Category: MEMBER NEWS

One of the largest business plan competitions in the nation sets the stage for up to $1 million in prizes on November 3 at Cobo Convention Center The Accelerate Michigan Planning Committee is excited to announce the 7th Annual Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition will take place on Thursday, November 3, 2016 (the day after the 2016 MVCA Annual […]

MVCA Venture Fellow Reda Jaber’s resume includes many impressive titles: medical doctor, MBA graduate, startup founder, investor, and children’s book author.  But he’s most surprised by another role he’s assumed, as Partner at IncWell:  cheerleader.  He says becoming emotionally vested in the companies he backs financially has been a happy by-product of finding great technologies […]

ANN ARBOR (July 18, 2016)—Michigan Venture Capital Association (MVCA) will host its 2016 Annual Awards Dinner (register here), the largest gathering of angel investors, venture investors and entrepreneurs in Michigan, in Detroit on November 2 at the Rattlesnake Club.  The event is timed to coordinate with Invest Detroit’s Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition (AMIC), Michigan’s premier […]

Today in Lansing, more than just the State Capitol is under construction.  Representative Jeff Farrington (R-30) laid the groundwork for an Angel Investment Program when he introduced House Bills 5786 and 5787, designed to allow qualified angel investors to claim a tax credit against their personal income tax liability. MVCA was there to discuss the details […]

MVCA member, Fontinalis Partners, a venture capital firm with offices in Detroit and Boston, today announces the final closing of its $100 million second fund, Fontinalis Capital Partners II, L.P. (“FCP II”). This new fund, which brings Fontinalis Partners’ total committed capital to $165 million, will continue the firm’s focus of investing in the best and […]

The marketing platform drives proven and immediate ROI for consumer brands. Quikly, an industry-leading enterprise marketing platform, announced today that it closed $3 million in new funding led by MVCA member, Plymouth Ventures! Founded in 2012, Quikly has become a high-performing innovator in the retail digital marketing space, posting sales growth of 200% over the […]

Today, Ted Serbinski, Managing Director of Techstars Mobility, talks about his accelerator’s second cohort, which becomes the newest group of start ups calling downtown Detroit home this summer.  Check out his original post here. Today I’m excited to introduce the 12 companies part of the Techstars Mobility Class of 2016. These startup companies are building automotive mobility […]

As a newcomer to the venture industry, Dan Ratliff didn’t know what to expect when he joined Detroit-based Fontinalis Partners as an MVCA Venture Fellow two years ago.  But as he ends his Fellowship period and remains with the firm, he can more fully appreciate the unique collaborative nature of the Michigan venture community and envision his […]

The Renaissance Venture Capital Fund (RVCF), Michigan’s innovative venture capital fund-of-funds, today announced the prestigious recognition of its founder and CEO in the area of entrepreneurship, as well as the addition of two new team members. Ernst & Young has named RVCF Chief Executive Officer Chris Rizik as a finalist for its Entrepreneur of the […]

Grand Rapids, Mich., June 3, 2016 — Charter Capital Partners, a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based investment banking and capital management firm, today announced the closing of the MAF Opportunity Fund. The $5 million fund was over-subscribed with investment commitments coming from institutional, family office, and individual investors. The Fund was organized to invest in elite companies […]