Jeffrey Mosher welcomes back Pete Martin, director of portfolio management at the MSU Research Foundation, this time accompanied by Alisyn Malek, CEO and co-founder of Averra Systems.
Hear Pete and Alisyn discuss PitchMI, startup funding expansion by 50%, founder preparation and the opportunity to build and grow companies in Michigan with Jeffrey in the SoundCloud podcast shared below:
Jeffrey had several questions for Pete and Alisyn in this conversation:
For Pete Martin, director of portfolio management at the MSU Research Foundation:
- Pete, let’s start with the expanded funding. The potential semifinal prize has grown from $250,000 to as much as $375,000. Why was increasing that investment important, and what does it change for the founders competing?
- There’s up to $1.5 million available across the four semifinals, but the founders are also receiving intensive coaching and connections. What do you hope these companies take away from PitchMI regardless of whether they ultimately win the money?
- Pete, the semifinals are spread across Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Marquette and Detroit and are organized around four different industry areas. Why is that statewide approach important to the future of Michigan’s startup ecosystem?
- Alisyn, you’re one of five founders competing in PitchMI’s Advanced Manufacturing, Materials & Outdoors semifinal in Marquette. You’re tackling some pretty big, technical challenges in advanced manufacturing with Averra Systems. What could that additional funding help you do sooner or differently as you grow?
- You’ve gone through that preparation firsthand. What part of the experience has been most valuable as you get Averra Systems ready for the semifinal stage?
- What makes Michigan a place where you believe your company can grow, and what excites you about being part of that broader startup community?
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Twenty Michigan Startups Advance in PitchMI as Semifinal Prize Climbs to $375,000
Founders will compete across four Michigan cities this fall, backed by expanded prize funding and two weeks of startup development and coaching
LANSING, Mich. (Sept. 10, 2026) — From the doctor’s office to the factory floor, and even beneath our streets, Michigan startups are developing new ways to solve real-world problems.
Lansing, Michigan
©04/07/2026 by Elizabeth Lippman
PitchMi championships at Grewal Hall in Lansing Michigan.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer announces the winner of the million dollar prize as Max Albert of Adrenaline Interactive.
Twenty of those companies will compete in the PitchMI semifinals this fall.
The Michigan State University Research Foundation and Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) have announced the Top 20 companies for the 2026-27 PitchMI competition, a partnership between the MSU Research Foundation and MEDC and one of the nation’s largest founder-focused startup competitions. The program connects promising Michigan founders with capital, visibility, relationships, and resources that can help them move farther, faster.
Hundreds of founders from across the state applied for a chance to compete. And this year, the stakes are even higher.
Five companies will pitch at each of the four industry-specific semifinals in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Marquette, and Detroit. Expanded support has increased the semifinal prize from $250,000 to as much as $375,000 per winner, bringing the total available funding across the four events to up to $1.5 million. From there, the four semifinal winners will advance to the statewide PitchMI Championship in spring 2027, where another $1 million will be awarded.
“Michigan founders are expanding the frontier of possibility, and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation is putting a rocket boost of attention and resources behind them,” said Alison Todak, vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation at the MEDC. “Twenty incredibly promising founders will take the PitchMI stage this fall, and I can’t wait to see what all of them create with the visibility and capital we provide.”
The Top 20 span some of Michigan’s strongest and fastest-growing industries. Their work ranges from electric vehicle systems, robotics, and defense technology to AI-powered business tools, advanced materials, medical technology, and new approaches to healthcare.
Defense & Aerospace: Grand Rapids on Sep. 15. ● Controlled Light, Ann Arbor — Bryce Rajabian ● Common Vector Robotics, Detroit — Arnold Kadiu ● Ketchel Axle Systems, Southfield — Bradley Ketchel ● Modal Motors, Farmington Hills — Michael Van Steenburg ● Neumo, Birmingham — Niall Berkery
AI & Software: Kalamazoo on Sept. 22. ● Bridgecare Technologies, Lansing — Sunny Nadolsky ● ConStrat AI, Detroit — Justin Turk ● Helios Core AI, Novi — Len Landale ● MimoLabs, Detroit — Michael Moceri ● Motmot, Detroit — Elliot Smith
Advanced Manufacturing, Materials, & Outdoors: Marquette on Sept. 24. ● Averra Systems, Canton — Alisyn Malek ● Fen X Custom, Grawn — Mike Lin ● GAIA Predictive, Detroit — Andrew DiMaggio ● Omegacool, Ann Arbor — Joey Mullick ● Post Rock, Pleasant Ridge — Nawar Dimitry
Healthcare & Life Sciences: Detroit on Oct. 1. ● Authsnap, Marquette — Gretchen Heinen ● Ollivate, Detroit — April Olson ● PathwaysGI, Ann Arbor — Kevin Wittrup ● Signal Bioscience, Ann Arbor — John Cunningham ● TruVue, Kalamazoo — Khaldoon Alaswad
For the Top 20, PitchMI offers more than a shot at prize funding.
All 20 semifinalists are taking part in a two-week intensive development series designed to strengthen both their talent and the companies they are building. Experts will work with the founders on positioning and branding, hiring, go-to-market strategy, fundraising, financial planning, influencer marketing, and more. The MSU Research Foundation will also provide dedicated pitch and Q&A coaching.
No matter who takes home the semifinal prizes, every founder leaves with new skills, connections, and tools they can put to work as they keep growing their companies, according to Pete Martin, director of portfolio management at the MSU Research Foundation.
“Michigan is full of talented founders building ambitious companies,” said Martin. “Our job is to make sure they leave PitchMI with something that moves their company forward. This competition gives the MSU Research Foundation and our partners a way to rally around that talent and create more opportunities for founders to succeed here.”
And Michigan can watch its startup talent in action.
All four PitchMI semifinal events are free and open to the public. Investors, fellow entrepreneurs, business leaders, researchers, students, and community members can hear founders pitch their companies, meet people shaping Michigan’s startup ecosystem, and get an up-close look at some of the best early-stage startups being built across the state.
Learn more about the Top 20 companies and RSVP for the PitchMI semifinals at https://msufoundation.org/pitchmi/.
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About the Michigan State University Research Foundation
The Michigan State University Research Foundation is an independent research and development nonprofit aligned with Michigan State University. The Foundation helps fund and advance research, technology, and startup efforts at the university and across the state by connecting researchers and entrepreneurs to the resources, relationships, and capital they need to drive real-world impact. The Foundation achieves its mission through grant programs that contribute over $15 million annually to the University, entrepreneurial programming and early-stage investments that accelerate technology transfer and startup growth throughout Michigan, and environments where startup businesses and collaborators can thrive. The Foundation’s work is made possible through its stewardship of a flexible and sustainable endowment, nourished by over 50 years of licensing revenues and investment returns. Learn more about the MSU Research Foundation and its impact at msufoundation.org.
About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state’s marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan’s economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook Instagram LinkedIn, and Threads.
