Startups may now apply to exhibit their technologies at the Motor Bella at the AutoMobili-D Showcase on September 21-22 in Pontiac, Michigan. Produced by the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, this event allows automakers, suppliers and startups to display their work while making connections with the industry advancing the future of mobility.

Startups interested in exhibiting must apply before July 16 and meet the following requirements:

• Total revenue less than $10M
• Total investment less than $10M
• Less than 8 years old as of June 2021
• May not be an owned subsidiary of a larger corporation
• Must have less than 100 employees

Michigan’s Chief Mobility Officer, Trevor Pawl, recently spoke with Automotive News about Michigan’s strategy in becoming a leader in the air mobility industry, saying the state has an advantage, but there is still work to be done.

“The near-future approach that we’re taking as it relates to aerial mobility is looking at various synergies between what the [automakers] are doing with autonomous, connected, shared and electric and what is possible in the air with those,” Pawl said. Bleeding-edge testing sites and education programs, including the University of Michigan‘s M-Air and the Michigan Unmanned Aerial Systems Consortium, play a vital role in preparing the state’s workforce to welcome air mobility.

Along with its natural advantage, Michigan is also investing in air mobility technologies, promoting industry startups, such as Detroit-based AirSpace Link, and attracting software engineer talent to work towards dominating in aerospace and aerial development.

Seven startups – the first cohort of Ford and Newlab’s Accessible Street’s Studio – will begin piloting their technologies in Detroit this summer in hopes of solving mobility challenges.

With products like EV car-sharing and robot delivery, these companies aim to address problems like pedestrian safety and transportation gaps. The selected companies include Kiwibot, Solartonic, Numina, Kuhmute, Sway Mobility, Soofa and Lazarillo. If their test projects are successful, they may be able to extend them to other parts of Detroit or other cities.

The Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) have partnered to launch the Michigan Mobility Funding Platform aimed at providing vital grant funding to mobility and electrification companies of all sizes looking to deploy their technology in Michigan.

The funding platform is designed to accelerate investment in solutions that create safer, more equitable and environmental conscious transportation for all Michiganders, as well as fostering mobility and electrification companies with high trajectories in Michigan and want to play a key role in the state’s mobility ecosystem. Grants are focused in three primary areas:

• Sustainable Futures: Improve environmental sustainability by encouraging electric vehicle adoption and the buildout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure
• Equitable Futures: Alleviate mobility barriers and increase access to affordable and reliable transportation options
• Multimodal Transportation: Modernize existing transportation systems and keep Michigan at the forefront across all connected and autonomous transportation modes