Wisconsin Startup Coalition

What Wisconsin Startup Coalition does

Wisconsin Startup Coalition (WSC) is a Wisconsin-based, non-profit, non-partisan advocacy organization founded in fall 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic by entrepreneurs, venture investors, community builders, and policy advocates. Its stated mission is to improve Wisconsin's standing in national startup rankings by reducing regulatory burdens on founders, encouraging early-stage investment, and strengthening the state's startup ecosystem through direct engagement with the Wisconsin State Legislature and agencies such as the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC).

WSC's product surface consists of a tiered membership program, a State Advocacy Platform that coordinates legislative engagement, and research outputs including the 2022 Rural Innovation Report co-created with the University of Wisconsin Agricultural and Applied Economics and sponsored by Alliant Energy. Membership is structured as a freemium-to-subscription ladder: a free Early Stage Startup tier for founders, $100/year Ecosystem Advocate, $250/year Ecosystem Builder, $500/year Ecosystem Investor, $1,200/year Corporate Supporter, and custom-priced Premier Partner. Approximately 100 members serve as the authentic advocacy base, with the vast majority being startup founders. WSC's revenue is supplemented by Premier Partnerships with Godfrey Kahn, M3 Elevate, First Business Bank, and Starting Block, alongside strategic relationships with WEDC, Idea Fund, and academic and utility partners. There is no proprietary technology stack; the organization is a policy and convening platform rather than a software product.

WSC is governed by a Board of Directors drawn from the Wisconsin venture ecosystem (including co-founders of gener8tor, Frontdesk, Debtle, Arbré Technologies, and Curate) and operated day-to-day by Executive Director Peter Welch. Its measurable goal is to double the number of first fundings in Wisconsin by 2026. There are no disclosed funding rounds, no subsidiaries, no M&A activity, and no patents or certifications. The organization is headquartered in Wisconsin and operates exclusively within the state, with LinkedIn as its primary external communications channel.

Name

Wisconsin Startup Coalition

Legal name

Wisconsin Startup Coalition

Website

https://wistartupcoalition.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wisconsin Startup Coalition is a Wisconsin-based non-profit, non-partisan advocacy organization founded in 2020 that engages state legislators and agencies on behalf of approximately 100 startup founder members to reduce regulatory burdens and grow early-stage investment in the state.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Advocacy and Policy

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Other Social Advocacy Organizations (813319)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Policy, Research & Advocacy Organizations (Nonprofit) (BPAGADAN)

Keywords

• Startup advocacy
• Policy advocacy
• Entrepreneurship ecosystem
• Startup community building
• Venture policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: WSC generates revenue through annual membership fees at multiple tiers, from free startup membership to $1,200/year corporate supporter memberships. Premier partners are available at custom pricing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Wisconsin Startup Coalition is a non-profit, non-partisan advocacy organization that advocates on behalf of startup founders to the Wisconsin State Legislature and state agencies. It sells tiered memberships to founders, investors, ecosystem builders, corporate service providers, and Premier Partners, and produces research such as the Rural Innovation Report to support startup-friendly policy changes.

Product overview

Wisconsin Startup Coalition is a non-profit, non-partisan advocacy organization focused on improving Wisconsin's startup ecosystem through policy advocacy and community building. The organization offers its members and partners access to its State Advocacy Platform for engaging with legislators, the Rural Innovation Report for research-driven insights on rural entrepreneurship, and multiple membership tiers (Early Stage Startup, Ecosystem Advocate, Ecosystem Builder, Ecosystem Investor, Corporate Supporter, and Premier Partner) that provide varying levels of access to networking, professional development, and advocacy support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rural Innovation Report A comprehensive research report exploring the entrepreneurial potential of Wisconsin's rural communities, co-created with the University of Wisconsin Agricultural and Applied Economics and powered by Alliant Energy; provides findings and policy solutions to cultivate innovation and economic growth.
• State Advocacy Platform WSC's advocacy platform supporting entrepreneurs and startup founders through policy initiatives that reduce regulatory burdens, encourage early-stage investment, and strengthen the Wisconsin startup ecosystem through engagement with legislators and agencies such as the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC).
• WSC Membership Program (Early Stage Startup, Ecosystem Advocate, Ecosystem Builder, Ecosystem Investor, Corporate Supporter, Premier Partner) Tiered annual membership program providing access to WSC's advocacy platform, networking opportunities, and ecosystem support; tiers range from a free Early Stage Startup tier to a custom-priced Premier Partner program and include $100/yr Ecosystem Advocate, $250/yr Ecosystem Builder, $500/yr Ecosystem Investor, and $1,200/yr Corporate Supporter options.

Quantifiable outcome

• Goal of doubling 'first fundings' in Wisconsin by 2026

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered premier and core.

• Godfrey KahnpremierGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier Partner providing legal expertise and support for WSC's advocacy initiatives and member services.
• M3 ElevatepremierGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier Partner offering financial and strategic support to WSC and Wisconsin's startup ecosystem.
• First Business BankpremierGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier Partner providing financial services expertise and support for startup members.
• Starting BlockpremierGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier Partner supporting Wisconsin's startup community and WSC initiatives.
• University of Wisconsin Agricultural and Applied EconomicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner that co-created the Rural Innovation Report with WSC, powered by Alliant Energy.
• Alliant EnergycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Rural Innovation Report, demonstrating commitment to rural innovation and Wisconsin economic development.
• Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner working with WSC to encourage state dollars in early stage investments through tax incentives and venture capital programs.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Engine: Engine is a nonprofit policy advocacy organization that represents startups and the innovation economy, primarily at the U.S. federal level. It is the closest functional peer to WSC, operating a near-identical model of advancing founder-friendly regulation, just at a different (federal) layer of government.
• Tech:NYC: Tech:NYC is a New York City-based nonprofit industry association that advocates for the tech and startup sector with city and state officials. Its membership-based advocacy and policy engagement model closely mirrors WSC's approach but at a much larger urban scale.
• Wisconsin Technology Council: The Wisconsin Technology Council is a Madison-based, statewide nonprofit that advocates for tech and startup policy, runs events and programming, and convenes investors and founders in Wisconsin. It is the most directly comparable in-state peer, with overlapping advocacy, membership, and policy goals to WSC.
• Milwaukee Tech Hub Coalition: Milwaukee Tech Hub Coalition is a Wisconsin-based nonprofit focused on growing the tech and startup ecosystem centered on Milwaukee. Led by WSC board member Joe Poeschl, it has direct leadership overlap with WSC and pursues complementary ecosystem-building and advocacy work in the same state.
• Mass Technology Leadership Council: MassTLC is a Massachusetts-based membership organization representing the state's tech ecosystem, including startups, investors, and service providers. It advances policy, networking, and education for the tech sector, closely paralleling WSC's mission and operating model.

Regional players

• OhioX: OhioX is a statewide nonprofit coalition advocating for Ohio's technology and innovation economy. Its mission of advancing tech-friendly policy at the state level makes it a regional twin of WSC's state-level advocacy model in a neighboring Midwestern state.

Others

• gener8tor: gener8tor is a Wisconsin- and nationally operating accelerator founded by Troy Vosseller, who is also a co-founder of WSC. The two organizations share leadership and the Wisconsin ecosystem focus but play complementary (not directly competitive) roles — one deploys capital and runs programs, the other advocates policy.

Broad incumbents

• National Venture Capital Association: NVCA is the largest U.S. trade association representing the venture capital industry and advocates for policies that support startup investment nationally. It operates a much broader and well-resourced version of the kind of investor-and-founder-aligned policy advocacy that WSC performs at the Wisconsin state level.
• Silicon Valley Leadership Group: The Silicon Valley Leadership Group is a longstanding regional business association that advocates on policy for the Silicon Valley tech and innovation economy. It is a much larger and more established analogue to WSC's regional startup-policy-advocacy model, but with a broader member base and remit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wisconsin-startup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wisconsin Startup Coalition