Growing up in East Lansing, MI, I wasn’t aware of the “invisible forcefield on US-23,” as TechTown Detroit’s executive-in-residence Gerry Roston eloquently phrases it, that acts as a barrier between Detroit and Ann Arbor. It seemed inconceivable to me that I, someone who grew up about 80 miles from Detroit, had visited the city more … Continue reading “Breaking Down Barriers: A Detroit-Ann Arbor Dinner Conversation”
Tag: Wayne State University
Roundup: Goldman Sachs, Hatch Detroit, Aging 2.0, U-M & More
Here’s a look at innovation news from around Michigan: —The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Initiative, a $20 million effort announced in 2013 that provides loans, business education, and grants to Detroit-area entrepreneurs, celebrated the graduation of 60 small-business owners at a reception at Wayne State University earlier this month. The graduates participated in more … Continue reading “Roundup: Goldman Sachs, Hatch Detroit, Aging 2.0, U-M & More”
Asterand Buys AdeptBio to Capitalize on Precision Medicine’s Rise
Asterand Bioscience, the Detroit, MI-based provider of biospecimens to drug discovery and research customers, announced it has acquired Memphis, TN-based AdeptBio, a biobank specializing in the custom procurement of human tissue samples. The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but John Canepa, Asterand’s COO and CFO, said the acquisition positions the company to better … Continue reading “Asterand Buys AdeptBio to Capitalize on Precision Medicine’s Rise”
Move West, Raise Cash: ProNAi’s Hot Streak Now Includes $138M IPO
When Xconomy last reported on ProNAi Therapeutics (NASDAQ: [[ticker:DNAI]]) in April 2014, the biotech developing cancer drugs based on DNA interference (DNAi) technology had just closed a Series D round of nearly $60 million. This week, ProNAi took to the public markets, raising $138 million in an initial public offering and watching its share price … Continue reading “Move West, Raise Cash: ProNAi’s Hot Streak Now Includes $138M IPO”
MI Roundup: Gilbert vs. Lacob, TierConnect, Detroit Materials & More
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: —Ann Arbor’s Plymouth Ventures announced this week that it has made a follow-on investment in 365 Retail Markets, a Troy-based startup that provides hardware and software to vending machine owners who are looking to cash in on a wave of the future: unmanned, miniature convenience … Continue reading “MI Roundup: Gilbert vs. Lacob, TierConnect, Detroit Materials & More”
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”
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”
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”
Seven Blackstone LaunchPad Ventures Win Best of MichBusiness Honors
Seven ventures from the Blackstone LaunchPad business development initiative at Walsh College in Troy, MI, have been recognized as up-and-coming startups by the Michigan Business and Professional Association (MBPA). As part of the MBPA’s Best of MichBusiness awards program, companies that make Michigan a good place to do business are honored. The LaunchPad program was created at … Continue reading “Seven Blackstone LaunchPad Ventures Win Best of MichBusiness Honors”
RetroSense Closer to Clinical Trials After Orphan Drug Designation
Recent action by the FDA has Ann Arbor, MI-based RetroSense Therapeutics looking to possible clinical trials next year for a gene therapy that could help people see better. The key ruling came last week when regulators granted orphan drug status to RST-001, which RetroSense is developing to restore vision for people affected by retinitis pigmentosa. … Continue reading “RetroSense Closer to Clinical Trials After Orphan Drug Designation”
$21M NIH Grant Will Help Detroit Colleges Improve STEM Diversity
True innovation doesn’t exist without diversity, experts say, so the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded a consortium of Detroit colleges $21.2 million over five years to encourage more underrepresented students to pursue careers in biomedical research. With the backing of the NIH funding, Wayne State University (WSU), University of Detroit Mercy (UDM), Marygrove … Continue reading “$21M NIH Grant Will Help Detroit Colleges Improve STEM Diversity”
$25M Gift from Urban Science Founder to Spur Entrepreneurship at WSU
Earlier this month, Wayne State University’s College of Engineering announced a $25 million gift to boost the entrepreneurial efforts of faculty and students in order to help drive Detroit’s revitalization. The gift to the university was made by alum Jim Anderson, founder of Urban Science, and his wife, Patricia. The investment will create the James … Continue reading “$25M Gift from Urban Science Founder to Spur Entrepreneurship at WSU”
Roundup: Mt. Elliott Makerspace, Rockwell Medical, Zell Lurie, More
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: —Last week, I spotted a headline that made my heart sink: The eastside Detroit church that houses the Mt. Elliott Makerspace is struggling, and the funds that support programs like the makerspace are nearly exhausted. I visited the church in April 2012 and wrote about … Continue reading “Roundup: Mt. Elliott Makerspace, Rockwell Medical, Zell Lurie, More”
URC Water Tour Highlights Michigan’s Blue Economy Opportunities
Forget about oil or gold. In a few decades, clean, fresh water might be the most valuable commodity in the world, and Michigan is preparing now to stake its claim on the coming bounty. The Great Lakes surrounding Michigan hold 18 percent of the world’s fresh water and 90 percent of the nation’s surface freshwater. … Continue reading “URC Water Tour Highlights Michigan’s Blue Economy Opportunities”
Detroit Materials Hopes to Reinvent Steel in America’s Car Capital
Good old-fashioned iron and steel helped make Detroit the powerhouse of 20th Century industrial America. A startup called Detroit Materials is hoping to lead a renaissance for these hardworking metals, backed by technology from Wayne State University. The company finalized a licensing agreement with WSU in June, allowing it to commercialize a kind of high-strength, … Continue reading “Detroit Materials Hopes to Reinvent Steel in America’s Car Capital”
Roundup: Accelerate MI, Beringea, Compuware, LevelEleven & More
Here’s a look at news from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: —I’ve publicly expressed my dismay toward lazy reporting about Detroit on the part of the national media, so it’s only fair to offer praise when praise is due. The New York Times took another foray into Detroit for a lengthy piece in the Times magazine … Continue reading “Roundup: Accelerate MI, Beringea, Compuware, LevelEleven & More”
MI Roundup: Contest Deadlines, Personnel Changes, New Investments, More
Here’s a look at news briefs from around Michigan’s innovation hubs: —Applications for the third annual Entrepreneur-YOU business plan competition are now being accepted from women-owned businesses or women with a hot startup idea. The competition will award cash prizes to six winners and coaching to 10 businesses, which includes advice on marketing, financial management, … Continue reading “MI Roundup: Contest Deadlines, Personnel Changes, New Investments, More”
Roundup: Ann Arbor SPARK, WSU, MCWT, Beringea, Start Garden, FarmLogs
Here’s a look at news from around Southeast Michigan’s innovation community: —Ann Arbor SPARK held its annual meeting yesterday at the University of Michigan’s North Campus Research Complex, where the business development organization detailed the results of its work over the past year. According to SPARK, its efforts netted $148 million in new investments committed … Continue reading “Roundup: Ann Arbor SPARK, WSU, MCWT, Beringea, Start Garden, FarmLogs”
Roundup: Aastrom, Gale, STEM summer camps, Beringea, HelloWorld
Here’s a look at news you may have missed from around Southeast Michigan’s innovation community: —Aastrom Biosciences (NASDAQ:[[ticker:ASTM]]) has appointed Ross Tubo as chief scientific officer and David Recker as chief medical officer. Tubo was formerly vice president of stem cell research and chemokine biology at Genzyme, where he oversaw R&D for two of the first … Continue reading “Roundup: Aastrom, Gale, STEM summer camps, Beringea, HelloWorld”
Michigan Startups Working to Bridge IT Talent Gap
[Corrected 4/4/14, 6:01 p.m. See below.] Detroit’s shortage of information technology talent is not a new problem, but it does seem to be getting more pronounced as the number of tech startups taking root in Michigan grows. In 2012, Dice.com designated Detroit as the fifth-fastest growing tech city in the nation. And in 2013, Michigan’s … Continue reading “Michigan Startups Working to Bridge IT Talent Gap”
App Competition Open to Wayne State Students, Faculty, Alumni
Blackstone LaunchPad, a Wayne State University program funded by the New Economy Initiative and the Blackstone Charitable Foundation that offers resources and guidance to student entrepreneurs and inventors, is on a mission to spur the creation of apps. The LaunchPad is teaming up with the university’s office of economic development in a new competition open … Continue reading “App Competition Open to Wayne State Students, Faculty, Alumni”
Will Snyder’s Proposed Immigration Reforms Boost Entrepreneurship?
During his State of the State address in January, Michigan governor Rick Snyder, who likes to refer to himself as “the most pro-immigration governor in America,” unveiled a bold plan to revitalize beleaguered Detroit—and to boost economic growth in the whole state. He called on the federal government to grant Michigan 50,000 visas over five … Continue reading “Will Snyder’s Proposed Immigration Reforms Boost Entrepreneurship?”
Detroit Encore Entrepreneurs Blaze New Trail With LithFire-X
Gerry Flood has spent his career pioneering and selling preparedness. For 20 years, he was a salesman for AAA. He also started his own metro Detroit-based company, called CeaseFire, which manufactured automatic fire suppression products. CeaseFire garnered such a reputation for expertise that when ValuJet flight 592 crashed in the Everglades in 1996 after a … Continue reading “Detroit Encore Entrepreneurs Blaze New Trail With LithFire-X”
WSU Student-Led SIB Medical Technologies Prepares Prototype for Market
Sagor Bhuiyan and Adham Aljahmi aren’t your typical college seniors. In addition to being pre-med students, they’ve launched SIB Medical Technologies, a startup that aims to commercialize at-home stool sample collection kits that they say are simpler and less likely to expose patients to toxic materials. Bhuiyan learned of the device, which was invented by … Continue reading “WSU Student-Led SIB Medical Technologies Prepares Prototype for Market”
ProNAi Announces Progress on Its Novel Cancer-Fighting Drug
Mina Sooch, Detroit Xconomist and president and CEO of ProNAi Therapeutics, says 2013 was a landmark year for the biotech startup based in Plymouth, MI. ProNAi, which was spun out of technology discovered at Wayne State University and the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit, aims to “quiet” disease using novel drugs that target cancer and … Continue reading “ProNAi Announces Progress on Its Novel Cancer-Fighting Drug”
Roundup: AutoHarvest, Wayne State, TechSmith & Google
Here’s a look at some of the news from the Southeast Michigan innovation community that you may have missed: —AutoHarvest, a nonprofit website that aims to connect the auto industry with entrepreneurs and inventors, announced late last month that it will collaborate with Omnia Group to translate its English-language website into Chinese, German, French, and … Continue reading “Roundup: AutoHarvest, Wayne State, TechSmith & Google”
To Tell the Story of Innovation in Detroit, Xconomy Needs Your Help
Whenever I’m describing Xconomy to someone who hasn’t come across our website before, I rattle off the names of the eight high-tech hubs where we have bureaus, in the order we opened them: Boston, Seattle, San Diego, Detroit, San Francisco, New York, Boulder/Denver, and Texas. At that point, the listener usually exclaims “Detroit! Why Detroit?” … Continue reading “To Tell the Story of Innovation in Detroit, Xconomy Needs Your Help”
MyGoToNumber: Exceptional CEO Makes App For Everyday People
MyGoToNumber co-founder and CEO Paul A. Turner III was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, to American parents, but he grew up in Detroit—and, as he recalls, most of its suburbs. “I’ve lived just about everywhere in Oakland County,” he says. “I never went to the same school district for more than two years.” He was … Continue reading “MyGoToNumber: Exceptional CEO Makes App For Everyday People”
Roundup: Swift Biosciences Raises $7M Round, Free Wi-fi Now in Downtown Detroit
Here’s a look at news from around Southeast Michigan’s innovation community: —Ann Arbor-based Swift Biosciences announced this week that it has raised a $7 million Series B round. Fletcher Spaght Ventures led the round, and the Renaissance Venture Capital Fund, the Mercury Fund, the Michigan Accelerator Fund, and individual investors participated in the round. Swift … Continue reading “Roundup: Swift Biosciences Raises $7M Round, Free Wi-fi Now in Downtown Detroit”
Small Company Innovation Program Announces Research Partnership Awards
The Michigan Corporate Relations Network (MCRN) has awarded five companies matching grants as part of its Small Company Innovation Program (SCIP). Under the SCIP, small- to medium-sized tech companies looking to speed up commercialization efforts can receive matching funds for research projects at one of the organization’s participating universities: Wayne State University; the University of Michigan; Michigan State University; Michigan … Continue reading “Small Company Innovation Program Announces Research Partnership Awards”
Roundup: Motozuma Opens Detroit Office, WSU Student Ventures Snag Funding
A few items to catch up on around town: —Motozuma has reportedly opened up an office in Detroit. The Naperville, IL-based startup allows users to set up free online savings accounts where they can put money towards a new car and invite friends and family to help contribute. Motozuma users are rewarded for their savings … Continue reading “Roundup: Motozuma Opens Detroit Office, WSU Student Ventures Snag Funding”
Talking TechTown’s Reboot, Detroit’s Robustness With Charlie Moret
Charlie Moret, the TechTown business incubator’s new managing director of technology-based entrepreneurship, says he’s a lifelong “intrapreneur.” His passion has always been innovating, but he’s often been doing it from inside a broader organization. That’s a major reason why, when given the opportunity to reboot TechTown’s programs and take them back to their high-technology roots, … Continue reading “Talking TechTown’s Reboot, Detroit’s Robustness With Charlie Moret”
Wayne State University Breaks Ground on Advanced Technology Education Center
Late last month, Wayne State University broke ground on a new Advanced Technology Education Center (ATEC) in Warren, MI. It’s one of three new facilities Wayne State has planned in Macomb County. The 40,000-square-foot facility will offer programs focused primarily on engineering, computer science, supply chain management, and advanced manufacturing complementary to industries already located … Continue reading “Wayne State University Breaks Ground on Advanced Technology Education Center”
A Detroit Entrepreneur Transforms Tragedy Into Life-Saving Inventions
Orlando Robinson has always been a tinkerer. Growing up near Schoolcraft and Greenfield on the west side of Detroit, he was the kind of kid who dismantled electronics just to reassemble them for fun. He graduated from high school early, enrolled at Wayne State University at age 16, and landed in Iraq with the U.S. … Continue reading “A Detroit Entrepreneur Transforms Tragedy Into Life-Saving Inventions”
Wayne State Tech Transfer: New Leadership, New Programs, New Stability
In late May, the Wayne State University (WSU) announced Joan Dunbar would lead its technology commercialization efforts. She had already been serving in the position on an interim basis since the spring of 2012, when Harl Tolbert left the job after only a few months. Dunbar, the founding director of biotechnology development and biomedical innovation … Continue reading “Wayne State Tech Transfer: New Leadership, New Programs, New Stability”
Report: MI Graduates Starting Companies at Double the National Average
The University Research Corridor (URC), a partnership launched in 2006 by Michigan’s three major research universities, released a report today at the Mackinac Policy Conference detailing a sharp increase in entrepreneurial activity among its graduates. According to the report, alumni from the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University are starting their own companies … Continue reading “Report: MI Graduates Starting Companies at Double the National Average”
NewME To Bring Silicon Valley to Detroit With Pop-Up Event
The San Francisco-based NewME Accelerator, a tech startup incubator focused on businesses led by minorities underrepresented in the tech world, is planning a Detroit pop-up accelerator May 29 to May 31. The three-day event is being held in partnership with Google for Entrepreneurs, TechTown, Bizdom, the Mobile Technology Association of Michigan, and Wayne State University. … Continue reading “NewME To Bring Silicon Valley to Detroit With Pop-Up Event”
Wayne State’s Warrior Fund Invests in Four Student Ventures
Late last month, student-run startups from the Blackstone LaunchPad incubator gathered for pitch competition on the campus of Wayne State University (WSU). The startups were able to pitch for up to $5,000 in funding from the Warrior Fund, WSU’s pre-seed fund to support student tech startups. Blackstone, which operates on the campuses of WSU and … Continue reading “Wayne State’s Warrior Fund Invests in Four Student Ventures”
Challenge Detroit and Detroit Revitalization Fellows Seek New Participants
Two fellowship programs that bring talented young professionals to Detroit in the hopes that they’ll make a permanent home here are accepting applications through Sunday for a new cohort of participants. Both the Challenge Detroit and the Detroit Revitalization Fellows programs have succeeded in luring some of the country’s most passionate young entrepreneurs and community builders … Continue reading “Challenge Detroit and Detroit Revitalization Fellows Seek New Participants”
Wayne State Biotech Spinout Advaita Continues Growth
Advaita, the Plymouth, MI-based biotech startup spun out of technology developed at Wayne State University, has been selected to participate in the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Commercialization Assistance Program (CAP). The 18-month program provides mentoring, training, and consulting to help companies get their products to market. Only 60 companies nationwide are picked to participate … Continue reading “Wayne State Biotech Spinout Advaita Continues Growth”
Bizdom, TechTown, Invest Detroit Launch $1M Technology Exchange
Thanks to a $1 million grant from the Michigan Strategic Fund, Detroit business incubators Bizdom and TechTown are partnering with Invest Detroit on a new initiative called the Detroit Technology Exchange (DTX). DTX will consist of programs geared toward strengthening Detroit’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, attracting and retaining talent, and getting investment money flowing through the local startup … Continue reading “Bizdom, TechTown, Invest Detroit Launch $1M Technology Exchange”
Coming Soon: the Detroit Bus Company’s Newest Transit Innovations
Andy Didorosi, the founder and CEO of the Detroit Bus Company, is on a mission. Not content to merely revolutionize the city’s transit system, which is in desperate need of fixing, Didorosi is rolling out a new set of innovations over the coming months. When we went a rollicking ride along on one of Didorosi’s buses … Continue reading “Coming Soon: the Detroit Bus Company’s Newest Transit Innovations”
State Funds Collaborations Between Small Companies, MI Universities
The Michigan Corporate Relations Network has issued a request for proposals from tech entrepreneurs looking to speed up their commercialization efforts. Under the Small Company Innovation Program (SCIP), small- to medium-sized companies can receive matching funds for research projects at one of the organization’s participating universities: Wayne State University, the University of Michigan, Michigan State … Continue reading “State Funds Collaborations Between Small Companies, MI Universities”
TechTown Adds Bootcamp-Style Venture Accelerator
The Detroit-based business incubator TechTown announced last week that it’s launching the new Labs Venture Accelerator, which is set to accept applications online starting tomorrow for the first session, which will begin April 8. The goal of the program is to transform early stage startups into viable, sustainable businesses in a short amount of time. … Continue reading “TechTown Adds Bootcamp-Style Venture Accelerator”
Detroit in 2012: The Year Our Tech Scene Became Legit
Late December is the time for media reflection, so let me officially say in this space that Detroit has had a hell of a year. A breakthrough year, just as I hoped it would when I wrote the 2011 wrap-up piece last December. In 2012, Detroit’s nascent tech scene finally gained recognition and legitimacy in … Continue reading “Detroit in 2012: The Year Our Tech Scene Became Legit”
Hope in Detroit: An Outsider on Motown’s Entrepreneurial Renaissance
Long written off by many, Detroit is becoming an interesting city to watch from an urban revitalization perspective. At the core of these developments is the emergence of a startup ecosystem where (for the most part) one did not previously exist. While still early, the progress made in this area over the last several years … Continue reading “Hope in Detroit: An Outsider on Motown’s Entrepreneurial Renaissance”
Bringing Fantasy Sports to the Bar With MyInteractiveVision
“Come on, girls,” my mom said with a heavy sigh. “This is getting ridiculous.” It was a beautiful Sunday in September, and she was talking to my sister and me. We were sitting in a Montauk, NY, hotel room on a ladies weekend vacation/wedding-venue search mission. My mom was miffed because we were late to … Continue reading “Bringing Fantasy Sports to the Bar With MyInteractiveVision”
Detroit Leading U.S. Development of New Vehicle-to-Grid Technology
It’s no secret that auto manufacturers, battery manufacturers, government officials, and champions of renewable energy everywhere are disappointed by the slow rate of consumer adoption when it comes to electric vehicles like the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf. But imagine how that might change if consumers could earn money from their electric cars. That concept, … Continue reading “Detroit Leading U.S. Development of New Vehicle-to-Grid Technology”
Lessons from Techonomy Detroit: Thought Leaders Must Push City Hall
On Wednesday, Detroit served as the host city for Techonomy, the annual national confab billed by its organizers as “a one-day convergence of today’s brightest minds, gathered to reignite U.S. competitiveness, job creation, and urban revitalization in a technologized age.” Held at Wayne State University, Techonomy was crawling with “thought leaders,” including Jack Dorsey, creator … Continue reading “Lessons from Techonomy Detroit: Thought Leaders Must Push City Hall”
Blackstone LaunchPad Fosters Entrepreneurship, Possibility
Energy, hope, and possibility: That, essentially, is what Bill Green says the Launch Pad program is about. Green, senior vice provost and dean of undergraduate education at the University of Miami, co-founded the Launch Pad there as a way to integrate the values of entrepreneurship campus-wide and turn students into CEOs of startups, which Green believes is key … Continue reading “Blackstone LaunchPad Fosters Entrepreneurship, Possibility”