2024 Early Stage Symposium
The 2024 Early Stage Symposium will be held Nov. 13-14 at the Monona Terrace in Madison.
This year’s conference theme is Piecing together success through investment.
The 2024 Early Stage Symposium will be held Nov. 13-14 at the Monona Terrace in Madison.
This year’s conference theme is Piecing together success through investment.
Companies of all stages are invited to apply to pitch their stories to investors at the in-person Wisconsin Early Stage Symposium, set for Nov. 5-6 at Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison. The 2025 conference will feature four pitch opportunities: the two-minute “Open Mic” Quick Pitches, five-minute Tech Council Investor Networks presentations, the 90-second Elevator Pitch Olympics and “Investor Intros,” which pair pre-selected companies with angel and venture investors for brief one-on-one meetings.
While Forward Fest was originally by and for entrepreneurs, we actively embrace a wide, inclusive definition of the word. Everyone in the community is welcome: do you work at a startup or nonprofit? Want to know more about running a business? Are you maybe interested in switching to a career in tech? Do you just think entrepreneurship is neat? Join us!
We invite you to join us at Bark & Wine for an afternoon filled with adorable animal greeters, delicious food and drink, fun activities, a wonderful silent auction, and stories that showcase the work we've accomplished thanks to your support!