Dear Colleagues,

Summer is in full swing in Ann Arbor as we enjoy incredibly long days, the occasional thunderstorm and a campus that truly never stops buzzing with the excitement of discovery. Our team at Innovation Partnerships is constantly looking for new ways to best meet the needs of the university’s community of innovators, and I am excited to share a new development.

We’ve expanded our Alliances team to form Corporate and Foundation Research Alliances (CFRA). By integrating foundation-sponsored research support into our existing Corporate Research Alliances structure, CFRA is now uniquely positioned to help faculty navigate the evolving landscape of outcomes-driven funding from both corporate and foundation partners. These research alliances equip faculty with the funding and collaborators needed to advance real-world, scalable solutions to complex challenges.

Please mark your calendar for Celebrate Invention on Wednesday, September 24. This is the university’s signature event celebrating innovation at U-M and it will be a highlight of Ann Arbor SPARK’s a2Tech360 week of programming – I hope to see you there.

Sincerely,

Kelly Sexton, Ph.D.

Associate Vice President for Research – Innovation Partnerships and Economic Impact

Chris Rizik, HistoSonics Honored at NVCA 2025 Leadership Awards

In June, the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) held their 2025 NVCA Leadership Awards Dinner. Honorees included Chris Rizik, managing partner at Renaissance Venture Capital and board chair of the Innovation Partnerships National Advisory Board, who received the Venture Vanguard Award; and HistoSonics, which received the Startup Innovator Award.

Patti Glaza Named to Crain’s 2025 Women of Influence

Patti Glaza, executive Vice President, venture and managing director for ID Ventures and Innovation Partnerships National Advisory Board member, was recently named one of Crain’s 2025 Women of Influence. This distinction is presented to women who are redefining leadership in businesses across Detroit.

Zetian Mi receives AVS 2025 NSTD Nanotechnology Recognition Award

Zetian Mi, Pallab K. Bhattacharya Collegiate Professor of Engineering, received the 2025 American Vacuum Society (AVS) Nanoscale Science and Technology Division Nanotechnology Recognition Award for his outstanding contributions to growth of wide bandgap semiconductor materials. Mi is the innovator behind U-M startups NX Fuels and NS Nanotech.

HistoSonics Announces Partnership with England’s NHS, Receipt of Entrepreneur of the Year Award for CEO

Summer 2025 has proved highly successful for medical device startup HistoSonics. In June, the company announced a partnership with England’s National Health Service (NHS) to install Edison Histotripsy Systems across the country’s hospitals. That same month, CEO Mike Blue was named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2025 for the Heartland Region. This award honors business leaders who have shown ingenuity, courage and entrepreneurial spirit.

Ambiq Micro Files for U.S. IPO, Frost & Sullivan’s 2025 Global Company of the Year Award for Leadership in Healthcare Semiconductor Solutions

U-M semiconductor startup Ambiq Micro has recently made major impacts in the world of edge AI. Earlier this month, the company announced that it had filed for a U.S. initial public offering to meet growing demand for generative AI. Ambiq was also recently named Company of the Year for Leadership in Healthcare Semiconductor Solutions by Frost & Sullivan.

Toyota Research Institute (TRI) Human-Centered AI Kaizen Initiative

TRI’s Human-Centered AI division invites proposals for research on systems where humans and AI co-evolve, focusing on designing AI that not only adapts and automates, but also promotes human learning, adaptability and growth. Projects are encouraged to address key societal challenges, apply interdisciplinary methods and propose high-risk, high-reward research that can transform human-AI collaboration.

Awardees will receive an industry-sponsored research agreement and ~$250,000–$350,000/year for up to three years.

Proposals are due September 18, 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.