Wisconsin Rural Enterprise Fund

The Wisconsin Rural Enterprise Fund (WREF) was formally organized as a community-based Venture Fund to provide a source of equity investment for newly formed start-up businesses that eventually would provide high-skill, high-wage paying jobs for the Region and all of Northwest Wisconsin. The concept of a rural-based fund for Northern Wisconsin was a new approach at the time.

Since its formation, WREF has attracted a total investment of $2,125,000.

Investors include:

• Wisconsin Business Innovation Corporation
• City of Ladysmith
• Rusk County Industrial Development Agency
• Pierce Pepin Electric Development Corporation
• Bayfield Electric Cooperative
• The Development Association of Superior and Douglas County
• River Falls Economic Development Corporation
• NWREDF

The WREF has made Equity Investments of $35,000 to $200,000, totaling $2,052,880. All of the companies involved were either start-up or early-stage and the investments by WREF assisted the company to leverage other equity funds.

Examples of companies in the fund include:

• Fiberstar, Inc.
• Paradigm Diagnostics, Inc.
• BioDrain Medical, Inc.
• Digital Data Destruction, Inc.
• Sportsman's Marketing, Inc.
• Fresh Aire Screen Technology LLC
• American Oats, Inc.
• Real Time Translation, Inc.
• Energy Print, Inc.
• US Food and Pharmaceuticals

These companies among others the WREF assisted are evidence that new hi-tech firms can be created and be successful in rural Northwest Wisconsin.

Please see our list of Business Resources for general information and resources on business development.