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.