PitchMI has awarded $1.7 million in total to four Michigan startups advancing to the 2027 PitchMI Championship, where they will compete for an additional $1 million investment.
Common Vector Robotics, Motmot, OmegaCool and Ollivate each received $425,000 after winning one of four industry-specific semifinal competitions organized by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Michigan State University Research Foundation.
The semifinal awards were originally backed by $1 million in state funding. A $500,000 statewide co-investment from Anchor Up Ventures, Kalamazoo Forward Ventures, JM Longyear and ID Ventures increased each prize from $250,000 to $375,000.
Traverse City emerging venture fund 20Fathoms subsequently contributed another $200,000 across the four companies, increasing each semifinal winner’s investment to $425,000.
Each winner also received $100,000 in Google Cloud credits and a one-year VIP membership to the Small Business Association of Michigan.
Common Vector Robotics of Detroit won the Defense & Aerospace semifinal held September 15 in Grand Rapids.
Founded and led by CEO Arnold Kadiu, Common Vector Robotics is developing rugged ground robots for critical operations on and off the battlefield. The company builds key components in-house as it develops autonomous robotic platforms designed to operate in demanding environments.
Common Vector Robotics competed against Controlled Light, Ketchel Axle Systems, Modal Motors and Neumo.
Detroit-based Motmot won the AI & Software semifinal held September 22 in Kalamazoo.
CEO and co-founder Elliot Smith is leading development of autonomous underwater robots designed to inspect active municipal water mains without requiring costly or disruptive excavation.
Motmot converts the resulting inspection data into information utilities can use to identify risks, prioritize repairs and make infrastructure investment decisions.
The company competed against BridgeCare Technologies, ConStrat AI, Helios Core AI and MimoLabs.
OmegaCool of Ann Arbor won the Advanced Manufacturing, Materials & Outdoors semifinal held September 24 in Marquette.
CEO and co-founder Joey Mullick is developing advanced metalworking fluids and fluid-management services aimed at improving machining performance, extending equipment life and reducing waste.
OmegaCool’s technology addresses limitations of traditional coolants while improving efficiency in precision manufacturing.
The company competed against Averra Systems, Fen X Custom, GAIA Predictive and Post Rock.
Detroit-based Ollivate won the Healthcare & Life Sciences semifinal held October 1 in Detroit.
Co-founders April Olson and Josh Olson are developing a gamified healthcare education platform that converts board preparation, continuing education and professional credentialing into shorter learning experiences.
The platform combines learning science with game mechanics to help healthcare professionals engage with and retain complex information.
Ollivate competed against Authsnap, PathwaysGI, TruVue and Signal Bioscience.
PitchMI attracted hundreds of applications from founders across Michigan during the current competition cycle, with 20 companies selected for the four semifinals.
The statewide program was also recognized with a 2026 Silver Award from the International Economic Development Council in the Innovative Economic Development category.
Common Vector Robotics, Motmot, OmegaCool and Ollivate will compete against each other during the statewide PitchMI Championship in spring 2027.
The winner will receive another $1 million, bringing the champion’s total PitchMI investment awards to $1.425 million.
“These companies represent the strength, range, and ambition of Michigan’s startup community. The talent is already here. PitchMI creates a place for Michigan founders to meet the investors, industry experts, and partners who can help them solve the next challenge and reach new milestones.”
Jeff Wesley, Executive Director of Ventures at the MSU Research Foundation
“PitchMI is open to Michigan-based startups only, because the startups being built here are world-class. We are betting on our own. They are worthy of that bet. Thanks to the Michigan Innovation Fund, a $60 million state investment to power this ecosystem, we are taking a public stake in innovation as a key component of the MEDC’s strategy to achieve long-term economic prosperity for Michiganders.”
Alison Todak, Vice President of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the MEDC
“It’s incredible to build in Michigan and to be with all my other fellow founders building in the same space. This is going to be huge for our business to grow and get it to that next stage. I hope for a lot more competitions like this, to allow a lot more companies to grow and succeed.”
Arnold Kadiu, CEO and Founder of Common Vector Robotics
“You can’t do it alone. If you have good relationships along the way, like the folks at the MSU Research Foundation and the MEDC, those are great resources to leverage. It’s never been a better time to be a startup. The ecosystem is primed and ready. The tools are there.”
Elliot Smith, CEO and Co-Founder of Motmot
“Without the leadership of the MSU Research Foundation and MEDC, this couldn’t have happened. The publicity that comes out of this is going to open up a lot of doors, and we’re going to be able to work on scaling the manufacturing. It’s helped create an environment where people don’t compete with each other; they collaborate. If one of us wins, and we can make it so that everyone wins, we’ve got something really special.”
Jim Burton, President of OmegaCool
“The investor community, MEDC, the MSU Research Foundation, and the resources they give us have been phenomenal. I’m part of Femology, which is a female startup school here in Detroit. To be in that ecosystem and to be building on behalf of women and with women is another example of what happens when people get into community and lift each other.”
April Olson, Co-Founder and COO of Ollivate
“This funding will allow us to put money back into the Michigan market, so we can hire people and do things here in Michigan and give back to the community. I’m so excited to see where we go, and I’m so excited for our learners and what they’re going to be able to do.”
Josh Olson, CRNA, Co-Founder and CEO of Ollivate
