the Badger Tech Foundry—like insider views on current or upcoming projects and hearing pitches from EEIRs—reach out to Foundry Director Bill Murphy.
For anyone at UW—Madison navigating the path toward commercialization, regardless of stage or technology, reach out to John Krutty or Shelley Shi for more details on Badger Tech Foundry. As part of involvement with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation Ignite grant, they are especially interested in hearing from researchers involved with fusion energy and fusion energy-enabling technologies—from materials and sensors to reactor systems and power management. For EEIR, check back for position listings staggered throughout the year, open to late-stage PhD students and postdocs.
“I can’t express enough how important it is to start early. Even if you’re just beginning, the Foundry can guide you through the options on how to start working on this alongside academic work to push the technology toward commercialization,” said Krutty.
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Written by: Bri Meyer