MVCA 12 at 12: Entrepreneurs & Investors Share How Michigan Can Improve its Seed Investment Process
By Patti Glaza, Managing Director & SVP of Invest Detroit Ventures An ongoing discussion in Michigan’s entrepreneurial and investment community is the increasing need for capital to fund entrepreneurs. As noted in the 2017 MVCA Research Report, an estimated $504 million of additional venture capital will be required to adequately fund the growth of Michigan’s 141 startup… read more
Entrepreneur Spotlight: Autobooks CEO & Co-Founder, Steve Robert Discusses Company Growth
In February, Detroit-based fintech startup Autobooks announced it raised $10 million in a Series A1 funding round! Investors included Draper Triangle, Baird Capital, Detroit Venture Partners, Invest Detroit and Invest Michigan. Autobooks provides online invoicing, payment and accounting software for the business customers of banks and credit unions. We spoke with Autobooks CEO and Founder, Steve… read more
Hacker Fellows Kicks Off Third Year – Let the Matchmaking Begin!
Hacker Fellows is kicking off its third year of supporting the Michigan tech ecosystem by providing vetted junior development talent to the state’s most promising startups! Hacker Fellows, managed by Invest Detroit Ventures, is a tech talent retention program incentivizing recent computer science graduates from top-tier universities to work for Michigan tech companies. Our 15… read more
2016 MVCA Annual Awards Dinner Recap
MVCA closed its year with their signature event, the 2016 MVCA Annual Awards Dinner, celebrating the successes of the entrepreneurial and investment community in Michigan. Chief amongst those successes: more Michigan startups have received more venture backing than ever before. In 2015, there were 74 companies that received $282 million from Michigan venture capital firms,… read more
Local Orbit Moves Into LLamasoft’s New Office
Established and emerging supply chain technologies in Ann Arbor collaborate to further field ANN ARBOR, Mich. (September 9, 2016) – LLamasoft, a global leader in supply chain optimization and software solutions is happy to welcome Local Orbit, the supply chain platform for the new food economy, into its new office space in the McKinley Towne… read more
Hacker Fellows Offers Talent to Startups by Recruiting and Training Top Developers
By Seun Oyewole, Analyst, Invest Detroit The Michigan entrepreneurial and investment climate has certainly found its beat over the last few years with $328.4M invested into 54 deals in 2015. Despite such investment growth, Michigan tech companies face a huge hurdle: finding strong tech talent to grow their companies. Hacker Fellows, an Invest Detroit program, offers… read more
ICYMI: 2015 MVCA Annual Awards Dinner
With record attendance, the 2015 MVCA Annual Awards Dinner focused on the tremendous growth of the entrepreneurial and investment community in Michigan and the broader Great Lakes Region. Our Executive Director Maureen Miller Brosnan welcomed our members and guests to an evening of celebration and reflection, and took a moment to recognize some special guests in… read more
Michigan-based LLamasoft Raises $50 Million in Venture Funding
Supply chain technology company continues to push innovation in the marketplace ANN ARBOR, Mich. (September29, 2015). LLamasoft, a supply chain software innovator, announced that it has closed a $50 million Series B financing round with affiliates of Goldman, Sachs & Co. The minority investment will be used to fund numerous technology development and growth initiatives. … read more
Michigan Venture Capital Association’s statewide tour continues in Ann Arbor
Michigan Venture Capital Association’s (MVCA) continued its statewide tour, presenting its Annual Report on venture capital activity in Michigan, at a reception hosted by ArborMetrix in Ann Arbor. The event offered over 100 attendees a deep dive into the report’s findings, with particular focus on the venture community’s impact on Ann Arbor. Maureen Miller Brosnan,… read more
Michigan Venture Capital Association begins statewide tour showcasing its Annual Research Report at event in Detroit
Over 100 members of Detroit’s entrepreneurial and venture communities gathered Wednesday at Techtown to examine the Michigan Venture Capital Association’s (MVCA) Annual Report on venture capital activity in Michigan. The event, held in conjunction with Techweek Detroit, offered participants a deep dive into the report’s findings, with particular focus on the venture community’s impact on… read more