WARF Ventures

WARF Ventures is a venture capital fund created by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF). It has invested directly in over 50 startups with University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) technology for the past two decades. WARF Ventures is actively working with more than 30 portfolio companies covering a wide range of technologies, including AI-enabled software platforms, cancer diagnostics, advanced materials for batteries, and vaccines. They provide seed and growth funding to early-stage startups that are commercializing UW-Madison and Morgridge Institute for Research Technologies. WARF Accelerator, another initiative by WARF, provides resources for inventors, including industry expertise and targeted funding, to help de-risk the most commercially promising and urgent technologies and advance them closer to the marketplace. Entrepreneurs or investors interested in exploring startup opportunities to commercialize UW-Madison technologies that could benefit the world can connect with WARF Accelerator to review their portfolio of de-risked technologies as well as WARF’s step-by-step process to starting a company, including market feasibility, business planning, and licensing. WARF Ventures supports its portfolio companies in many ways. They have strong connections to local, regional, and national venture capital communities, which means they can help portfolio companies access additional support, reach early milestones, and attract follow-on investments. They have also provided COVID-19 resources to help startups navigate the pandemic. If you are interested in starting a company to commercialize campus technologies, you can reach out to their team to set up an introductory meeting. They can help outline the steps you should take to get started. Successful exits include companies in which WARF invested that were then either acquired by major corporations or went public.