gener8tor Celebrates 10 Years of Accelerated Success in Wisconsin and the World

Global venture firm and startup accelerator will toast 10 years of impact and innovation with hundreds gathered in Madison, Wisconsin during the company’s decade anniversary celebration

MADISON, Wis. - gener8tor will celebrate an incredible decade of success, growth and diversity during its 10th Anniversary Celebration on Aug. 18, 2022 in its hometown headquarters of Madison, Wisconsin. The event will take place in collaboration with Forward Festival, bringing together hundreds of startup founders, corporate partners, investors, tech innovators and gener8tor teammates for a night toasting the best and brightest.     

gener8tor started in 2012 with the goal of creating Wisconsin’s next set of community leaders by investing in promising entrepreneurs. In its inaugural year, gener8tor operated two 12-week accelerator programs in Madison and Milwaukee, now known as gener8tor’s flagship Investment Accelerator, and invested in 13 startups that raised more than $3 million in private capital at the time.  

“We wanted to invest in people and their ideas right in our own backyard, bringing to life our region’s entrepreneurial spirit and showing the country that Wisconsin was far more than just a flyover state, but a place of ideas and innovation,” said Co-founder Troy Vosseller. “We built gener8tor on a core belief that entrepreneurs can build their companies no matter who they are or where they live.”

Ten years later, gener8tor stands at 140 full-time employees; accelerators in over 41 communities with more than $1.2 billion in total funding across 22 states and two countries; and over 90 programs and conferences among startups, artists, musicians, corporations and job seekers. To date, 938 startups have graduated from one of gener8tor’s 104 annual accelerator programs, with 34 companies having been acquired, making gener8tor one of the largest accelerators in the world. 

“We have seen firsthand the potential of Wisconsin’s best and brightest, who, with a little bit of investment, have created some of the state’s most successful new companies.” said Co-founder Joe Kirgues. “We hope our example inspires Wisconsin to invest that much more into our next generation.”

During the anniversary event, gener8tor will highlight its 10 years of impact in Wisconsin and throughout the nation as well as its profound conviction in investing across race, place and gender. Guests will hear from alumni of the recent Madison and Milwaukee accelerator programs while enjoying drinks, appetizers and live music along with exploring gener8tor’s history through an immersive and interactive gallery experience of the company and community. gener8tor will also recognize some of its immensely successful alumni and early startup graduates, including founders of PrettyLitter, GrocerKey, Curate, Allergy Amulet, Cultured Decadence, Bright Cellars, EatStreet and Rentable. 

As a Forward Fest partner, gener8tor will host its anniversary celebration in coordination with the largest Wisconsin technology and entrepreneurship event. Both gener8tor and Forward Fest have been working in parallel since gener8tor began in 2012, supporting one another’s growth over the many years of partnership. 

“Forward Fest and gener8tor share a common goal to sync up startup and entrepreneurial communities for learning, sharing, collaborating and growing from one another while also providing opportunities to interact with professionals, investors and corporations across a wide range of industries and through a variety of initiatives,” said Hilary Stohs-Krause, Forward Festival spokesperson. “Most importantly, our doors are open to everyone as we believe that each person deserves equal access to put their ideas and innovation in motion.”

All innovators and attendees at Forward Fest along with anyone throughout Wisconsin, regardless of their background, are invited to engage with one of the most diverse and dynamic communities in the Midwest and join gener8tor for the celebration. 

gener8tor will host its bi-annual team retreat in conjunction with the anniversary event, planning for the next 10 years as the company continues to expand its mission of doing good by doing right. 

Join gener8tor for its 10th Anniversary Celebration and be sure to RSVP to the event. 

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About gener8tor 

gener8tor is a venture firm and national accelerator network that supports startups, founders, workers, employers, artists and musicians across race, place and gender. gener8tor partners with companies, governments, universities and nonprofits to operate programs in more than 41 communities across 22 states and two countries. Fast Company named gener8tor one of the Best Workplaces for Innovators in 2021 and 2022.

About Forward Fest

The Forward Festival is Wisconsin's largest technology and entrepreneurship festival, attracting more than 5,000 attendees and serving as host for more than 30 events over five days every August. Now in its 13th year, it's the state's flagship celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship for business folks, nerds, social impact innovators, foodies, hackers, entrepreneurs, creatives, problem-solvers, community supporters and more from across the Midwest.