Ron Stefanski, Cengage Learning’s executive director of strategic alliances, grew up on the east side of Detroit on Tappan Street. Like many local families in the 1970s, his was swept up in the wave of suburban white flight that followed the 1967 riots—except for his grandmother, Vicki, a tough old bird he described as “Edith … Continue reading “For Cengage Exec, Detroit Collective Impact About Hope, Education”
Author: Sarah Schmid Stevenson
Sarah is a former Xconomy editor. Prior to joining Xconomy in 2011, she did communications work for the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Michigan House of Representatives. She has also worked as a reporter and copy editor at the Missoula Independent and the Lansing State Journal. She holds a bachelor's degree in Journalism and Native American Studies from the University of Montana and proudly calls Detroit "the most fascinating city I've ever lived in."
U-M’s Detroit Data Fellows Aim to Improve the Way Police Fight Crime
In 1817, the University of Michigan was founded in Detroit before eventually relocating roughly 40 minutes west to Ann Arbor. As the school approaches its bicentennial next year, it has worked to rebuild and strengthen its ties to the Motor City through a number of novel partnerships, including the Gerald R. Ford School of Public … Continue reading “U-M’s Detroit Data Fellows Aim to Improve the Way Police Fight Crime”
How Much GM Actually Paid for Cruise, and More Automotive News
As we limp into the dog days of summer—Michigan, like most of the Midwest, is currently trapped under what meteorologists are calling a “heat dome”—the state’s automotive technology efforts keep rolling along. Here’s a look at what’s happening around the industry: —When news broke in March that GM had acquired Bay Area tech startup Cruise … Continue reading “How Much GM Actually Paid for Cruise, and More Automotive News”
Roundup: Duo Insight, Digital Undivided, Bug Bounty & More
Here’s a look at innovation news from around Michigan: —Duo Security, the Ann Arbor-based cybersecurity startup that is also one of the state’s fastest growing companies, has released a free tool that lets IT teams run internal phishing simulations within five minutes. Duo Insight allows administrators to identify potential security weaknesses and share them with … Continue reading “Roundup: Duo Insight, Digital Undivided, Bug Bounty & More”
$2.5M U-M Research Initiative Will Analyze Data from Connected Cars
In an effort to tackle the sea change associated with the future of transportation, two University of Michigan research projects recently scored $2.5 million in grants from the Michigan Institute for Data Science (MIDAS) to analyze the reams of data being generated by autonomous and connected vehicles across the country. MIDAS awarded funding to the … Continue reading “$2.5M U-M Research Initiative Will Analyze Data from Connected Cars”
Fontinalis Closes New $100M Fund Supporting Mobility Startups
When Fontinalis Partners launched its first venture fund in 2009 to invest in early-stage mobility startups, many in the VC world didn’t quite know what mobility was. Defined by Fontinalis as “the efficient movement of goods, people, and services across all modes of transportation,” mobility has come to encompass ridesharing services like Lyft and Uber, … Continue reading “Fontinalis Closes New $100M Fund Supporting Mobility Startups”
BioCrossroads Contest Helps Indiana Officials Track Biotech Startups
Calling all Indiana-based, early-stage companies working on biotech, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, diagnostics, ag-biotech, and health IT: The BioCrossroads New Venture Competition is now accepting submissions from startups that want to participate. Since its inception in 2012, the competition has awarded more than $240,000 to 16 companies, which have gone on to secure $21 million in … Continue reading “BioCrossroads Contest Helps Indiana Officials Track Biotech Startups”
Report Shows International Students Filling State’s STEM Talent Gap
Those of us who have always imagined America to be a place that welcomes immigrants and refugees as a matter of principle have mostly watched in horror as this election season has unfolded. Amid talk of “a big, beautiful wall” between Mexico and the United States, a ban on Muslims entering the country, and dog-whistling … Continue reading “Report Shows International Students Filling State’s STEM Talent Gap”
Pairaphrase Pushes Smart, Secure Language Translation Software
A Royal Oak, MI-based startup focused on language translation software is heading to New York City this fall to compete in Techweek’s Launch competition. Pairaphrase was founded by Rick Woyde because he thought he could offer a better, more private alternative to Google Translate. Woyde is the longtime owner of Language Arts & Science, a … Continue reading “Pairaphrase Pushes Smart, Secure Language Translation Software”
TechSmith CEO Plans to Continue Father’s Legacy of Growth, Inclusion
Wendy Hamilton was cruising along in her career as the global head of life sciences at Thomson Reuters when she got the call from her dad, William Hamilton. He told her was planning to step down as president of TechSmith, the Okemos, MI-based maker of business and educational software that he co-founded and nurtured since … Continue reading “TechSmith CEO Plans to Continue Father’s Legacy of Growth, Inclusion”
Challenge Detroit Leadership Program’s New Cohort is Largest Yet
Challenge Detroit kicked off its fifth year this week, announcing the selection of 42 fellows—its largest cohort ever—for the 2016-2017 class, which will spend the next year building leadership skills and connecting with the community. Challenge Detroit is a professional development program aimed at attracting and retaining millennial talent to the city. Each cohort is … Continue reading “Challenge Detroit Leadership Program’s New Cohort is Largest Yet”
Thanks to Explosive Growth, Quikly Snags $3 Million Investment
Detroit-based digital marketing startup Quikly announced this week that it has closed on a new $3 million round of funding. Ann Arbor’s Plymouth Ventures led the round, with participation from PennStro Ventures, BRMR (a subsidiary of BDS Capital), Hyde Park Angels, and Tappan Hill Ventures. As part of the deal, Kevin Terrasi, a partner at … Continue reading “Thanks to Explosive Growth, Quikly Snags $3 Million Investment”
Roundup: RetroSense, America’s Greatest Makers, Naturalicious & More
Here’s a look at innovation news from around Michigan: —Wayne State University and Massachusetts General Hospital spinout company RetroSense Therapeutics has been named one of the nation’s 50 smartest companies by the MIT Technology Review. The biopharmaceutical company based in Ann Arbor closed a $6 million Series B funding round last year to support clinical trials … Continue reading “Roundup: RetroSense, America’s Greatest Makers, Naturalicious & More”
GitHub Wants Software for Autos to be More Open, Collaborative
Now that it’s clear automakers plan to take autonomous vehicles and mobility platforms to market in the near future, the industry is undergoing a transformation that, earlier this year, a General Motors executive described as being like cramming 50 years of technical advancement into five. With these changes comes a significant need for talented young … Continue reading “GitHub Wants Software for Autos to be More Open, Collaborative”
NPR Report Highlights Detroit-Based Sentinl’s Smart Gun Technology
Amid the fallout following a mass shooting in Orlando, FL, earlier this month, the political discourse has turned once again to gun control. As I type this, National Public Radio is reporting that 30 Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives are staging a sit-in on the floor of the their chamber to demand … Continue reading “NPR Report Highlights Detroit-Based Sentinl’s Smart Gun Technology”
Roundup: ManagedWay, RVCF, TechTown Detroit, PatientPing, & More
Here’s a look at innovation news from around Michigan: —ManagedWay, the provider of cloud computing, fiber optic Internet, and colocation services, has opened a new 45,000-square-foot data center in Troy. In a press release, the company described the new facility as incorporating the latest advancements for business reliability, security, and efficiency. ManagedWay now operates two … Continue reading “Roundup: ManagedWay, RVCF, TechTown Detroit, PatientPing, & More”
GreenLight’s Philanthropic Venture Fund Opens New Office in Detroit
In 2011, Margaret Hall, co-founder and national executive director of the GreenLight Fund, first made contact with social entrepreneurs in Detroit. She wanted to discuss the idea of her philanthropic venture fund, which invests in nonprofit entities rather than startups, opening an office in the Motor City. “At the time, the people we talked to … Continue reading “GreenLight’s Philanthropic Venture Fund Opens New Office in Detroit”
All-Female Startup’s Online Stylists Help to Banish Bridesmaidzillas
I’m finally getting married this fall, at age 43. And the thought of planning the whole thing makes me want to lay in bed and pull the comforter over my head. I’m not the kind of woman who has been plotting a wedding and doodling fantasy dresses in the margins of notebooks since I was … Continue reading “All-Female Startup’s Online Stylists Help to Banish Bridesmaidzillas”
FICO Buys QuadMetrics to Help Measure Corporate Cybersecurity Risk
FICO, the San Jose, CA, software analytics company, announced Tuesday it has acquired Ann Arbor, MI-based QuadMetrics, a University of Michigan cybersecurity spinout. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. FICO—known as an industry leader in measuring and understanding consumer credit risk—will soon offer “enterprise security scores” that assess a corporation’s exposure to hackers … Continue reading “FICO Buys QuadMetrics to Help Measure Corporate Cybersecurity Risk”
Companion App Allows Users to Keep a Digital Eye on Loved Ones
It took the University of Montana until 1994 to hire its first female campus safety escorts—a fact I know to be true because I was one of those escorts, along with my friend Taska. In those pre-Internet, pre-smartphone days, we circled campus once the sun went down armed with reflective vests and brick-like walkie-talkies, waiting … Continue reading “Companion App Allows Users to Keep a Digital Eye on Loved Ones”
Roundup: MI’s Bio Sector Ranked, Wayne State, StockX, and More
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: —According to a report released at the BIO International convention earlier this month, Michigan’s biosciences sector experienced significant growth from 2012-2014. The TEConomy/BIO report measured several indicators, including the number of employees and companies, average wages, academic research expenditures, venture capital investments, and number of … Continue reading “Roundup: MI’s Bio Sector Ranked, Wayne State, StockX, and More”
Techstars Mobility Announces 2016 Class for Summer Accelerator
The Techstars Mobility accelerator, operating out of a 10,000-square-foot office in downtown Detroit, will welcome its 2016 class of startups on Monday. Twelve teams chosen from nearly 500 applicants will spend the summer developing “transportation solutions aligned with Ford Smart Mobility, the [automaker’s] plan to be a leader in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, customer experience, … Continue reading “Techstars Mobility Announces 2016 Class for Summer Accelerator”
TechShop Detroit Plans Programs to Introduce Kids to STEAM Careers
When Will Brick, TechShop Detroit’s manager, was young, he was the kind of kid who loved to tinker. He often rode his bike around town “looking for things to turn into other things,” he said. Young Will would have been right at home at his current place of employment, especially in the coming months as … Continue reading “TechShop Detroit Plans Programs to Introduce Kids to STEAM Careers”
Strata Oncology Closes $12M Round, Aims to Increase Tumor Sequencing
Ann Arbor, MI-based precision medicine startup Strata Oncology announced last week that it has raised a $12 million Series A round. Arboretum Ventures and Baird Capital led the financing, with participation from Michigan eLab, a returning investor. Strata is on a mission to make tumor sequencing for cancer patients more accessible. As personalized genetic therapies … Continue reading “Strata Oncology Closes $12M Round, Aims to Increase Tumor Sequencing”
Roundup: LIFT, Walsh College, U-M, WSU, Free Prix & More
Here’s a look at recent innovation news from around Michigan: —Detroit-based Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow (LIFT), a public-private partnership focused on the development and deployment of advanced lightweight metal manufacturing technologies, has formed a team of manufacturers and universities to develop a database and computer models that better predict the way aluminum alloys deteriorate after being … Continue reading “Roundup: LIFT, Walsh College, U-M, WSU, Free Prix & More”
GreenStone Credit Services Joins List of Ag-Tech Incubator Sponsors
The Great Lakes Ag-Tech Business Incubator in West Michigan has scored a new sponsor: GreenStone Farm Credit Services, an East Lansing, MI-based financial institution that is the largest agricultural lender in Michigan and northeast Wisconsin. As part of the new partnership, GreenStone will contribute $25,000 to support the commercialization efforts of the incubator’s startups, along … Continue reading “GreenStone Credit Services Joins List of Ag-Tech Incubator Sponsors”
U-M Student Fund Invests in Conversa Health’s Patient Engagement Tech
The University of Michigan’s student-run Social Venture Fund has contributed to a $3 million seed round for Conversa Health, a Bay Area heathtech company aiming to improve patient engagement. The amount of U-M’s investment was not disclosed. Conversa CEO West Shell said he started the company to try to fix the “monstrous gap” in the … Continue reading “U-M Student Fund Invests in Conversa Health’s Patient Engagement Tech”
Pro:Up Aims to Connect Kids to Life-Changing Career Opportunities
When Pro:Up CEO Justine Sheu and her co-founders were working as college guidance counselors in the troubled Detroit Public School system, they noticed how crippling the perceived lack of opportunities could be to the students they worked with. Kids from low-income families or ones that hadn’t yet sent a member to college seemed especially underexposed … Continue reading “Pro:Up Aims to Connect Kids to Life-Changing Career Opportunities”
New Proposed Laws, Collaborations Pave Way for Driverless Future
This has been a banner week for Michigan-centric news pertaining to the development of driverless vehicles. On Wednesday, Google announced in a Google+ post that, after placing a team of employees in the metro Detroit area for “the past few years,” it would open a facility in suburban Novi, MI, to develop self-driving car technology. … Continue reading “New Proposed Laws, Collaborations Pave Way for Driverless Future”
Roundup: NextChallenge, Ranker, QuantumShift, Comcast, MBDA & More
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: —NextEnergy, Denso, Wells Fargo, and DTE Energy are seeking hardware and software solutions to unmet challenges facing urban areas for NextChallenge: Smart Cities, a global competition designed to inspire innovative technology in smart parking, smart transportation, smart infrastructure, and smart buildings. Submissions will be accepted … Continue reading “Roundup: NextChallenge, Ranker, QuantumShift, Comcast, MBDA & More”
As the Mobility Sector Revs Up, Startups and Dealerships Respond
Mobility, in case you haven’t heard, is the up-and-coming tech buzzword driving the future of transportation. As defined by the auto industry, mobility refers to moving goods and people from point A to point B. This encompasses vehicles for personal use, fleet vehicles, public transit, ridesharing, bicycles, car-sharing, self-driving cars, planes, trains, and essentially any … Continue reading “As the Mobility Sector Revs Up, Startups and Dealerships Respond”
Desai Accelerator Basks in Success of 2015 as New Cohort Starts
The University of Michigan’s Desai Accelerator, a joint venture between the school’s College of Engineering and Ross School of Business that is open to anyone regardless of university affiliation, has chosen its 2016 cohort. Six tech startups were selected from the more than 80 that applied; 83 percent are Michigan-based, 33 percent have female founders, … Continue reading “Desai Accelerator Basks in Success of 2015 as New Cohort Starts”
As He Bids to Buy Company, What Are Dan Gilbert’s Plans for Yahoo?
According to a report published in the Detroit News today, Quicken Loans chairman Dan Gilbert is serious enough about buying Yahoo that he’s lined up financing from investor Warren Buffett, the second-richest man in America. Buffett told CNBC Monday that his firm, Berkshire Hathaway, has offered to be a potential finance partner while Gilbert leads … Continue reading “As He Bids to Buy Company, What Are Dan Gilbert’s Plans for Yahoo?”
Talent Shortage Looms as Indiana’s Life Sciences Industry Booms
According to a new report from TEConomy Partners and Battelle Technology Partnership Practice, Indiana’s health and life sciences industry—which includes the sectors of biopharmaceuticals, medical devices, agbiosciences, hospitals, outpatient centers, medical and diagnostic labs, home healthcare services, and nursing and residential care facilities—has experienced more than 22 percent growth since 2001. That’s a sharper increase … Continue reading “Talent Shortage Looms as Indiana’s Life Sciences Industry Booms”
Hacking Health, DMI Hope to Strengthen Detroit’s Health IT Ecosystem
Detroit-area clinicians, healthcare organizations, health IT startups, and others are gathering at the University of Windsor in Ontario Friday for the second annual Hacking Health event, which is designed to break down barriers and inspire innovative collaborations between the health-tech ecosystems on both sides of the Detroit River. WEtech Alliance, TechTown Detroit, and the EPICentre … Continue reading “Hacking Health, DMI Hope to Strengthen Detroit’s Health IT Ecosystem”
Do You Have What It Takes to Dive Into “Shark Tank”?
Calling all Detroit entrepreneurs: “Shark Tank,” the popular ABC show that offers startups the chance to pitch their business ventures to potential investors, will be in Detroit next week in search of contestants. Values Partnerships, Grand Circus, and Brandcamp University are working with the show’s producers to recruit a more diverse set of ideas and … Continue reading “Do You Have What It Takes to Dive Into “Shark Tank”?”
Collective Metrics Aims to Improve Data Collection on Economic Growth
Startup accelerators and incubators are all the rage, but figuring out how much they’re actually helping the innovation communities they serve has traditionally been a challenge. A Grand Rapids, MI-based startup called Collective Metrics is hoping to change that for Michigan’s economic developers and entrepreneurs. Collective Metrics was co-founded by Austin Dean, an analyst at … Continue reading “Collective Metrics Aims to Improve Data Collection on Economic Growth”
Roundup: MSU and U-M Startups, DEVELOP(her), Hatch Detroit & More
Here’s a look at startup and innovation news from around Michigan: —On April 13, three startup teams from Michigan State University hit Chicago for the National Automatic Merchandising Association OneShow event, a food service and vending trade show, to compete in the Swim with the Sharks pitch contest. Bringitt, a peer-to-peer shipping network; Ineed, an app … Continue reading “Roundup: MSU and U-M Startups, DEVELOP(her), Hatch Detroit & More”
Ford Expands Mobility Play with $182.2M Pivotal Investment
[Updated, 11:56am. See below] When Pivotal launched in 2013 with 1,250 employees and a valuation of over $1 billion, my colleague Wade Roush wrote that the cloud computing infrastructure firm “isn’t your typical startup.” Further proof of that came yesterday when Ford announced it was plunking down more than $182 million to continue its collaboration with Pivotal. Alan … Continue reading “Ford Expands Mobility Play with $182.2M Pivotal Investment”
SPLT Competes at Google Demo Day, Gets Steve Case’s Attention
SPLT, the Techstars Mobility alum now based in Detroit, has spent the past few months crisscrossing the globe to take part in startup competitions and other events as it continues to rapidly grow. This week, the enterprise ridesharing startup that connects employees within organizations to share their commute is out in Mountain View, CA, as … Continue reading “SPLT Competes at Google Demo Day, Gets Steve Case’s Attention”
Duo Security Snags $2.5M Grant, Will Hire Up to 300
Ann Arbor, MI-based startup Duo Security announced that it has received a $2.5 million grant from the state’s Michigan Strategic Fund and, as a condition of the grant, plans to hire up to 300 new employees over the coming months. Economic development group Ann Arbor SPARK has pledged to assist Duo in its employee recruitment … Continue reading “Duo Security Snags $2.5M Grant, Will Hire Up to 300”
Toyota Opens New $1B Autonomous Vehicle Research Hub in Ann Arbor
All anyone in the automotive industry seems to be talking about these days is the race to develop autonomous cars and new mobility applications. The announcement last month of a new $1 billion Toyota vehicle research operation in Ann Arbor, MI, is another significant milestone in Michigan’s quest to lead the nation in the development … Continue reading “Toyota Opens New $1B Autonomous Vehicle Research Hub in Ann Arbor”
Front Door Program Helps Startups Access WSU’s Business Resources
Tucked inside the building that houses TechTown Detroit is the office of Wayne State University’s Front Door for Business Engagement program, which connects local companies to WSU’s various resources—research assistance, access to cutting-edge or highly specialized equipment, student interns, and more. Established in 2012, the Front Door program is supported by WSU, the New Economy … Continue reading “Front Door Program Helps Startups Access WSU’s Business Resources”
Hybra’s Kickstarter Backers File Complaints, Allege Fraud—And Wait
When we last caught up with Hybra Advance Technology in July 2015, co-founder Joe Thiel told us the company’s legion of disgruntled Kickstarter backers, who forked over nearly $550,000 in 2013 to help Hybra develop wireless headphones called the Sound Band, would soon be made whole. Beta test units of the headphones—which transmit sound through … Continue reading “Hybra’s Kickstarter Backers File Complaints, Allege Fraud—And Wait”
Woodside Distributors Crowned Champion of U-M Startup Competition
The University of Michigan concluded its spring business competition, called The Startup, last week, and, after a four-month pitching process, Woodside Distributors was crowned the champion. Hosted by U-M’s Center for Entrepreneurship, the competition began in January with 21 teams. From that initial field, a panel of local investors—the Mercury Fund’s Adrian Fortino, Jake Cohen … Continue reading “Woodside Distributors Crowned Champion of U-M Startup Competition”
C-STEM Midwest Challenge Designed to Bolster Tech Talent Pipeline
Detroit’s Cobo Center will host the C-STEM Midwest Challenge tomorrow, a competition for PreK-12 students meant to engage them in communications, science, technology, engineering, and math through hands-on projects. C-STEM‘s founder, Reagan Flowers, said exposing kids to STEM early is key to bolstering the tech talent pipeline. Flowers is a Detroit native. She spent her … Continue reading “C-STEM Midwest Challenge Designed to Bolster Tech Talent Pipeline”
MVCA Report Reveals Strengths, Weaknesses of MI’s Capital Community
The Michigan Venture Capital Association (MVCA) hosted a town hall meeting in downtown Detroit Tuesday to discuss the contents of its annual report, which takes a deep dive into the state’s venture investing ecosystem to get a sense of the current landscape and how it compares not only to past years, but the rest of … Continue reading “MVCA Report Reveals Strengths, Weaknesses of MI’s Capital Community”
Roundup: Ford, SPLT, Digital Divas, Invest Michigan, & More
Here’s a look at startup and innovation news from around Michigan: —Ford recently began a 10-year transformation of its Dearborn headquarters with the goal of creating a “modern, green, and high-tech campus to foster innovation and help drive the company’s transition to an auto and a mobility company,” according to a press release. The 60-year-old … Continue reading “Roundup: Ford, SPLT, Digital Divas, Invest Michigan, & More”
MSU Highlights New Campus-Born Technologies, Names Conquer Cohort
Michigan State University hosted an event last Thursday highlighting its most promising innovations, inventors, and spin-out startups, as well as the first cohort for its new Conquer Accelerator. Charlie Hasemann, the university’s assistant vice president for innovation and economic development and director of MSU’s Innovation Center, emphasized the highlighted technologies’ impact on the community at … Continue reading “MSU Highlights New Campus-Born Technologies, Names Conquer Cohort”
Blue Cross Invests in Hygieia, Partners on Diabetes Management Pilot
Insurance provider Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, in its quest for better and cheaper patient care, has formed a new partnership with Ann Arbor, MI-based startup Hygieia. As part of the arrangement, Blue Cross will invest an undisclosed amount in the company, which has developed a digital insulin guidance system called d-Nav, and launch … Continue reading “Blue Cross Invests in Hygieia, Partners on Diabetes Management Pilot”