Category: MEMBER NEWS

2022 MVCA Research Report Reinforces Michigan is not a flyover state for venture capital activity  Record-breaking funding of start-ups in 2021 cements Michigan’s role as the nation’s Middle Coast of venture capital.  NOVI, Mich. – July 28, 2022 – Michigan Venture Capital Association (MVCA), the nonprofit trade association that advocates for more capital and talent for […]

NextCycle Michigan Showcase & Pitch Competition  March 3, 2022 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM EST Palmer House, Ann Arbor, Michigan The first ever NextCycle Michigan Pitch Event is planned to be held in-person on March 3rd in Ann Arbor, Michigan. NextCycle Teams will be presenting their innovative ideas focused on technology and organics to advance […]

Renaissance Venture Capital DEI UnDemo Day® will bring together some of the region’s top early-stage companies and technologies for a virtual event with venture capital investors from around the country. This is the first UnDemo Day® designed exclusively to attract national venture capital to diverse founders. The virtual event will highlight companies from the Midwest […]

Venture Investors Health Fund, a leading early-stage health care investment firm, announced that Shelly Lanning has joined the investment team as a Venture Partner. See her bio here: Shelly Lanning – Venture Investors Shelly brings over 25 years of investing and operating experience, primarily within the healthcare, medical devices, and health & wellness industries.  She […]

MiSpringboard is Varnum’s statewide initiative designed to remove some of the barriers associated with starting a business by providing free legal services to Michigan startups. Varnum launched the MiSpringboard program in 2011 as a way of helping Michigan’s then-struggling economy with a commitment of $1 million in free legal services. MiSpringboard was our way of […]

St. Louis, Oct. 12, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Deck Commerce, the St. Louis-based software company announced today that it closed $7.8MM in Series A funding led by Plymouth Growth, a growth equity firm based in Ann Arbor, MI. This new partnership will allow Deck Commerce to enhance its product offering to feature even more robust direct-to-consumer capabilities for leading brands. The company intends to use the funds to expand its strategic alliances, amplify sales and marketing […]

Nathan Owen is now a Partner at Grand Ventures. He has collaborated closely as a trusted advisor with the fund for several years, and we are thrilled to welcome him onboard as full-time team member! He will focus on deals in the DevOps, cybersecurity, and open source software industries. Nathan brings 20 years of operational […]

Allay Therapeutics Completes Oversubscribed $60M Financing to Advance Ultra-Sustained Pain Platform Financing led by Arboretum Ventures. Managing Partner Nicole J. Walker to join Allay Therapeutics Board of Directors ATX-101 to advance to Phase 2b development in total knee replacement surgeries in 2021 Financing will also support broader development of ATX platform for ultra-sustained pain relief  […]

Ann Arbor, Michigan – September 7, 2021 – Bank of Ann Arbor (“Arbor”), and Nicolet National Bank (“Nicolet”), today announced that Arbor has entered into an agreement to buy the Birmingham, Michigan Branch of Nicolet located at 260 East Brown Street, Birmingham, Michigan. This was a branch of the former mBank, recently acquired by Nicolet. […]

DETROIT, MI and BOSTON, MA – August 19, 2021 – Fontinalis Partners (www.fontinalis.com), a mobility focused venture firm with offices in Detroit and Boston, today announces the closing of its $104 million third fund, Fontinalis III. Fontinalis Partners was founded in 2009 by an experienced team of operators and investors with a thesis that continued […]