Accelerate Blue Fund Highlights $6.8M Total Investment in U-M Startups In 2024 Impact Report

The Accelerate Blue Fund recently published their 2024 Annual Report, detailing the Fund’s performance and the progress of their portfolio companies. Pivotal in transforming research breakthroughs into tangible societal benefits, the Accelerate Blue Fund offers necessary seed capital to early-stage startups.

MTRAC Advanced Transportation Innovation Hub Supports Groundbreaking Electric Vehicle Battery Research

U-M researchers Jeff Sakamoto and Neil Dasgupta are revolutionizing electric vehicle batteries. With support from the MTRAC Advanced Transportation Innovation Hub, they have launched two startups, Zakuro and Arbor Batteries Innovations. These U-M startups are driving advancements in EV technology by providing safer and more efficient solid-state and lithium ion battery technology, respectively.

U-M Startup APT Solar Solutions Celebrates Official Launch with Ringing of Startup Bell

APT Solar Solutions is redefining the boundaries of solar energy with their

pioneering three-dimensional (3D) solar module technology. Engineered to capture the sun’s rays from all directions, their unique vertical solar arrays ensure unparalleled efficiency in solar power generation, regardless of the space available.

OUP Webinar: Entrepreneur-in-Residence Programs | from the EIRs’ Perspectives

June 5, 2025 | 12pm | Virtual

Join Osage University Partners on June 5th at 12pm for a webinar titled, “Entrepreneur-in-Residence Programs – from the EIRs’ Perspectives.” This webinar will feature three Entrepreneurs-in-Residence as they share why they joined their respective EIR programs, the skills they bring to the programs, their multitude of tasks, the impacts EIRs can have and more.

Featured speakers include:

• Don Manfredi – University of Michigan

• Julie Schoenfeld – Caltech

• Althea Stillman – University of California – San Francisco

Save the Date: Celebrate Invention 2025

Wednesday, September 24, 2025 | Michigan League

Fidelity Center for Applied Technology Opens Two RFPs

The Fidelity Center for Applied Technology (FCAT) is accepting applications for the FCAT University Research Award and the FCAT Applied Technology Award.

The FCAT University Research Award will provide recipients up to $100,000 for one year (renewable) for projects on fundamental and applied research that aligns with an FCAT identified research area of interest.

The FCAT Applied Technology Award will provide recipients up to $25,000 for six months for applied, short-term technology prototypes and/or proof of concepts that are defined in scope and in a deliverable format. Monthly demos are required, as well as a final PoC that FCAT can showcase your sponsored work. Research should focus on emerging technologies or cryptocurrency mining.

Submissions are due June 23, 2025.

ONO Pharmaceuticals RFP – Funding Opportunity for Rare Genetic Disorder Researchers

In alliance with Innovation Partnerships and Michigan Medicine’s rare disease interest group (MIRARE), ONO Pharmaceuticals is expanding its research and development efforts to identify potential collaborative research efforts with U-M faculty focusing on rare genetic disorders. This opportunity is designed for research in early-stage discovery with an identified target, novel genetic therapeutic approaches and new technologies or platforms that can be applied to multiple targets.

Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis.