Startup Milwaukee Stories: Digital Measures

by Karen Oliva

Join us Thursday, October 3 from 6-8:00 p.m. for an event you won’t want to miss. 

Startup Milwaukee is excited to highlight Digital Measures, a Milwaukee tech startup success story. Digital Measures was founded in 1999 by Matt Bartel while he was a student at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Digital Measures faculty activity reporting software is now used by 60% of the 500 largest universities in the United States.

Digital Measures is bootstrapped and believes that not having outside investors enables them to solely focus on their clients’ needs. They are able to translate everyone’s data management needs into customized system requirements that fits their needs.

Startup Milwaukee is excited to have Matt Bartel share his startup story at Digital Measures’ hip office in Milwaukee’s historic Third Ward.

RSVP via Facebook or Meetup.

Digital Measures is located at 301 N Broadway, Floor Four, Milwaukee, WI 53202. (The entrance is on Buffalo, behind Anthropologie. Look for the silver overhang and then take the elevator to the fourth floor.)

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Startup of the Week: Pointfall

Pointfall was merely a joke in its infancy. In fact, the idea was a joke in the first place. The group deal/daily deal market has been duplicated many times over. Unfortunately, this market has been causing problems for businesses that use this specific type of marketing platform. The term “loss leader” has been thrown around, but those who have used the platform would actually be happy if a “loss lead” were even achieved. Through a downfall of sub par valuations, major players in the market continue to squirm and squeal with only the option to either invest more resources or chop heads. In many cases, both end points were reached.

After humoring themselves with the faults in the group deal industry, Pointfall Founder & CEO, Sean Tepper, suggested that the market should simply provide 100% revenue to businesses while charging a flat monthly fee for usage. The concept would have remained a joke, but Founder & COO, Nic DiStasio, commented on its brilliance and decided to do his homework on the industry. To their surprise, he found over 30 entities with the same profit sharing model which generated the same lackluster results for businesses.

At this time, Pointfall implemented a survey to the local market asking how much businesses would pay per month if they could keep 100% of the revenue from all group deal sales. The masses voted on a number, and Pointfall used that number to define their pricing structure.

In April of 2013, Pointfall became a legitimate business. They then made the decision to close down their existing marketing and advertising businesses in order to drive forward 100% with Pointfall.

“There is no better time to act then right now.”

• Consumers: Save More by Using Points!
• Businesses: Keep 100% of the Profits
• Sales Representatives: Earn High Commissions

Key Facts:

• Founders:Sean Tepper (CEO) Nic DiStasio (COO)
• 
Founded: April 2013
• 
Employees: Less than 10
• 
Funding: Self funded by the revenues generated through our marketing and advertising service based businesses. No investors and no loans required.
• 
HQ Location:Hudson Business Lounge, 310 N. Broadway, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202
• Website: pointfall.com

Startup of the Week: Goodnight Car

GoodnightCar currently works solely in Milwaukee, but Josh Holtz, Founder of GoodnightCar, is in the process of adding more cities. For any questions or requests to integrate the app for other cities, email: josh (at) goodnightcar (dot) com. Find more information and screenshots at goodnightcar.com or download the iOS app.

Key Facts:

• Founder: Josh Holtz
• HQ Location: RokkinCat Offices (229 E. Wisconsin Ave. Suite 1102, Milwaukee, WI 53202)
• Funding sources: Bootstrapped

Startup Milwaukee Launches a Founders' Club

Startup Milwaukee is excited to launch the Founders’ Club, an exclusive group of technology entrepreneurs, executives, angel and institutional investors. Anyone can apply to join the Founders’ Club, but only a limited number of individuals will be admitted. Members must meet one of three criteria: 1) Technology Entrepreneur: You must be able to show us your working product. Whether it be hardware, software, web or a mobile app, we must be able to verify it exists.

OR

2) Technology Executive: You’re a founder, VP or C-level executive at a technology company in Wisconsin or northern Illinois.

OR

3) Institutional or Angel Investor: You must have a track record or interest in investing in technology companies in Wisconsin.

To join the Startup Milwaukee Founders’ Club, apply today.

Startup of the Week: Penrod Software

Penrod Software is a consulting firm that provides expertise in business analysis and software development for companies implementing CRM and Big Data. Penrod specializes in working with health insurance carriers and agents to develop and create software to help provide customers with better prices and services.

Located in the Historic Third Ward, Penrod recently added an office addition to reach 2500 square feet in office space. Milwaukee’s tech scene and local university talent has allowed the company to grow 400% year-over-year. Working with the Milwaukee School of Engineering and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Penrod provides students with opportunities to learn and grow with their company.

Joe Taylor, one of Penrod’s co-founders, says the company “couldn’t be happier with the direction the city is headed in.” We couldn’t agree more.

Key Facts:

• Founders: Joseph Taylor and Chris Widmayer
• Founded: 2011
• Employees: 9
• Funding: Self-funded
• HQ Location: Third Ward - 219 N. Milwaukee St. Suite 3E, Milwaukee, WI 53202.

For more information about this startup, visit PenrodCRM.com.

Startup of the Week: WeMontage

WeMontage creates an easy and accessible way to transform personal photos into home decor. Founded by James Oliver, Jr., WeMontage lets you upload your favorite photos, create a custom collage and print on large, removable wall coverings. Assisted by startup accelerator gener8tor, WeMontage is a great way to celebrate friends, family and weddings. These personal wall coverings are also great Father’s Day gifts! The removal wallpaper has the look and feel of engineered cotton, does not require additional adhesive and doesn’t damage walls. It easily sticks to textured walls and walls with eggshell synthroid substitute order on line paint. These great wall coverings are only $10 per square foot.

A 6ft. x 4ft. WeMontage in the office of Madison-­based startup, The Art Commission, who wanted to tastefully display some of their clients’ images they had taped to the wall

The team of San Francisco social fashion startup, Modera, installing a custom branding project done by WeMontage

Visit WeMontage.com for more information or to order your own personalized wall coverings from this up-and-coming Wisconsin startup company.

Key Facts:

• Founder: James Oliver Jr.
• Founded On: January 8, 2012
• Employees: 3
• Headquarters: Neenah, Wisconsin
• Funding: gener8tor

Announcing our Mentorship Program!

We are excited to announce the launch of the Startup Milwaukee Mentorship program!

The program is designed to support entrepreneurs who are starting technology and technology-enabled service businesses in Southeastern Wiscosnin by connecting entrepreneurs to mentors from the entrepreneurial, corporate, investment and academic communities.

If you are an entrepreneur or mentor who would like to participate in the program, click here!