TernPro, the Detroit-based startup developing collaboration software called Slope, announced this week that it has closed on a round of seed funding worth $395,000. Slope’s investors include Bizdom, Venture for America, and angels based in Michigan, New York, and Ohio. The team behind Slope, which allows marketing and creative teams to store, organize, and collaborate … Continue reading “TernPro’s $395K Seed Round to Push Collaboration Software to Market”
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."
Armune Bioscience Develops First Cancer-Specific Prostate Test
Armune Bioscience, the Kalamazoo-based cancer diagnostic startup, has developed what it calls “the world’s only tumor-specific, non-PSA blood test designed to help doctors detect prostate cancer.” Called Apifiny, the test is now available nationally as the company works to get the word out to clinicians that it believes it has developed a better way to … Continue reading “Armune Bioscience Develops First Cancer-Specific Prostate Test”
Roundup: MCWT, Blackstone LaunchPad, Court Innovations, Prix & More
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: —The Michigan Council of Women in Technology (MCWT) has announced its annual scholarship awards for female students pursuing computer science. This year, the nonprofit awarded a record 22 young women with scholarships or laptops. Sponsors such as the FCA Foundation and CMS Energy increased support … Continue reading “Roundup: MCWT, Blackstone LaunchPad, Court Innovations, Prix & More”
Michigan Pre-Seed Fund 2.0 Invests $325K in Five Startups
The Michigan Pre-Seed Fund 2.0 (MPSF), a $6.8 million statewide investment fund that backs early-stage technology companies, has announced its latest batch of capital deployments. The five companies receiving a total of $325,000 range from an Ann Arbor startup that has developed a smart skylight, to a new online tool for college students looking for … Continue reading “Michigan Pre-Seed Fund 2.0 Invests $325K in Five Startups”
MGCS Highlights MI’s Strengths, Challenges, Need for More Capital
The 34th annual Michigan Growth Capital Symposium (MGCS) continues today in Ypsilanti, attracting venture capitalists and hot startups from around the region for a two-day conference where companies have a chance to pitch their ideas and network with potential investors. The keynote speech yesterday was delivered by Brad Keywell, a former metro Detroiter and University … Continue reading “MGCS Highlights MI’s Strengths, Challenges, Need for More Capital”
Can Billy Sims Revolutionize the Way the U.S. Sells Food to China?
It’s not every day I get an e-mail pitch that begins, “Hello, my name is Billy Sims, I am the 1978/ Heisman Trophy Winner and former all pro running back for the Detroit Lions.” As a lifelong Lions fan and a beast on the fantasy football field (ahem), I didn’t need any further prompting. We … Continue reading “Can Billy Sims Revolutionize the Way the U.S. Sells Food to China?”
Grand Angels President Talks Growth, Opportunities in MI
Grand Angels, one of Michigan’s most active angel investor organizations, has just released its annual report. The findings highlight the group’s decision to make more investments and refine its direction to encompass four market segments: life sciences; digital media, software and IT; advanced manufacturing and materials; and advanced technologies in agriculture and food. Since its … Continue reading “Grand Angels President Talks Growth, Opportunities in MI”
MI Roundup: WSU, 123Net, ArdentCause, Jacobs Media, GM
Here’s a look at recent news you may have missed from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: —Wayne State University and Blackstone LaunchPad will host the HackWSU event in Detroit on May 23. The 24-hour hackathon is open to all current high school and college students interested in writing Web-based software, creating mobile apps, or designing computer … Continue reading “MI Roundup: WSU, 123Net, ArdentCause, Jacobs Media, GM”
“RoboRoach” Startup Hopes Partners, TED Talk Help Usher In Profits
Backyard Brains, an Ann Arbor, MI-based startup founded by two neuroscientists from the University of Michigan, is making a name for itself by selling a plethora of fun, do-it-yourself science projects for budding makers and researchers—including what it calls the world’s first commercially available cyborg. If you’re picturing Arnold Schwarzenegger in “The Terminator,” think again: … Continue reading ““RoboRoach” Startup Hopes Partners, TED Talk Help Usher In Profits”
NEIdeas Seeks to Connect Detroit Businesses with Resources to Grow
When the New Economy Initiative (NEI) kicked off its NEIdeas initiative last year, almost 600 entrepreneurs from all corners of the city of Detroit applied for the chance to win seed money to grow their small businesses. The program is back for a second year, this time open to existing small businesses in Detroit, Hamtramck, … Continue reading “NEIdeas Seeks to Connect Detroit Businesses with Resources to Grow”
Manulith’s MakerOS: Faster, Cheaper 3D Printing Services from Detroit
3D printing has the potential to disrupt logistics and the way we fabricate and manufacture consumer goods. It also promises to take the basement or garage workshop to new heights. But until desktop 3D printers become more affordable and practical, where can do-it-yourself tinkerers or small businesses go to put 3D printing projects in motion? … Continue reading “Manulith’s MakerOS: Faster, Cheaper 3D Printing Services from Detroit”
MI Roundup: NextEnergy, Stratos, URC, Vectorform, Comcast
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: —NextEnergy, the Detroit-based nonprofit accelerating advanced energy technologies, has awarded a total of $295,000 to three companies as part of the Michigan Accelerating Technology (MATch) Energy Grant program. Navitas Advanced Solutions Group, from Ann Arbor, received $20,000 to support research on new electrode coating and … Continue reading “MI Roundup: NextEnergy, Stratos, URC, Vectorform, Comcast”
Detroit and Windsor Join Forces for Cross-Border Health IT Hackathon
Detroit’s first-ever, cross-border healthcare IT hackathon kicks off this evening, as teams from around Michigan and Canada gather at Wayne State University to develop their mobile app and startup ideas before they then spend the weekend refining them. On Sunday, the teams will pitch their ideas at a demo day; at stake is more than … Continue reading “Detroit and Windsor Join Forces for Cross-Border Health IT Hackathon”
Atomic Object Takes Off With $2.9M Expansion, Plans to Hire 33 People
Atomic Object, the software development firm headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI, with offices in Detroit and Ann Arbor, today announced that it is investing $2.9 million in an expansion and adding 33 jobs across the state. As part of the expansion, the company will move to a new, 11,000-square-foot office on Wealthy Street in downtown … Continue reading “Atomic Object Takes Off With $2.9M Expansion, Plans to Hire 33 People”
Grand Rapids Mobile Wallet App, Benefit, Snags $900K
Grand Rapids, MI-based mobile wallet app Benefit said Monday that it has closed on $900,000 in seed funding. Investors were officially undisclosed, but CEO Derik Lolli said they include Start Garden and various angel investors, most based in West Michigan. When Xconomy first covered Benefit in February 2014, the company was hoping to make school … Continue reading “Grand Rapids Mobile Wallet App, Benefit, Snags $900K”
Roundup: BoostUp, U-M, GSTV, SPARK-Ed, Business Leaders for MI
Here’s a look at news you may have missed from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: —Detroit-based BoostUp, a website that helps users save for big-ticket purchases such as homes and cars, announced last week that it has won a spot in the 2015 class at the REach accelerator in Chicago. The accelerator is part of Second … Continue reading “Roundup: BoostUp, U-M, GSTV, SPARK-Ed, Business Leaders for MI”
Four Midwestern Startups Win Global Auto Tech Contest at SAE Congress
As part of the SAE World Congress held in Detroit this week, the seventh annual Global Automotive Innovation Challenge was held in partnership with the MIT Alliance of Michigan and NextEnergy. The goal of the challenge was to bring new innovations to the industry, which has a notoriously long and often secretive product development cycle. … Continue reading “Four Midwestern Startups Win Global Auto Tech Contest at SAE Congress”
San Diego’s Achates Power Opens Metro Detroit Office
After gaining market traction with its opposed-piston engine, San Diego-based Achates Power is opening an office in Farmington Hills, MI, the company announced this week. The company made the move to be close to Michigan’s automotive and defense industries, Achates CEO David Johnson said. “We wanted to be close to our customers, our supply base, … Continue reading “San Diego’s Achates Power Opens Metro Detroit Office”
PowerMoves@Detroit Sees Fertile Ground to Seed Inclusive Innovation
Last week, the sprawling Techweek conference took over Detroit, and amidst the roster of activities, tech-celeb speakers, and after-parties, I was most impressed with the PowerMoves@Detroit event held downtown. PowerMoves@Detroit, which was sponsored by Morgan Stanley and hosted by Invest Detroit and the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), showcased local and nationally recruited minority entrepreneurs participating … Continue reading “PowerMoves@Detroit Sees Fertile Ground to Seed Inclusive Innovation”
Roundup: Improve Detroit, DTX, GM, Zagster, U-M Life Sci Institute
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: —Detroiters, rejoice: The city recently released the new Improve Detroit app, which allows residents to report problems like potholes, illegal dumping, and water main breaks to city officials. The app also connects to the police department, the city’s bus system, and the water department. Users … Continue reading “Roundup: Improve Detroit, DTX, GM, Zagster, U-M Life Sci Institute”
GreenLancer Snags $5 Million in New Investment, Plans Further Growth
GreenLancer, the Detroit-based contract solar design and permitting startup, announced this week that it has raised $5 million in a Series B round from a syndicate of new and returning investors. (For its 2013 Series B round, the company’s investors included BlueWater Angels, the Northern Michigan Angels, Start Garden, and the Detroit-based Bizdom accelerator.) The … Continue reading “GreenLancer Snags $5 Million in New Investment, Plans Further Growth”
Duo Security: (Big) New Money, New Platform, New Offices
Duo Security, the Ann Arbor, MI-based startup developing two-factor authentication tools to protect businesses from hackers, announced this week that it has raised $30 million in a Series C round led by Redpoint Ventures. Duo co-founder and CTO Jon Oberheide said the round included follow-on participation from previous investors such as Google Ventures, Resonant Venture … Continue reading “Duo Security: (Big) New Money, New Platform, New Offices”
Fetchnotes Co-Founder on Mobile Collaboration, Acquisition by Driftt
Buoyed by $15 million in venture funding, Cambridge, MA-based Driftt announced this week that it has acquired Ann Arbor-born startup Fetchnotes. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Fetchnotes co-founder and CEO Alex Schiff confirmed that it’s purely a technology acquisition; none of the Fetchnotes team will join Driftt. In 2012, Fetchnotes was … Continue reading “Fetchnotes Co-Founder on Mobile Collaboration, Acquisition by Driftt”
Seattle’s UIEvolution Opens Ann Arbor Office to Grow Auto Business
UIEvolution, based in Kirkland, WA, makes a technology platform for application delivery, branding, and marketing across screens found everywhere from connected cars to cruise ships. Earlier this month, it announced it has opened an office in Ann Arbor, MI, to service its automotive customers. UIEvolution was established in 2000 as a mobile app company “way … Continue reading “Seattle’s UIEvolution Opens Ann Arbor Office to Grow Auto Business”
Women Rising Offers a More Intimate Approach to Tech Networking
Kate Catlin is a former Venture for America fellow and Grand Circus employee who has decided to stay in Detroit and make a go of it. Her first venture, Assemble, didn’t really pan out, so she’s onto the next project: an organization for women in business and tech called Women Rising. Though its goal is … Continue reading “Women Rising Offers a More Intimate Approach to Tech Networking”
NextEnergy, U-M Gear Up for 2nd Energy and Transportation Bootcamp
When the Steve Blank-designed I-Corps program was started by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2012, its purpose was to teach university researchers to think like entrepreneurs and help them bring their inventions to market. The University of Michigan’s Center for Entrepreneurship heads the state’s I-Corps program, and now it has renewed a partnership with … Continue reading “NextEnergy, U-M Gear Up for 2nd Energy and Transportation Bootcamp”
Payment Scholar Wants to Take the Pain Out of K-12 School Paperwork
Parents: When was the last time you spent the evening filling out forms for your kid’s classes or activities? Chances are, it was a one-off form with no opportunity to save the basic information to be used again in the future. Payment Scholar, a Detroit-based startup, is on a mission to save parents time by … Continue reading “Payment Scholar Wants to Take the Pain Out of K-12 School Paperwork”
Inforum Aims to Give Women in Tech the Confidence and Skills to Grow
Like most women involved with the tech industry, I cringed when I read about Ellen Pao’s discrimination suit against Kleiner Perkins, perhaps the most storied venture capital firm in Silicon Valley. I have experienced what they call “soft sexism” throughout my career, and in different sectors—not just tech—and many of Pao’s allegations rang true for … Continue reading “Inforum Aims to Give Women in Tech the Confidence and Skills to Grow”
MI Roundup: LevelEleven, A2Tech Job Fair, MTAM, MSU & More
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: — Detroit-based LevelEleven, a sales performance platform that employs gamification to stoke competition, headed to Mountain View, CA, last week to compete in Google’s national demo day on April 2. The company was selected to pitch (out of 60 applicants) at Google’s Detroit demo day … Continue reading “MI Roundup: LevelEleven, A2Tech Job Fair, MTAM, MSU & More”
Bankrate Acquires Detroit-Based Credit Monitoring Company Quizzle
Bankrate, the New York-based aggregator and publisher of online content about personal finance, announced yesterday that it acquired the Detroit credit-monitoring company Quizzle. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Quizzle was part of the “family of companies” under the Quicken Loans umbrella, created in 2008 as a special project by the marketing team … Continue reading “Bankrate Acquires Detroit-Based Credit Monitoring Company Quizzle”
Seamless Accelerator to Nurture Next Generation of Connected Devices
Rick DeVos, Amway heir and founder of ArtPrize and Start Garden, is backing a new venture in Grand Rapids, MI: an Internet of Things accelerator. A member of the Techstars Global Accelerator Network, the Seamless Accelerator has forged partnerships with Michigan-based corporations that mostly manufacture or design things, DeVos said. Companies participating as partners in … Continue reading “Seamless Accelerator to Nurture Next Generation of Connected Devices”
Algal Scientific Scores $7M Series B, Expands in Animal Health
Algal Scientific, a Plymouth, MI-based startup focused on developing algae-based chemicals to improve animal feed and human nutrition, announced this week that it has raised a $7 million Series B round. The round was led by Formation 8, with participation from Evonik Industries and Independence Equity, all of whom have invested in Algal Scientific in … Continue reading “Algal Scientific Scores $7M Series B, Expands in Animal Health”
Detroit Hackathon: Tech Talent Pipeline Just Getting Started
At the hackathon in Detroit Friday sponsored by Ford and #YesWeCode, the excitement was palpable. MSNBC was broadcasting live, kids from Detroit-area middle schools armed with dry-erase pens and sticky notes were busy brainstorming app ideas, and local dignitaries were passing through, some observing fruits of their sponsorship. At one point just after lunch, United … Continue reading “Detroit Hackathon: Tech Talent Pipeline Just Getting Started”
MI Angel Fund Invests $1.7M in Arborlight to Speed Commercialization
I hear and see a lot of startup ideas, but few have impressed me like Arborlight’s LightWell indoor lighting product. Imagine very real-seeming daylight illuminating the center of a windowless office building, as if a skylight and clear weather were conspiring to improve your mood. The company’s potential was instantly clear. It seems the Michigan … Continue reading “MI Angel Fund Invests $1.7M in Arborlight to Speed Commercialization”
Ford STEAM Lab, #YesWeCode Collaborate on Hackathon in Detroit
A few weeks ago, I was talking with the team behind Growth Strats, a Detroit-based consultancy that aims to create a nationwide model for incubating new ventures from urban entrepreneurs. All of the Growth Strats co-founders happen to be men of color. I asked the Growth Strats partners about access to capital and resources, and … Continue reading “Ford STEAM Lab, #YesWeCode Collaborate on Hackathon in Detroit”
ArborMetrix Joins Michigan Consortium to Help Analyze Genetic Tests
ArborMetrix, the Ann Arbor company using private, cloud-based analytics to help healthcare providers improve care, has experienced a lot of growth since Xconomy first profiled it in 2012. Back then, the company was in an office out on Plymouth Road with 21 employees; today, it has more than doubled its staff and it has a … Continue reading “ArborMetrix Joins Michigan Consortium to Help Analyze Genetic Tests”
TernPro Plans to Perfect New Software in Microsoft Ventures Program
The latest cohort at the Microsoft Ventures accelerator in Seattle is dedicated to innovating in the business enterprise space, and, after a competitive application process, a Detroit startup has been selected to participate—a first for Motor City entrepreneurs. Slope is a new software offering from the TernPro team, and Brian Bosche said it’s meant to … Continue reading “TernPro Plans to Perfect New Software in Microsoft Ventures Program”
U-M Research Spending Tops $1.3 Billion, More Collaborations Planned
The University of Michigan today announced that it spent more than $1.3 billion on research last fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2014. That amount was slightly less than the nearly $1.4 billion in research spending the previous year, but it keeps U-M among the top-spending public universities in the nation when it comes to … Continue reading “U-M Research Spending Tops $1.3 Billion, More Collaborations Planned”
WaitTime Evolves to Give Stadiums Tools For a Better Fan Experience
Last year, as the orange, white, and blue-clad masses celebrated the Detroit Tigers home opener, Xconomy reported on a local startup called WaitTime that aimed to provide up-to-the-minute information on the length of beer and bathroom lines for attendees of concerts and sporting events. We checked in with WaitTime’s founder, Zachary Klima, to find out … Continue reading “WaitTime Evolves to Give Stadiums Tools For a Better Fan Experience”
U-M Spinout Imbio Uses Big Data to Improve COPD Diagnostics
Cynthia Maier, CEO of the University of Michigan spinout startup Imbio, is fond of saying her company bridges the gap between bench and bedside when it comes to biomarker imaging and how it can be used to map disease. “In the healthcare space, you have all of these images coming off scanners, and a radiologist … Continue reading “U-M Spinout Imbio Uses Big Data to Improve COPD Diagnostics”
Dyson Bets $15M on Sakti3’s “World-Beating” Battery Technology
Two years ago, Sakti3 co-founder Ann Marie Sastry told the crowd at Xconomy’s Mobile Madness Motor City conference that consumer electronics is the next frontier for solid-state lithium batteries like the the kind her company was producing. That prediction seems to have played out in yesterday’s news that Dyson—the global manufacturer of vacuum cleaners, fans, … Continue reading “Dyson Bets $15M on Sakti3’s “World-Beating” Battery Technology”
Roundup: HelloWorld, Blackstone, MI Celebrates Small Business & More
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: —HelloWorld, the digital marketing company formerly known as ePrize, is in the midst of a flurry of changes. A new CEO, Peter DeNunzio, joined the company a few months ago; HelloWorld has also added a new COO, CTO, and CCO in the past six months. … Continue reading “Roundup: HelloWorld, Blackstone, MI Celebrates Small Business & More”
Detroit’s Ash & Anvil Offers Clothes for Hard-to-Fit Shorter Guys
If your body type deviates from “standard” proportions for your age or gender, it can be challenging to find clothes that fit off the rack. That frustration has led to a new, Detroit-based online clothing store for “shorter guys” called Ash & Anvil. Its founders hope to get it off the ground in partnership with … Continue reading “Detroit’s Ash & Anvil Offers Clothes for Hard-to-Fit Shorter Guys”
Ex-TechTown Head Hopes Collaboration Will Help All American Cities
Xconomy reported last month that Leslie Smith is departing her position leading the TechTown incubator in Detroit and heading to Memphis, TN, to run the Entrepreneurship Powered Innovation Center, a public-private initiative to create and support 1,000 entrepreneurs and 500 companies by 2025. I caught up with Smith on her last day at TechTown, and … Continue reading “Ex-TechTown Head Hopes Collaboration Will Help All American Cities”
Study: Most Auto Execs Not Ready for Industry’s Coming Tech Changes
Results from the third annual EY (formerly known as Ernst & Young) survey of the automotive industry were released last week at the Geneva Motor Show, and, paradoxically, they’re both not surprising and a little alarming. According to the Changing Lanes report, 88 percent of auto executives do not have the confidence to implement data … Continue reading “Study: Most Auto Execs Not Ready for Industry’s Coming Tech Changes”
The LifeBrush: A Smart Toothbrush and Dental Scheduling App in One
Imagine a smart toothbrush that could tell you what part of your mouth requires extra brushing or could contact your dentist to schedule an appointment. If Ann Arbor-based Click Care succeeds with its recently launched IndieGoGo campaign, that will soon be a reality. The company was created last year after co-founder Stacy Hawkins had a … Continue reading “The LifeBrush: A Smart Toothbrush and Dental Scheduling App in One”
Vectorform, DTE Team Up to Launch “Fitbit for Your House”
This week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Royal Oak, MI-based software development firm Vectorform and utility company DTE Energy announced they are forming a new venture called Powerley to capitalize on the in-home Internet of Things trend. Powerley has created a “customizable, real-time home energy management platform for utility companies” that will use … Continue reading “Vectorform, DTE Team Up to Launch “Fitbit for Your House””
Ford Takes Multi-Modal Mobility to New Level with e-Bike Experiment
With the advent of the next-generation car services, as well as Millennials’ apparent distaste for driving and car ownership, automobile manufacturers are being forced to rethink century-old business models. Many of them are exploring car-sharing, public transportation, and, now, electric bikes. This week, at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Ford announced that it is … Continue reading “Ford Takes Multi-Modal Mobility to New Level with e-Bike Experiment”
Ann Arbor’s Stratos Launches “Industry First” Connected Payment Card
At long last, Ann Arbor-based Stratos, formerly known as Protean Payment, today launched its Bluetooth Connected Card, which it describes as an industry first in the realm of financial technology and mobile wallets. “It’s exciting to finally be able to show people,” says Stratos CEO Thiago Olson. “Inside the Stratos card, we’ve packed an entire … Continue reading “Ann Arbor’s Stratos Launches “Industry First” Connected Payment Card”
Roundup: Comcast Business, Start Garden, JEMS, Delphinius & More
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: —Are you an entrepreneur in need of a cash infusion? Comcast Business is giving away up to $30,000 to a startup in need in each of its 16 regional districts through its Innovations 4 Entrepreneurs contest. Applicants have until March 15 to submit a 250-word … Continue reading “Roundup: Comcast Business, Start Garden, JEMS, Delphinius & More”