2017 Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program Impact Report
Ensuring the success of Wisconsin's economy relies on creating a vibrant environment for entrepreneurship. That is why WEDC and its network of statewide partners are committed to helping startups reach success through WEDC's entrepreneurship and innovation programs. These initiatives are highlighted in the new Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program Impact Report, which provides data on the programs' performance in calendar year 2017 for some programs and fiscal year 2018 for other programs, depending on each program's reporting basis.
Over the 12-month period covered by the report, WEDC programs provided new assistance to 312 companies. Over the same period, 497 early-stage businesses that have received WEDC assistance reported nearly $290 million in new funding and generated over $214 million in revenue, for a total of $505 million in new capital generation, a $119 million increase from the previous year. These companies supported 1,852 full-time jobs and 810 part-time jobs in Wisconsin and paid an estimated $134 million in annual wages. In addition, WEDC's partners assisted 3,071 entrepreneurs and companies to create more than 495 new jobs and retain an additional 418 jobs through their own programs.