You might have seen them at SEMA, Tech Trek, or around their Ann Arbor Spark offices they are about to grow out of. Nostrum Energy is a team of engineers dedicated to improving efficiencies in internal combustion engines and energy grids in the United States and around the world. Founded by an expert in thermodynamics…
Have a new startup in mobility, sustainable energy, or tech that you would like to pitch? Ann Arbor SPARK has just announced a number of opportunities for startups, particularly in the mobility space, to get their name out and find funding. Here are some new announcements of opportunities for Michigan startups from Komal Doshi, Director of Mobility Programs at Ann Arbor SPARK, Ann Arbor’s premier business support organization for tech startups.
Tech on the Edge is an Ann Arbor a2tech360 event that highlights biotech companies working on new technologies for applications from sustainable energy to medical technologies. This year during a2tech360’s tech week, the event highlighted companies from the edge of Ann Arbor’s tech scene including Ecovia Renewables, which is working on eco-friendly super-absorbent materials. Like many other companies involved in this year’s Tech on the Edge, Ecovia is hiring. Stabilux Biosciences also is looking for formulation chemists, people with biology background and more. Many of these companies are looking for scientists of various kinds, CTOs and CFOs, and management, all in the life sciences and biotech.
“We recently closed on $17 million in funding, reinforcing our commitment to the wind industry,” says Danny Ellis, CEO of SkySpecs, a sustainable energy company in Ann Arbor that uses drones to inspect wind turbines. “We’ve doubled down our focus on the wind industry.”
Chicago minted 8 unicorn companies valued at over $1 billion in the first half of 2021 alone, bringing the total number of Chicago unicorns to 15. That number is rising quickly as the region expands the tech sector in logistics, AI, and healthtech.
Detroit continues its lead in the autonomous vehicle and electric vehicle space with new startups coming out every month to address pedestrian safety, in-vehicle AI-based connectivity, and more. As transportation, advanced manufacturing, last-mile logistics, and autonomous technologies advance, expect to see more government investment in these areas to secure Michigan’s future dominance of these markets. Detroit’s got skin in the game and is already investing in an autonomous test highway, multiple self-driving car test facilities, drone deliveries for automakers and the airport, and mobility-focused incubators to support startups across Detroit and the state.
PitchBook’s “a flurry of mobility startups going public through IPOs and SPACs through last year.” $54 billion invested despite headwinds of the pandemic. First half of 2021 even better $49.4 billion raised, over 100% over last year, putting us on track for a record year of investment for mobility. Michigan leads across the spectrum from EVs to autonomous startups (May Mobility, Refraction AI) to those disrupting services like FixMyCar and startups focused on shared mobility. $104 million so far this year invested in Michigan-based mobility startups, which has affected Michigan’s startup valuations. “What we’ve seen is overall valuations have seen an uptick in 2021, but especially this has been driven by valuation for later stage companies… up 244% compared to last year.” Angel and seed is flat year over year, and early stage are up 13%. Although Michigan-based mobility startups have a lower valuation than their Silicon Valley-based counterparts, they’re showing a similar trend.
Despite the pandemic, more startups have launched in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this year alone than we have space to list here. Many Ann Arbor startups have been around for a few years and are now starting to experience rapid growth. Here is the second half of our article on 10 growing Ann Arbor tech companies that you really have to watch if you’re looking for a tech job or hoping to invest in Midwest tech startups in 2021.
Ryan Landau is co-founder of Purpose Jobs, a recruiting firm that works with the hottest tech startups in Southeast Michigan. We have heard both from startups and talent lately that a lot of people are looking for work, but that many startups are also hiring at a faster clip than ever before. Which tech companies in Detroit and Ann Arbor have the most openings? We checked in with Landau to highlight some great companies where you might land your next tech job, and to ask him about trends he’s seeing in the tech startup hiring space in Detroit and Ann Arbor.
Cronicle offers content marketing & PR consulting for tech startups and small businesses looking to accelerate their growth and position themselves as experts in their industry. We do this through the creation of expert content that ranges from blogs and podcasts to press releases and media outreach. If you have a tech startup or small…
