The University of Michigan is partnering with Facebook parent company Meta to build a social media data archive. The project intends to make the aggregated data useful to social scientists studying the impact of social media on society.

Columbus insurtech startup Branch has achieved unicorn status with a total valuation of $1.05 billion with its Series C raise of $147 million this month. The round was led by Weatherford Capital, and brings Branch into the growing ranks of Midwest tech unicorns. Branch is a full-stack insurance company that uses data, technology and automation to make home and auto insurance more efficient. Participating new and existing investors included Acrew, AmFam Ventures, Anthemis, Gaingels, Greycroft, HSCM Ventures, Narya, SignalFire, and Tower IV.

North American EV charging company FLO has just announced plans to open its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Michigan in 2022. This is part of a plan to accelerate execution of its U.S. market strategy to support electric vehicle charging infrastructure. FLO's new facility will be located in the north Detroit suburb of Auburn Hills, and expects the new location will make a major contribution to Michigan’s electrification future.