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July 1, 2007

Two UW Student Companies Are Making Headlines

Recent MBA grad Rob Creighton's company, WindLift, LLC, was featured in an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and WISC TV 3 in Madison.

WindLift is designed to develop wind power technologies that will reduce the cost and pollution of pumping water and oil. The company currently has a working prototype of the system installed at University Research Park in Madison. The design features a large traction kite, a swing set, a series of pulleys and a hockey stick for steering. The system efficiently harnesses the power of the wind to motivate a reciprocating pump --an ideal application for irrigation and water supply in remote areas.

The WindLift team, comprised of Creighton (SMILES); Sean Ebert, an MBA student in Entrepreneurial Management; and industrial engineering student Arnav Anand, placed 2nd in the G. Steven Burrill Technology Business Plan Competition in April.

Colo-Glow, now known as Medical Imaging Devices LLC, won first prize in the MITEF/RPX Whiteboard Challenge on June 19. The team won $3,000 and a one-year membership to the MIT Enterprise Forum of Chicago.

Medical Imaging Devices is developing a cheaper, faster and safer way of screening for colon cancer. Ben Durkee and Matt Christensen, two medical physics PhD students, are currently building a prototype and taking steps to patent through WARF. They expect to start pre-clinical studies in the fall. Durkee and Christensen were awarded a mini competition prize for early submission at this year's Burrill Competition.