Celebrate Detroit's aspiring entrepreneurs

The Top 10 have been Revealed and the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest Hatch Off.

Celebrate Detroit's aspiring entrepreneurs, and get a glimpse at what the future of the city’s small business landscape could look like!

Event Details:  Top 10 Reveal was held Tuesday, April 4  at TechTown Detroit

After a rigorous selection process, the Top 10 semifinalists have been announced! Get to know the semifinalists. Click the next sentence to see!

Announced the Top 10 semifinalists of the 2023 Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest by TechTown! These up-and-coming entrepreneurs are in running to win $100,000 in startup funds from Comerica Bank and make their dream of owning a brick-and-mortar Detroit, Hamtramck, or Highland Park storefront a reality.

Now, the Contest is in the hands of the people! Public voting to narrow down the semifinalists from 10 to four is OPEN and will run through Wednesday, April 12 at noon. You can vote for up to four businesses online, once every 24 hours.

In addition to voting online, in-person voting will take place at each of the following locations from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on April 5 and April 6:

• Black Coffee Café, located at 9405 John R St., Detroit, MI 48202
• Detroit Pepper Company, located at 17180 E Warren Ave., Detroit, MI 48225
• Detroit Rosa, located at 19180 Grand River Ave., Detroit, MI 48223

Hatch Off

Wednesday, April 26 | Doors at 6 p.m.

Wayne State Industry Innovation Center

Attendees will get to watch the four finalists go head-to-head and make one last pitch, “Shark Tank-style,” in front of a panel of judges. The 2023 winner will be crowned, receiving $100,000 courtesy of Comerica Bank to open their brick-and-mortar in Detroit, Hamtramck, or Highland Park! Tickets are $25 each. 

TechTown and seven regional partners launch Mobility Accelerator Innovation Network

TechTown announced the launch of the Mobility Accelerator Innovation Network (MAIN) as one of six components of the Global Epicenter of Mobility (GEM) initiative. GEM was selected out of 60 finalists nationwide to receive the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge grant and was awarded $52.2 million. TechTown received $12.4 million to focus on creating a program alongside its partners to serve and capitalize on mobility startups from the idea stage through commercial scale.

Read more

Does your retail business have a POS system?

If you're a small business owner and need help choosing or upgrading your point of sale (POS) system, this workshop is for you! Join TechTown on Thursday, April 13, from 6 – 7:30 p.m. to hear from Miranda Piersol, business development representative for Michigan Retailers Association. You can attend in person at TechTown or virtually.

Register for workshop

Join us at the Hatch Off on April 26

On April 26, the four finalists of the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest will present their business pitch to a panel of judges and a live audience, “Shark Tank-style,” for a shot to win the $100,000 grand prize, courtesy of Comerica Bank. Register now to witness the Top 4 business pitches and see the winner be crowned! Tickets are $25 each and proceeds will directly support the next generation of Detroit retailers.  .

Get your Hatch Off ticket

Thank you to our event sponsors for their support: Accenture, Comerica Bank, EY and Michigan Economic Development Corporation.

Upcoming events

Wayne State Giving Day Thursday, April 13 |  Virtual fundraiser Giving Day is an annual event that inspires the entire Warrior community to join forces to maximize our support. A gift of any size will support the Office of Economic Development and TechTown in stimulating equitable growth. Save the date

The SHOP at TechTown Wednesday, April 19 |  11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The SHOP allows entrepreneurs at a variety of different business stages to test their ideas in a retail environment, and YOU get to purchase trendy products from Detroit small business owners right at TechTown.  Shop local

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