NVNG +Venture North 2025
Last week's +Venture North in Milwaukee offered concrete advice for founders raising capital:
Match capital to risk. Your primary business risk should align with your investor's expectations and timeline.
Revenue drives interest. Investors want proof of commercialization. Creative structures—like fleet-as-a-service financing—can help you get there.
Clarify corporate partnerships upfront. Understand their goals, timelines, and whether buying cycle access is included.
These challenges are why Valency Fund provides Wisconsin companies with capital structures that fit their growth stage and business model.
Innovation in the Dairy Industry at the 2025 World Dairy Expo
At the 2025 World Dairy Expo in Madison, over 75,000 attendees explored how technology, data, and entrepreneurship are transforming modern dairy farming. From robotic milking systems that upskill workers to connected data tools that drive real-time herd decisions, dairy producers are proving how legacy industries can lead in agtech innovation.
Laura Strong of Valency Fund highlights how family farmers think like entrepreneurs—balancing risk, profitability, and sustainability. With growing adoption of automation, AI, and renewable energy, the dairy sector offers powerful lessons for founders and investors across industries.
Wisconsin Manufacturing 2025 Report: Insights on Growth Priorities
Wisconsin ranks in the top 10 nationally for advanced manufacturing. WCMP's 2025 Manufacturing Report reveals how companies in our state are pursuing growth—and the data shows manufacturers consistently prioritize new markets and workforce productivity over new product development.
We look into what this means for smaller firms and how Wisconsin companies are funding their growth strategies.
Three Sessions, One Goal: Better Capital Decisions for Wisconsin Founders
Finding the right capital partner shouldn't feel like solving a puzzle with missing pieces. Join Valency Fund at ForwardFest for "Capital That Fits"—three sessions designed to help Wisconsin founders make informed capital decisions.
Learn from funders specializing in revenue based financing, hear real founder stories, and discover practical frameworks for funding readiness.
August 21st, 2025, 1-4 PM at DreamBank, Madison.
Powering Progress: Wisconsin’s Manufacturing and Agritech Surge
Wisconsin’s manufacturing and agritech industries are quietly transforming. Long known for their craftsmanship and resilience, many of the state’s companies are now blending that tradition with new tools like automation, AI, and data-driven production.
We take a closer look at how these sectors are evolving—and why access to flexible capital matters for the businesses building Wisconsin’s next chapter of growth.
From Founder to Funder: Why I Started Valency Fund for Wisconsin’s Entrepreneurs
After 25 years in Wisconsin's startup ecosystem, Laura Strong has witnessed a critical funding gap for promising businesses not pursuing exponential growth. Valency Fund was born from this insight—offering flexible capital to sustainable, profitable Wisconsin companies often passed over by traditional investors.
Drawing on Laura’s journey from biotech founder to funder, we're introducing a new funding model to Wisconsin growth stage companies where entrepreneurial success isn't measured solely by "hockey stick" growth, but by lasting value creation for customers, employees, communities, and stakeholders.