BrightStar invests in Wisconsin early-stage companies at all three stages of development…from proof of principle, to early commercialization and then well into the revenue stage. Profitable companies have normally progressed past our area of interest. We take an equity position when we invest, and our preference is to piggyback on a deal along with other investor groups. Rarely we will either fund the project totally or conduct due diligence alone.

So what early-stage companies are we ideally looking to invest in?

  • An opportunity that will drive quality, jobs for a 21st Century Wisconsin economy
  • An innovative, usually technology based, idea with barriers to entry
  • A large addressable target market or a trending market with expected rapid growth
  • A company with market traction and validation and/or a management team with a track record of success.
  • A business that is rapidly scalable to a national level