(August 12, 2014/Madison, Wisc.) Fishidy, Inc., received $1.5 million in Series A investment, led by Chicago-based angel investment group, Hyde Park Angels, and has closed its first round of outside financing. Developed jointly with GeoDecisions, an information technology (IT) company specializing in geospatial and enterprise geographic information system (GIS) solutions, Fishidy is a leading provider of map-based, on-the-water fishing information and a social networking hub for anglers across the U.S.

“Outside financing will accelerate our goals of customer acquisition and new product development, building upon our existing base of 150,000 members attained during the past 15 months,” said Brendan Wesdock, GeoDecisions president and Fishidy board member.

In addition to Hyde Park Angels, 15 individual investors and investment groups rounded out Fishidy’s remaining financing commitments, including Gannett Fleming, the Wisconsin Super Angel Fund, Brightstar Wisconsin, The Gialamas Company, Inc., Better Angels of Bozeman, Montana, Michigan-based Bryan Johnson, and Jeff Rusinow. Fishidy also can leverage its Qualified New Business Venture Tax credits as part of the closing.

Partnered with Walmart to provide local fishing information to its customers, Fishidy is one of Gannett Fleming’s first Collaborative Research and Innovation Center (CRIC) initiatives. “We took Fishidy from being a good idea, all the way through incubation, to the point now where it is a separately-run company,” said Wesdock. “Fishidy is a true success story in innovation.”

In April, Fishidy won the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce “Pressure Chamber” business pitch contest, earning Fishidy President Brian Jensen a trip to Silicon Valley, California, to pitch in front of U.S. venture capital firms. “Moving forward, Fishidy.com is a social media and geospatial platform with incredible potential,” said Wesdock. “It is not only making waves in the anglers’ technology market, but can be expanded for hunters and outdoorsmen.”

For more information, visit www.fishidy.com.

GeoDecisions’ experienced staff of professional consultants, analysts, and developers support clients worldwide. Fundamental to the company’s award-winning approach is the integration of spatial information to empower existing systems and processes. GeoDecisions’ philosophy is based on an enterprisewide approach to the integration of diverse information technologies, data formats, and systems.

We are proud to be an Esri Gold-tier Business Partner and ISO 9001:2008 Certified.

Brian Jensen competes on stage during Pressure Chamber contest.

(April 9, 2014/Madison, Wisc.) Fishidy won the first ever Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce “Pressure Chamber” business pitch contest at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin. The event, similar to ABC’s "Shark Tank", drew a crowd of approximately 250 people and earned Fishidy a spot in the Chamber’s summer delegation to Silicon Valley, California., to pitch in front of marquee U.S. venture capital firms.

Developed jointly with GeoDecisions and located in Madison, Fishidy is a leading provider of map-based, on-the-water fishing information and a social networking hub for anglers. Brian Jensen, the president of Fishidy and a director with GeoDecisions, said he is looking forward to the opportunity to represent Madison and its entrepreneurial community.

Brian Jensen hoists his Pressure Chamber winner's trophy, a golden suitcase.

“I love this community, and I love the underdog mentality of the entrepreneurs here,” said Jensen. “I am excited to head to California and pitch our company to the venture capitalists and shed more exposure on Wisconsin.”

Chamber President Zach Brandon said Fishidy will be a great addition to the Chamber’s meetings with Silicon Valley investors. “Fishidy has a great story and innovative product with a huge market in Wisconsin. We’re excited to provide a national platform to promote their work as well as promote all of the exciting things happening here in Greater Madison.”

For more information, read the Chamber press release, a Wisconsin State Journal article, or visit www.fishidy.com.

We are proud to be an Esri Gold-tier Business Partner and ISO 9001:2008 Certified.

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