BRANDXR NAMED ACCELERATE MICHIGAN INNOVATION COMPETITION SEMI-FINALIST

Semi-Finalists Represent the 24 Best and Brightest Seed-Stage Startups

For Immediate Release - Detroit, MI - October 3, 2018 ––   Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition (AMIC), a program of Invest Detroit’s ID Ventures, today announced the semi-finalists for its ninth annual pitch competition. Selected from nearly 300 applicants, the 24 semi-finalists were chosen based on innovation, business development and customer traction by a judging panel of more than 70 venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and community leaders. Winners will be announced on November 13 at the newly iconic Lexus Velodrome.

“This year’s impressive group of semi-finalists are developing innovative solutions across a diverse range of sectors, including information technology,  advanced manufacturing, life sciences, and more,” said Martin Dober, senior vice president and managing director of ID Ventures. “The AMIC semi-finalists are examples of the next-generation of high-growth businesses in Michigan that people from across the country should watch in the coming years.”

AMIC enables entrepreneurs to showcase their companies and meet one-on-one with fellow entrepreneurs, investors, business acceleration resources, and experts in their specific sector during carefully curated meetings. Since its launch in 2010, grand prize winners of AMIC have hired over a 1,000 people and attracted more than $650 million in additional investment. Significant supporters of the event that are fueling the growth of cutting-edge startups are Ann Arbor SPARK, Invest Michigan, and Belle Michigan, among others.

“The semi-finalists for this year’s AMIC competition have distinguished themselves by executing effective business strategies, gaining significant traction, and developing ground-breaking products,” said Skip Simms, senior vice president of Ann Arbor SPARK. “They represent an extraordinary group of companies who are innovators in their industries, choosing to call Michigan home. They show that our state fosters a culture of entrepreneurship and has the ecosystem in place to support the growth of startups.”

2018 AMIC Semi-Finalists

• Arroyo Networks provides cloud-based network security through an AI-driven network function virtualization platform. 
• Bulk provides a fitness app that teaches beginners how to gain weight.
• Blue Newt Software Technologies creates Internet-of-Things (IoT) software applications that deliver exceptional insights.
• BrandXR provides no-code software that makes it easy for businesses to create and publish augmented, virtual and mixed reality.
• Carol Health delivers affordable and accessible skilled nursing care to homes starting at $35 and in as little as an hour.
• Celant Innovations automates the production of legal documents for legal professionals.
• Derq provides patented artificial intelligence (AI) and V2X technology to predict and prevent crashes to save lives.
• Digitouch Health enables blood pressure monitoring with clinical accuracy by pressing a button on mobile devices.
• Dynamo Metrics provides cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) products that aggregate and translate property data.
• Fluity provides a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform for manufacturers to quote jobs and enter production in five minutes.
• GreenMark Biomedical Inc. diagnoses early-stage cavities and develops a painless way to treat them without a dentist’s drill.
• Inductive Intelligence makes it possible to use a wireless phone charger to conveniently, consistently and safely heat items.
• MyNurse US, LLC provides a platform that enables patients to select in-home caregivers in real-time.
• Orasis Systems provides all-weather radar imaging with LiDAR-like resolution.
• Pathware intervenes during a biopsy to ensure its success.
• PhotosynQ LLC accelerates the crop improvement cycle and protects yield loses.
• PocketNest provides financial planning to Generation X and millennials in a digital, methodical format.
• PreCare Medical Inc. provides a solution to the largely unsolved issue facing the $11 billion chronic wound care market.
• S3D Precision Dispensing print heads enable the manufacturing of next-generation electronics from automotive smart surfaces to biomedical devices. 
• Shoptelligence is an artificial intelligence (AI) style discovery platform that creates contextual and interactive ensembles.
• SpellBound uses augmented reality to help patients better engage with treatment and hospitals to maximize reimbursement revenue.
• URBANEER, Inc. creates smart living interiors that are configurable, connected and commerce-enabled.
• VerteCore provides a safe, effective and cost-conscious wearable to relieve back pain and spinal disorders.
• Wheeli provides a carpooling app for college students and is the AirBnB for the empty car seats on the road.

In addition to the top overall prizes, additional sector-specific prizes include the Mission Throttle Social Enterprise Prize, the Lawrence Technological University Hardware Prize, and the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation Caregiver prize.

For more information, please visit www.acceleratemichigan.com. Share the news by using the event hashtag #AccelerateMICH and follow @AccelerateMICH on Twitter and Facebook.

About Accelerate Michigan Business Competition

Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition, a program of ID Ventures, is a competition that supports Michigan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by offering entrepreneurs the opportunity to showcase their companies to investors while building connections with entrepreneurs, business acceleration resources, and experts in their sector during carefully curated individual meetings. For more information, visit www.acceleratemichigan.org.

About ID Ventures

ID Ventures, the venture team of Invest Detroit, supports promising Michigan-based high-tech startups through investment capital and programs that strengthen the startup ecosystem. As a collaborative investor and community partner, our approach is to provide inclusive access to resources for Michigan entrepreneurs with high-growth potential.

Press Contact:

EntryPoint for ID Ventures

Press@EntryPointMI.com

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