CranioSure, a Madison-based company that has designed a mobile app to screen infant head shapes to detect risk of craniosyntosis – accurately and early enough to help avoid surgeries – has been named the winner of the 21st annual Wisconsin Governor’s Business Plan Contest.
The firm was chosen from 13 contestants who presented among the “Diligent (Baker’s) Dozen” finalists on June 5 during the annual Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference at the Italian Community Center in Milwaukee. The finalists competed for cash and in-kind prizes to help fund their businesses.
At the conference, Rockhopper Ice Collective of Pewaukee received the “Bright New Idea” award for its machine that can serve multiple types of ice — from flakes to pebbles to a single large cube — thereby catering to diverse customer preferences.
Business Plan Contest winner CranioSure emerged from three rounds of judging in the contest organized through the Wisconsin Technology Council, which produces the contest in conjunction with its partners and sponsors. The annual contest first launched in 2004 and has since attracted more than 4,600 entries, the Wisconsin Technology Council said in a press release.
Craniosyntosis is a disorder in which fibrous joints between the bones of a newborn's skull prematurely fuse before the brain is fully formed. The condition can result in a misshapen appearance as the brain grows and in severe cases can cause neurological damage, according to Mayo Clinic.
The CranioSure app is designed to detect the premature fusion of infant skull bones. It was developed by a team that included craniofacial plastic surgeons and others, the Tech Council said. Co-founder and chief executive officer Dr. Daniel Cho presented for CranioSure.
The app’s algorithm can reportedly spot abnormalities with more specificity and sensitivity than physical exams, according to the Tech Council. Once fully developed, the app will become available to pediatricians, parents and others.
The Wisconsin Technology Council is the nonprofit and non-partisan science and technology adviser to the governor and the Legislature. For the contest, sponsors contribute cash, office space, legal assistance, accounting, information technology consulting, marketing, event space and more. About $2.8 million in cash and in-kind prizes have been awarded since the inception of the contest in 2004. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. is a major sponsor.
