Ann Arbor, MI-based agtech company FarmLogs has been one of the fastest-growing startups in the state since its launch in 2012. Last month, it closed a $22 million Series C round led by Naspers Ventures, a global investing giant focused on companies addressing big societal needs in high-growth markets. FarmLogs has developed software that enables … Continue reading “FarmLogs Co-Founder on Growth, Agronomics, and U.S. Ag Policy”
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."
Roundup: B-Start, Givelify, Notre Dame Turbomachinery Lab & More
Here’s a look at innovation news from across Indiana: —Three Indiana University students won the top spots at a recent demo day competition hosted by B-Start, the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation‘s accelerator program. Zachary Burr snagged first place ($2,500) for Tydee Laundry, an on-demand laundry service; Christopher Podlaski won second place ($1,500) for Plant Software, an automated scheduling … Continue reading “Roundup: B-Start, Givelify, Notre Dame Turbomachinery Lab & More”
Royal Oak Man Beats Staggering Odds to Win FourPlay’s $1M Prize
In September, we profiled FourPlay Football, a Birmingham, MI-based startup that billed itself as an alternative to weekly fantasy leagues by giving participants the chance to predict the winner of four NFL or NCAA football matchups in any given week instead of managing a full roster of players for the season’s duration. Co-founder Jeff Johnson … Continue reading “Royal Oak Man Beats Staggering Odds to Win FourPlay’s $1M Prize”
Torchlite Helps Businesses Access, Manage Marketing Freelancers
Susan Marshall, founder and CEO of digital marketing startup Torchlite, has been working in the technology sector for about 25 years. Her experience is mostly in product development and marketing, and she’s worked for some of the most innovative companies in the world, including Apple, Salesforce, and Adobe. With Indianapolis-based Torchlite, Marshall has set her … Continue reading “Torchlite Helps Businesses Access, Manage Marketing Freelancers”
AB BioTechnologies Invests $10.5M to Build Manufacturing Facility
AB BioTechnologies, the Bloomington, IN-based drug development and services company, announced last month that it will invest $10.5 million to build a new 23,000-square-foot facility. The expansion signals a new direction for the company: It plans to add manufacturing capabilities and help clients “advance their drugs from concept to clinic under one roof,” says CEO … Continue reading “AB BioTechnologies Invests $10.5M to Build Manufacturing Facility”
Microsoft Moving Michigan Tech Center to Downtown Detroit
Bedrock Detroit, the real estate company tied to Quicken Loans chairman Dan Gilbert, announced today that it has successfully lured Microsoft to downtown Detroit. The Redmond, WA-based technology giant (NASDAQ: [[ticker:MSFT]]) has maintained a 52,000-square-foot tech center in Southfield, a suburb of Detroit, since 2010. But Microsoft’s planned 2018 relocation to the Motor City is being … Continue reading “Microsoft Moving Michigan Tech Center to Downtown Detroit”
Perceivant Using Edtech to Bring Health and Wellness to College Kids
In 2012, after Brian Rowe sold the analytics company he co-owned, iGoDigital, to ExactTarget for $21 million, he knew he wanted to move on to a new adventure in the startup realm. He just wasn’t sure what it would be. “I wanted to do something where I could use my strong analytics background, but I … Continue reading “Perceivant Using Edtech to Bring Health and Wellness to College Kids”
Purdue Foundry Helps University-Bred Startups Find Path to Market
Greg Deason, the Purdue Foundry’s senior vice president and director of innovation and entrepreneurship, has been in the technology transfer business a long time. Before coming to the Foundry, which is the entity tasked with ushering startups spun out of the university’s research and inventions to market, Deason spent 20 years building Purdue’s five research … Continue reading “Purdue Foundry Helps University-Bred Startups Find Path to Market”
In Bid to Go National, Court Innovations Launches Capital Campaign
Court Innovations, a startup spun out of the University of Michigan’s law school, has steadily grown since it publicly launched in 2015. The company, whose software helps people resolve traffic tickets and other minor civil infractions online or via smartphone app, is using an innovative new model to raise capital as it prepares to expand. … Continue reading “In Bid to Go National, Court Innovations Launches Capital Campaign”
Purdue Spinout VinSense Brings Big Data to the Terroir
Although the juice of fermented grapes has been a popular libation for centuries, wine is having a bit of a pop culture moment. Millennials apparently can’t get enough of the stuff. According to Beverage Dynamics, they quaffed 159.6 million cases of wine in 2015, while Baby Boomers sipped just over 114 million. And, perhaps inspired … Continue reading “Purdue Spinout VinSense Brings Big Data to the Terroir”
Connected Cars, Cheap Rides, Deadlines to Apply & More MI Tech News
Here’s a look at tech and innovation news from around Michigan: —A University of Michigan startup called Cart is piloting a new service that offers low-cost rides to Detroit residents who want to go grocery shopping. Shoppers that live within five miles of one of Meijer’s two Detroit locations can pay $10 for a round-trip ride … Continue reading “Connected Cars, Cheap Rides, Deadlines to Apply & More MI Tech News”
Purdue’s On Target Laboratories Lights Up the Fight Against Cancer
I have something in common with Sumith Kularatne, vice president of research and development for On Target Laboratories: We both lost our grandfathers to cancer at an early age. My grandpa, William Bobier, had colon cancer back in the days before regular colonoscopies were a standard part of preventative care. During the oppressively humid summer … Continue reading “Purdue’s On Target Laboratories Lights Up the Fight Against Cancer”
Fresh Off Another Banner Year, U-M Tech Transfer Looks Ahead to 2017
In 2016, the University of Michigan’s Office of Technology Transfer, which is tasked with bringing the school’s inventions and startups to market, had another banner year: $23 million in licensing revenues and a record 173 licensing agreements. With fresh leadership at U-M’s Venture Center; programs stoking innovation, such as Train the Trainers; and an increasing … Continue reading “Fresh Off Another Banner Year, U-M Tech Transfer Looks Ahead to 2017”
Roundup: 2016 VC Activity, Expansions, Hiring News, Fun Reads & More
Here’s a look at innovation news from around Indiana: —According to an analysis by TechPoint, a nonprofit organization promoting and accelerating the growth of Indiana’s tech industry, the latest PriceWaterhouseCoopers MoneyTree report indicates the state had a “banner year” in 2016 in terms of venture capital funding and acquisitions. The report found that 23 deals were … Continue reading “Roundup: 2016 VC Activity, Expansions, Hiring News, Fun Reads & More”
Kellogg’s VC Fund Bets on Superfood Trend with Kuli Kuli Investment
My sister has worked as a food scientist, inventing new crackers and cookies, for a number of different corporations over her 15-year career. Because of that, I’ve been involved in many exceptionally nerdy discussions about global food trends and how what we eat gets made, and I’ve picked up a few fun tidbits along the way. … Continue reading “Kellogg’s VC Fund Bets on Superfood Trend with Kuli Kuli Investment”
Detroit Expansions, Tumor Sequencing, and More Local Innovation News
Here’s a look at innovation news from around Michigan: —Avomeen Analytical Services, a research and chemical testing lab based in Ann Arbor, was recently acquired by High Street Capital. The terms were not disclosed. The 22-person company, which launched in 2010, does R&D and chemical analysis for customers in a variety of sectors, including pharma, manufacturing, … Continue reading “Detroit Expansions, Tumor Sequencing, and More Local Innovation News”
Text Me: ClearScholar Grabs $1.25M for App to Engage College Kids
When Jason Konesco worked as president of Harrison College in Indianapolis, he grew dismayed with graduation rate trends. Twenty years ago, the United States was first in the world for college graduations, he notes, while today that ranking has slipped to 13th. The National Center for Education found that only 59 percent of first-time, full-time … Continue reading “Text Me: ClearScholar Grabs $1.25M for App to Engage College Kids”
OPS Solutions Uses Augmented Reality to Boost Manufacturing Process
As the development of robots and other autonomous technologies continues to gather steam, you’ll be hearing a lot more about augmented reality, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence. In Rust Belt regions like Southeast Michigan, we’re beginning to see these nascent innovations intersect with the manufacturing sector, and the result is promising industrial tech. OPS Solutions, … Continue reading “OPS Solutions Uses Augmented Reality to Boost Manufacturing Process”
Spensa’s Cloud-Based Technology Helps Farmers Automate Pest Control
Although agriculture is an ancient endeavor requiring little more than seeds, sunlight, and water, new technologies are helping commercial growers to be more efficient and prolific than ever. Spensa Technologies, a Purdue University spinout startup, is aiming to change the way pests are managed with an automated, connected device called Z-Trap 1. Commercially available for … Continue reading “Spensa’s Cloud-Based Technology Helps Farmers Automate Pest Control”
Military Families, Seniors in MA and IN to Test Major Healthcare Reform
Seniors in Massachusetts, Indiana, and Pennsylvania, as well as military families across the nation, will soon get the opportunity to test a major healthcare reform developed by faculty at the University of Michigan. Called Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID), the new approach to insurance coverage departs from the current “one-size-fits-all” system, in which people pay standard … Continue reading “Military Families, Seniors in MA and IN to Test Major Healthcare Reform”
Karamba Aims to Prevent Autonomous Car Hacks Before They Happen
Not so many years ago, self-driving cars seemed like little more than science fiction—a cool idea, but too difficult to translate into practical, everyday use. But as autonomous vehicles come closer to becoming a reality, the question is not if, it’s when. However, there are still a few major challenges to overcome before driverless cars … Continue reading “Karamba Aims to Prevent Autonomous Car Hacks Before They Happen”
Diabetes Study, Hiring News, Growth Mileposts, & More Local Tech News
Here’s a look at innovation news from around the state: —The Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI) last week announced a new partnership with Eli Lilly, Roche Diagnostics, the Regenstrief Institute, and Indiana University’s School of Medicine aiming to better understand how type 2 diabetes varies in different patients—which is the first step in finding new targets … Continue reading “Diabetes Study, Hiring News, Growth Mileposts, & More Local Tech News”
Ann Arbor’s MySwimPro Named Apple Watch App of the Year
As we head into the holiday weekend, it’s always nice to share happy local startup news—especially during a year as tumultuous as 2016: Apple has chosen Ann Arbor, MI-based MySwimPro as the year’s top Apple Watch app. “We definitely weren’t expecting to win anything like that,” says CEO Fares Ksebati. “When you’re trying to build a … Continue reading “Ann Arbor’s MySwimPro Named Apple Watch App of the Year”
Mimir Aims to Streamline Computer Science Instruction, Tech Hiring
When Prahasith Veluvolu and a couple of buddies from Park Tudor High School matriculated at Purdue University three years ago, they decided to shut down the Web consulting business they had been running out of their childhood bedrooms. Ending their consulting gig wasn’t enough to banish the startup bug, however, so Veluvolu and his friends—Jacobi … Continue reading “Mimir Aims to Streamline Computer Science Instruction, Tech Hiring”
Amazon, Stryker to Expand and Add Over 1,000 Jobs Combined in Michigan
There was a time not so long ago in Michigan when economic development agencies began to move away from the grand corporate expansion press conferences that were a hallmark of Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s administration. Instead, smaller and more low-key announcements that didn’t appear to always favor big manufacturers or pet industries—a common criticism lobbed at … Continue reading “Amazon, Stryker to Expand and Add Over 1,000 Jobs Combined in Michigan”
Lilly Endowment Awards $6M to Conexus Indiana for Workforce Programs
According to Conexus, Indiana is the most manufacturing-intensive state per capita in the nation, yet the emergence of new technologies continues to bring significant change to the industry. To help prepare young people for these shifts, Conexus, the state’s initiative to bolster advanced manufacturing and logistics, oversees educational and outreach programs supporting workforce development. Last … Continue reading “Lilly Endowment Awards $6M to Conexus Indiana for Workforce Programs”
Nokia’s Acquisition of Deepfield a Big Win for Ann Arbor’s IT Industry
Finnish telecom giant Nokia today announced it has acquired Ann Arbor, MI-based Deepfield, an IP network performance management and security startup. The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Deepfield was co-founded in 2011 by Craig Labovitz, formerly the chief scientist at Arbor Networks, a Burlington, MA-based company that grew from being a DARPA-funded research project at … Continue reading “Nokia’s Acquisition of Deepfield a Big Win for Ann Arbor’s IT Industry”
BidPal Raises $6M to Support Growth, Hiring, and Product Development
Indianapolis-based BidPal, a startup focused on mobile bidding and fundraising software for nonprofits, announced this week that is has raised new capital: $3.5 million in new cash from returning investors MK Capital and Allos Ventures, and $2.5 million available to borrow at any time from Square 1 Bank in California. “All of it represents working … Continue reading “BidPal Raises $6M to Support Growth, Hiring, and Product Development”
Callida Energy, RideHop Win NextEnergy’s Smart Cities Challenge
As autonomous technologies, the Internet of Things, and big data begin to shape the way we interact with the world around us, we’ll have more technological tools to tackle challenges related to safety, mobility, emissions, accessibility, and congestion. Last week, those tools were on display as part of Detroit nonprofit NextEnergy‘s 2016 Smart Cities competition … Continue reading “Callida Energy, RideHop Win NextEnergy’s Smart Cities Challenge”
After Chaotic Three-Year Journey, Zipline’s Video-Editing App is Live
When Zipline CEO Aaron Peabody was a student at Indiana Wesleyan University, he decided it would be fun to create an app. He was sitting in his dorm room one night a few years ago when he had a flash of inspiration, so Peabody called Keven Tillman, a buddy who lived on the same floor, … Continue reading “After Chaotic Three-Year Journey, Zipline’s Video-Editing App is Live”
U-M Unveils Autonomous Shuttle as Snyder Signs Driverless Car Bills
Today, Michigan took another step toward its goal of being a global hub for the development of autonomous vehicles when the University of Michigan unveiled a 15-passenger driverless shuttle. Separately, Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation easing regulations for testing autonomous technologies down the road at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn. U-M’s electric shuttle, … Continue reading “U-M Unveils Autonomous Shuttle as Snyder Signs Driverless Car Bills”
IU Researchers Create Tools to Track and Combat Fake News
We’re now living in an era where, thanks to the Internet, we have easier access to more raw information than at any other time in the planet’s history. Yet, despite these reams of data, the presence of facts has seemingly never mattered less in public discourse. Now, a team at Indiana University is hard at … Continue reading “IU Researchers Create Tools to Track and Combat Fake News”
MI Roundup: BlueWater Angels, Hygieia, FastTrack Awards, Grand Circus & More
Here’s a look at innovation news across Michigan: —Thanks to a $20,000 grant from the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan‘s Detroit Auto Dealer’s Association Fund, Grand Circus is teaching after-school coding classes to local kids as part of the Detroit Boxing Gym Youth Program. The twice-weekly classes began in November, will teach a range of … Continue reading “MI Roundup: BlueWater Angels, Hygieia, FastTrack Awards, Grand Circus & More”
Coming in 2017: The Union, Downtown Indy’s Massive New Tech Space
John Hurley, CEO of SmartFile and a partner in The Union, is very clear about what his newly announced downtown venture is not: a co-working space. Instead, he envisions The Union to be a hub of offices located in the 122,000-square-foot Brougher Building created to appeal to tech startups on the brink of serious growth. … Continue reading “Coming in 2017: The Union, Downtown Indy’s Massive New Tech Space”
Tetra Discovery Raises $10M Series A, Advances Alzheimer’s Drug
Alzheimer’s drug research has been a fraught area of medicine lately. With last week’s failure of Eli Lilly’s high-profile Phase 3 study of solanezumab, an experimental Alzheimer’s drug, arguably the most promising treatment in development for the memory loss disease is no longer headed to market. The trial’s failure also “puts a dent” in the … Continue reading “Tetra Discovery Raises $10M Series A, Advances Alzheimer’s Drug”
Bluebridge Sells Business Units for $8M to Focus on Emplify’s Growth
Bluebridge, a Fishers, IN-based software company specializing in mobile apps for churches, employers, and tourism entities, announced last week that it sold off two of its business units in order to devote its energy to Emplify, its fast-growing employee engagement app. PushPay‘s e-church division, based in Redmond, WA, acquired Bluebridge Churches, while Tucson, AZ’s Simpleview … Continue reading “Bluebridge Sells Business Units for $8M to Focus on Emplify’s Growth”
MSU Foundation Invests $5M in Red Cedar Ventures Fund
Michigan State University faculty and students working to get their startups to market have a new tool in their arsenal: Red Cedar Ventures, a $5 million fund created by the MSU Foundation. Dave Washburn, executive director of the MSU Foundation, says Red Cedar Ventures will deploy money to university entrepreneurs or those commercializing university inventions … Continue reading “MSU Foundation Invests $5M in Red Cedar Ventures Fund”
Tech Growth Stats, Assembly Bio, HomeAdvisor & More Indiana News
Here’s a look at innovation news from around Indiana: —Indianapolis-based Assembly Biosciences announced last week that it has launched Phase 1a/b clinical trials for ABI-H0731, its oral therapeutic for treating chronic hepatitis B virus infection (HBV). Assembly aims to improve on the current low cure rates for chronic HBV by targeting the disease’s core protein … Continue reading “Tech Growth Stats, Assembly Bio, HomeAdvisor & More Indiana News”
In Trump’s America, Does Immigration Remain an Engine for Growth?
There are plenty of constituencies looking ahead to Donald Trump’s presidency with trepidation, but perhaps none more so than immigrants. The words inscribed on the Statue of Liberty may call for the rest of the world to send us their huddled masses yearning to breathe free, but many in the American electorate apparently feel differently. … Continue reading “In Trump’s America, Does Immigration Remain an Engine for Growth?”
BidPal’s Online Tools Help Nonprofits on Giving Tuesday and Beyond
BidPal, the Indianapolis-based startup behind mobile bidding and fundraising software for nonprofits, has established an online resource center just in time for upcoming #GivingTuesday campaigns. (More on Giving Tuesday below.) Since its inception in 2008, the company has helped 2,800 organizations connect with more than 1 million donors to raise more than $1 billion. Karrie … Continue reading “BidPal’s Online Tools Help Nonprofits on Giving Tuesday and Beyond”
M-CAM Seeks to Bolster Michigan’s Advanced Manufacturing Workforce
During the turbulent election season we all recently endured, a big topic of conversation was trade—specifically how certain policies such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) have harmed the domestic manufacturing sector and hollowed out the middle class. Among the many campaign promises made by President-elect Donald Trump was a pledge to renegotiate … Continue reading “M-CAM Seeks to Bolster Michigan’s Advanced Manufacturing Workforce”
Plymouth Ventures Leads Kinney Group’s Growth Funding Round
Indiana has become a hotbed of venture-backed startups developing technology to make businesses run smoother, whether that’s a social network for blue collar workers, or an automated training tool, or cloud optimization software. Last week, cloud software integrator Kinney Group, another Indianapolis-based startup working to improve business processes, announced it had raised a “multi-million growth … Continue reading “Plymouth Ventures Leads Kinney Group’s Growth Funding Round”
PERQ Raises $1.7M Seed Round, Plans to Conquer New Verticals Next
The advertising world has changed a lot since 2001, thanks mostly to the advent of new marketing technologies and changes in the ways people interact with brands. Social media has fundamentally altered customer engagement—in 2001, we didn’t have Friendster, let alone Facebook—and many of the companies that thrive today have a deep understanding of digital … Continue reading “PERQ Raises $1.7M Seed Round, Plans to Conquer New Verticals Next”
Genomenon, Brio Device Score $400K from U-M’s Biomedical Seed Fund
The University of Michigan’s Monroe-Brown Biomedical Seed Fund today announced inaugural investments in Genomenon and Brio Device, two biotech startups spun out of the university. Genomenon, a company developing diagnostics and discovery software to automate the organization of genomic sequencing data, received $250,000. Genomenon was a finalist at Detroit’s Google Demo Day pitch contest earlier … Continue reading “Genomenon, Brio Device Score $400K from U-M’s Biomedical Seed Fund”
WorkHere Aims to Be LinkedIn for Non-Cubicle Dwellers
In the current era, it’s almost a given that people working in so-called white collar jobs will maintain a LinkedIn account. Whether for the purpose of storing a resume, communicating with potential employers, or connecting to one’s professional network for help finding a job, LinkedIn has become the default online network for cubicle dwellers across … Continue reading “WorkHere Aims to Be LinkedIn for Non-Cubicle Dwellers”
Ridesharing Startup SPLT Wins Accelerate Michigan’s $500K Prize
SPLT, the Detroit-based enterprise carpooling service and graduate of the Techstars Mobility program, walked away with the $500,000 grand prize at this year’s Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition, the state’s largest annual startup event, held last week in Detroit. In an e-mail to supporters, SPLT CEO Anya Babbitt described the company’s reaction to the win: “Thursday night … Continue reading “Ridesharing Startup SPLT Wins Accelerate Michigan’s $500K Prize”
Roundup: IBRI, BioCrossroads, The Speak Easy, Indy’s Tech Boom & More
Here’s a look at innovation news from around Indiana: —The Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI) continues to build its core team as it ramps up operations. Earlier this month, the IBRI announced it has hired University of Notre Dame professor Nitesh Chawla to serve as the interim director of applied data sciences. Chawla, a professor … Continue reading “Roundup: IBRI, BioCrossroads, The Speak Easy, Indy’s Tech Boom & More”
Local Orbit Out to Boost Food Supply Chain for Farmers, Institutions
When Ann Arbor, MI’s Local Orbit first took root in 2010, founder and CEO Erika Block wanted a better way to connect local growers and food producers with restaurants and other commercial customers. Six years later, the company has both expanded and refined its focus to keep up with growing customer demand and challenges in … Continue reading “Local Orbit Out to Boost Food Supply Chain for Farmers, Institutions”
Lessonly’s Automated Learning Tool Helps Optimize Business Processes
In 2012, three Indianapolis entrepreneurs with IT backgrounds and ties to ExactTarget had the idea to create “an easy learning platform,” says Zach McFarlen, Lessonly’s director of brand and messaging. Co-founder Mike Fitzgerald, who was an ExactTarget executive before the company’s 2013 acquisition by Salesforce (NYSE: [[ticker:CRM]]), had been looking for a tool to create … Continue reading “Lessonly’s Automated Learning Tool Helps Optimize Business Processes”
Roundup: Naturalicious, Ford STEAM Lab, MedHealth Summit & More
Here’s a look at recent tech and innovation news from around Michigan: —Gwen Jimmere, founder of Detroit-based beauty startup Naturalicious, has been named one of the 100 most influential African Americans in the country by The Root. Jimmere started the company in 2013 out of her home in Canton. A single mother who had recently … Continue reading “Roundup: Naturalicious, Ford STEAM Lab, MedHealth Summit & More”