News, Events, Blogs

February 3, 2026 Forward BIOLABS has announced the first round of awardees for its Innovation to Commercialization Pipeline (ICP) program , a new initiative designed to help early-stage biohealth companies across Wisconsin move closer to market readiness. The ICP program provides targeted, non-dilutive support to startups working to translate scientific innovation into commercial products. The program is aimed at companies navigating early commercialization challenges, including regulatory strategy, intellectual property development, scale-up planning and investment readiness. Forward BIOLABS announced that 18 emerging biohealth companies were selected in the program’s inaugural round. Each company received between $25,000 and $75,000 in non-dilutive funding, with award amounts tailored to the specific commercialization needs of each business. The selected companies span a wide range of biohealth sectors, including medical devices, diagnostics, biomanufacturing, life sciences, pharmaceuticals and radiopharmaceuticals. Collectively, the awardees reflect both Wisconsin’s established strengths in imaging and healthcare technologies and growing momentum in highly investable areas such as AI-enabled platforms and radiopharmaceutical development. ICP Round 1 awardees Archeus Technologies (Madison) – Developing radiopharmaceutical therapies and imaging agents for oncology. Arkayli Biopharma (Madison) – Developing targeted precision drug delivery for pediatric rare skin and vascular diseases. Axio Biopharma (Madison) – Building an AI-ready biologics CDMO with a cross-site data ecosystem. AyrFlo Innovation Labs (Madison) – Developing a noninvasive wearable breathing sensor to detect post-surgical deterioration. Crainosure (Madison) – Developing a smartphone app to help primary care providers screen infants for head shape differences. Estrigenix Therapeutics ( Milwaukee) – Developing drugs to treat symptoms associated with menopause. ImgGyd (Middleton) – Developing hardware and software for image-guided placement of minimally invasive brain electrodes and catheters. Immuto Scientific (Madison) – Building an automated, high-throughput platform for protein characterization in cells and solutions. Kivi Bio (Kenosha) – Supporting early-stage and scaling biohealth companies lacking access to biomanufacturing equipment. Phoenix-Aid (Madison) – Developing advanced wound care dressings using patented nanocomposite materials. Refined Sciences (Madison) – Specializing in bioprocessing components and assemblies for the biopharmaceutical industry. Retham Technologies (Milwaukee) – Developing a diagnostic test for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia to reduce patient risk. Roddy Medical (Milwaukee) – Developing medical line securement technology focused on improving patient safety. Sonoptima (Milwaukee) – Developing a wearable, AI-enabled ultrasound technology for radiation therapy timing. Soul Mobility (Oconomowoc) – Building mobility products for users in the complex rehabilitation wheelchair market. Stem Pharm (Fitchburg) – Developing small-molecule therapies for neuroinflammatory diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. Varizymes (Middleton) – Developing rapid point-of-care molecular diagnostic reagents. Vibetech Enterprises (Sheboygan) – Developing rehabilitation technology to improve physical mobility and safe exercise access. Funding for the ICP program is supported through state-matched Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub funding under 2023 WI Act 96. The program is one of five initiatives that make up the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub, which aims to strengthen the state’s biohealth ecosystem and accelerate company growth statewide. Awardees were selected through a competitive review process by the ICP Award Committee, a group of volunteer industry leaders from across Wisconsin’s biohealth and investment communities. The committee was led by Jessica Martin Eckerly , CEO and co-founder of Forward BIOLABS , and Lisa Johnson , CEO of BioForward Wisconsin, and included Brad Garcia , director of strategy and operations at AbbVie ; Elizabeth Hagerman , chief innovation officer at UW Health and executive director of the Isthmus Project ; Jay Hill , retired vice president of advanced technology at GE Healthcare ; Jenni Le , principal at Venture Investors Health Fund ; Jill Enos , managing partner at TitletownTech ; Justin Krause , vice president of global operations coordination and integrations at Exact Sciences ; Laura Hilty , principal at HealthX Ventures ; Nicolas Paris , CEO of Gilson ; and Sarah Duellman , biotech industry strategy and growth lead at Promega . Forward BIOLABS said the committee evaluated applications based on commercialization readiness, proposed use of funds and potential impact on Wisconsin’s biohealth sector. Martin Eckerly said the selected companies represent a group that is not only working in emerging areas of biohealth but also nearing key moments of commercial impact. “The winners here really include companies that are at the cutting edge of industry. They are the next wave of technologies,” she said. Several of the awardees are approaching regulatory milestones, scale-up decisions or initial commercialization efforts, making the ICP awards a timely form of support rather than a general infusion of capital. She added that the cohort reflects a broader strength of Wisconsin’s innovation ecosystem, where companies tend to focus on execution and technical progress before seeking visibility. She noted the ICP program is designed to support companies that are already doing the work and need targeted resources to move forward, reinforcing Wisconsin’s reputation as a place where biohealth innovations are built and validated.  A second round of ICP awards is planned for 2026.

VibeTech is moving into the production phase of its VibeTech 3 therapeutic vibration device with assistance from Blitz Proto

The new WSCS program "Technology to Advance Healthy Communities" features (pictured left to right) Generations, Intergenerational Center Executive Director Jane Brill, VibeTech Founder and CEO Jeff Leismer and Rocky Knoll Health Care Center Life Enrichment Director Janine Bolz.

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder that affects movement. The Accelerated Movement for Parkinson’s “AMP” Project out of Gregory Boxing is a boxing program designed for people with Parkinson’s to use physical and mental exercise to better manage their lives with the disease. According to The National Institute of Health (NIH), exercise and physical activity are believed to promote neural plasticity for individuals with Parkinson’s disease, along with the potential to slow the disease’s progression. Boxing for Parkinson’s disease has recently received increased attention across the globe. Along with the positive impact of the AMP Project, VibeTech’s VibeSitPRO portable therapeutic vibration rehabilitation device is well-suited for use by people living with Parkinson’s disease. For information on the AMP program, contact Marty Maibuecher at maibuecher@asmchicago.com.

VibeTech has entered into a new collaboration with Florida State University. VibeTech is working with Dr. Lynn Panton, Mia Kay Newlin Ph.D., RN., M.S.N., and Dr. Paul Katz, along with VibeTech’s Medical Advisor, Dr. Terry Sullivan on this collaboration. Dr. Panton’s research interests are in the area of exercise training and its effects on body composition, muscular strength and functional outcomes of healthy older adults and chronically diseased populations. Dr. Newlin-Bradner’s initial educational pursuits were in the field of exercise physiology. Dr. Newlin-Bradner then pursued nursing and obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Florida State University followed by an Master of Science degree in nursing education from Florida State University. Dr. Newlin-Bradner’s research interest is focused on the role of activity in the prevention and management of chronic disease, with a specific emphasis on women with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Dr. Katz has been practicing geriatrics for 36 years. He chose geriatrics because there was a great need for geriatric specialists, the patients’ medical conditions are complex and it is a fairly new specialty. Through the collaboration, VibeTech and the Florida State University will study the benefits of the VibeSitPro - a safe, pain-free way to activate muscles impacted by atrophy and restore physical function due to age, injury, or surgery for all ages. VibeTech is currently preparing to launch its new VibeSitPRO with the first five portable therapeutic vibration rehabilitation devices set to be delivered in the first quarter of 2022.

Late VibeTech CFO Ed Morgan (second left) and VibeTech CEO and Founder Jeff Leismer (second right) accept the Wisconsin Innovation Award in 2017, which was presented by BioForward Executive Director, Lisa Johnson (far left).

The results are in! In a local clinical study using VibeTech’s brand new AutoDosing™ therapeutic vibration protocol, neuropathy symptoms decreased significantly after each treatment. This builds on previous studies demonstrating increased strength, balance, range of motion and walking speed in older adults, as well as decreased pain and evidence of fewer falls in at-risk individuals. Strength is critically important to maintaining quality of life as a person ages, and the VibeSitPRO provides the ability for millions who have difficulty exercising to improve their strength. Study participant comments: · * I feel like I am doing something positive for my health. I am always in better spirits after I have a treatment. · * My ankles no longer hurt at the end of the day like they used to. · * I’m able to stand much longer. · * It feels like my legs are much looser. · * I notice it’s much easier to walk down the hallway after a treatment. · * My knee doesn’t give out as frequently as it used to. · * I love how the device makes my legs feel. VibeTech and collaborator Rocky Knoll Health Care Center in Plymouth, Wis. will launch the final phase of the long-term study with the delivery of the first two VibeSitPRO devices in early 2022.

Dr. Terry Sullivan has been working in an advisory capacity with VibeTech in cooperation with Michael Best Strategies for the past year. He comes from a background of practice in multiple areas of American healthcare and has most recently been involved in all levels of senior care delivery and information systems. Of VibeTech, Dr. Sullivan has said, “The opportunity to work with the VibeTech team is important for me, as the company has a technology that can benefit seniors and those with chronic illness at all stages of life and disease progression. The company, additionally, has a leadership team that can bring that vision to fruition.” Service to seniors and those with chronic illness will be at the forefront as VibeTech continues research studies and clinical development. Dr. Sullivan will be a valuable asset to the VibeTech team as the company explores multiple areas of commercialization. “The only things that help improve every condition are exercise and nutrition, and VibeTech makes exercise accessible to everyone whatever their condition,” Sullivan said.

Dear Friends, No words can express the sadness we feel with Ed Morgan's passing. Ed dedicated the last many years of his life to VibeTech, working hard to ensure that our technology could emerge from its humble beginnings to become the standard of care for people unable to stand or walk on their own. As our CFO, he crunched the numbers and plotted our financial course. He kept an eye on our future and found ways of bringing life to our fledgling startup that required complex and creative thinking. Ed liked to tell any business prospects that he felt the reason he survived his initial battle with cancer was because he needed to stay alive to help VibeTech succeed. “It was divine intervention,” he said. We have succeeded in creating a technology that has made a lot of people stronger with less pain. That would not have been possible without Ed. Now we carry on in his absence, aiming to make family and friends proud of the company of which he is such an essential part. Thank you, Ed, for your dedication, your passion, your wisdom, and your friendship. Let’s all take a deep breath in to absorb the kindness and joy Ed brought into our lives. As we breathe out, let those memories solidify and bring a smile to our faces every time they resurface. Rest in peace, Ed. As you would say, "Onward and upward." -Jeff Leismer and Team Link to Ed’s obituary: https://reinboldfh.com/obituaries/edward-ed-morgan/