More than 300 applications were received, but in the end, only 53 semi-finalists were chosen to battle it out for a chance to win more than $1 million in cash and in-kind awards in this year’s Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition.
Accelerate Michigan is an international business plan competition designed to highlight the state as a robust and vibrant venue for innovation and business opportunity. Not only does the competition highlight Michigan as a destination for innovation, but it is also helps to accelerate the transition of our region to an innovation-based economy.
Led by the Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan, The New Economy Initiative is pleased to have been founding sponsor of last year’s first annual competition and to continue as a lead sponsor along with Business Leaders for Michigan and the University Research Corridor institutions—Michigan Sate, University of Michigan and Wayne State University.
The competition supports the message that Michigan is an ideal place to launch and grow a new business. Although the majority of this year’s companies are based in the state, that message is spreading. This year applications were received from around the country, as well as international companies from Canada, the United Kingdom, India and the Ukraine. To be eligible for prize monies, companies must be located in Michigan or willing to relocate to the state.
This year’s semi-finalists are made up of companies throughout Michigan and three companies traveling in from Chicago, Fall River, Mass., and New Rochelle, N.Y., for the competition. With 13 of the 2010 semi-finalists returning – including last year’s sector prize winners Accio Energy, The Mackinac Technology Company and ENRG Power Systems – this year’s competition is going to be fierce. On Nov. 16-17, the semi-finalists will gather in Ann Arbor to deliver their business pitches to investors.
Congratulations to all of the 53 semi-finalists and good luck in November.
The semi-finalist companies include:
| Advanced materials Blue Water Bioproducts GreenSand InfiChem Polymers LLC InPore Technologies Inc. The Mackinac Technology Co. Vinci Technology Corp |
Advanced transportation Current Motor ECO-Fueling EcoVElectric ENRG Power Systems LLC ParkingCarma
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| Alternative energy Accio Energy Advanced Battery Concepts Arbor Wind Climate Technologies Co. Grid Logic Metro Ag Services NextCAT Spider9 |
Medical devices Advanced Cooling Therapy Blaze Medical Devices OcuSciences Retia Medical Shoulder Innovations ULTrA |
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Defense and homeland security |
Next generation manufacturing ePack Fusion Coolant Systems North Coast Industrial Imaging SenSigma |
| Information technology Are You Human GPX Software i3D Technologies Inc. Practical EHR Solutions TherapyCharts White Pines Systems |
Products and services
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Life science ApoLife BioPhotonic Solutions DeNovo Sciences NEXTGEN Metabolomics ONL Therapeutics Phrixus Pharmaceuticals RetroSense Therapeutics Syzygy Biotech |