GeoDecisions’ Portfolio Company Fishidy.com Hooks Investment Capital, Gannett Fleming Support, Launches As Independent Company

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(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.

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