Wisconsin
What to know about Microsoft’s history in Wisconsin
“You don’t have to go someplace else”
Titletown Tech Innovation Lab Director Peter Romenesko talks about changing perceptions about Green Bay and technology.
Jeff Bollier, Green Bay Press-Gazette
Microsoft is increasing its footprint in Wisconsin yet again.
The tech giant is buying multiple parcels of land, some of which is from Foxconn Technology Group. The land is located in the Wisconsin Innovation Park in Mount Pleasant. Between Foxconn land and privately held land in the area, Microsoft will purchase 1,030 additional acres, pending approval by the village and Racine County.
This is not Microsoft’s first investment in Wisconsin, though. Here are some of its other investments in the state.
Microsoft and the Green Bay Packers are lead partners at TitletownTech venture capital firm
TitletownTech is a Green Bay-based venture capital firm led by the Green Bay Packers and Microsoft.
The organization’s first fund raised $25 million in 2019. This July, TitletownTech announced that its TitletownTech Fund II raised $70 million from 27 new and existing investors, nearly tripling the 2019 amount.
The funds have attracted powerful Wisconsin names and companies, including AmeriLux International, Baird, Green Bay Packaging, Sartori Cheese, Kohler Co., the Boldt Company and Faith Technologies, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
The Packers and Microsoft each committed $5 million to the first fund and have both invested an undisclosed amount in the new one.
Titletown Tech supports early-stage companies, mostly in the Green Bay area, Wisconsin and the Midwest. Since 2019, TitletownTech has invested in more than 30 companies.
TitletownTech focuses on six areas and industries:
- Sports, media and entertainment
- Health and wellness
- Agriculture, water and the environment
- Manufacturing and construction
- Supply chain and logistics, and
- Cross-industry technology
More: Microsoft pledges billions in new developments in Mount Pleasant. Will purchase land that includes some of Foxconn site.
Microsoft will begin construction on a data center campus in Mount Pleasant in November
In May, Microsoft closed on its $50 million purchase of 315 acres of land adjacent to the Foxconn Technology Group property in the Wisconsin Innovation Park.
On that site, Microsoft will begin construction on a $1 billion data center campus that could employ 300 to 400 people. Last week, Microsoft said the contractor, Walsh Construction, would begin laying the building’s foundation this month. The company expects construction to be complete in late 2026.
Microsoft’s vice president of cloud operations and innovations, Bowen Wallace, said construction on the data center campus is only the start of a long-term relationship between the tech giant and southeast Wisconsin businesses and communities.
More: Microsoft VP says construction of Mount Pleasant data center is only the start of long-term relationship
Journal Sentinel reporters Ricardo Torres and Karl Ebert and Green Bay Press-Gazette reporter Jeff Bollier contributed to this report.