Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund Invests $585,000 in Three Start-Ups
Three Michigan companies recently received investments from the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, totaling $585,000. To date, the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, a collaborative effort of Michigan’s SmartZones, has awarded 63 Michigan companies with seed funding totaling more than $14 million. The Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund companies have attracted more than $18 million in matching grant and equity funds. In 2011, the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital... [Read More...]
Former Pre-Seed Funding Company Receives Venture Capitol Investment
Tangent Medical Technologies, a recipient of Pre-Seed Capital Funding in 2010 through Ann Arbor SPARK, has recently secured 4.5 million in venture capital to bring their product to market. This funding will accelerate the commercialization of Tangent’s medical device, the NovaCath™, which is designed to replace the intravenous drug systems that are currently used in hospitals. Tangent’s history with SPARK dates back to 2009, when they participated... [Read More...]
Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund Invests $2.5 Million in 2010
Several Michigan companies recently received investments from the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, pushing the total investments made through the Fund to over $11.6 million. To date, 52 Michigan companies have received seed funding from the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, a collaborative effort of Michigan’s SmartZones. “Companies that received support from the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund are currently employing 285 people throughout... [Read More...]
California’s Innovation Model… Michigan?
A great article in the San Fransisco Business Times talks about how California can get its “innovation game back,” it should follow Michigan’s example. Photo courtesy of San Fransisco Business Times Noted venture capitalist Tom Baruch offers insight on where we’re getting it right and what other states can learn from Michigan. The article notes Michigan’s robust entrepreneurial eco-system as having an impact on our... [Read More...]
Three Companies Receive Combined $110,000 From Michigan Microloan Fund Program
Three Michigan companies recently received a combined total of $110,000 through the Michigan Microloan Fund Program, bringing the total amount invested through the Fund to over $1.69 million. GreenSand Corporation, iQ-Telematics and MyBandStock Corporation received the funding to support commercialization of their core products. Since the Michigan Microloan Fund Program was established in July 2009, 42 companies have received over $1.6 million... [Read More...]
InPore Technologies Wins SmartZone Award
InPore Technologies was presented the first SmartZone Award at the GLEQ Awards Banquet recently. InPore Technologies was selected for the strength of its business plan, the industry, technical and entrepreneurial experience of its management team, and its ability to raise funds. The Smart Zone Award is sponsored by the Michigan SmartZones, funded through the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund and administered by Ann Arbor SPARK. It was created to benefit... [Read More...]
Four More Michigan Companies Receive Support from Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund
Four more Michigan companies recently received investments from the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund. To date, 38 Michigan companies have received seed funding from the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, a collaborative effort of Michigan’s SmartZones. Combined, Mandy & Pandy, Algal Scientific, Axenic Dental, and RealBio Technology received $924,000 from the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund. read more… Read More →
Crain’s identifies SPARK as “scratching the entrepreneurial itch”
From Crain’s cover’s Washtenaw/Livingston …Goldschmidt is one of the nearly 70 new startups that have begun working with Ann Arbor Spark this year, a roughly 25 percent increase from the same period in 2008, according to Skip Simms, director of business acceleration services at Spark. Much of the spike is driven by an increased awareness of the resources available to Ann Arbor’s entrepreneurial community and an increase in... [Read More...]
Three Ann Arbor Companies Receive Support From Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund
Three more Michigan start-up companies have received investments from the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund. To date, 34 Michigan companies have received critical seed funding through the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, a collaborative effort of Michigan’s 15 SmartZones. • White Pine Systems, sponsored by Ann Arbor SPARK, received $225,000. White Pine Systems is an internet-based medical records service to securely store and manage personal... [Read More...]
Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund Re-Funded
The SEIC Board yesterday (3/25/09) approved the proposal from Ann Arbor SPARK for the new $6.8 million pre-seed fund. The new money comes from the unused dollars in the 2006 21st Century Jobs Fund competition. These funds will be added to the current pre-seed fund which was nearly dry. 30 investments were made from the original funding in just two years. The MEDC provided another $1.5 million last fall and allowed three more investments... [Read More...]
