Wisconsin Pension Fund Introduces $80 Million "Catalyst Fund"

The State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB), on of the largest public pension funds in the country, plans to invest $80 million in a new "Catalyst Portfolio", intended to create profitable returns from venture investments and to attract the attention of coastal venture firms. SWIB intends to use to funds to invest in one or more venture funds, likely through a firm on the East or West coast. That investment would allow the board to act as a matchmaker between large investors in other states and Wisconsin's investor community. SWIB decided to create the fund following a 2010 analysis that found ample opportunities for profitable venture investment in the Midwest, but a lack of capital to support emerging companies. Read the announcement ...