Ann Arbor SPARK

Ann Arbor SPARK is an organization that offers programs, resources and support to innovation-based business in Ann Arbor, Michigan, be it a start-up or a large organization looking for opportunities to expand. SPARK’s business and career services include:
  • Business accelerator for start-ups
  • Pre-seed capital fund
  • Michigan innovation equipment depot
  • Career events and job postings
  • Career change boot camps
  • Wet lab incubator
  • Business attraction and retention services


MPowered

MPowered is an organization that fosters entrepreneurial interactions among students, faculty, alumi, industry and the outside world student entrepreneurship community by providing a range of opportunities.
  • A mentorship program that connects students with successful entrepreneurs
  • Collaboration with students, faculty, staff and entrepreneurial businesses
  • Resources and facilities
  • Financial support for student start-up ventures


MPowered’s website itself is a valuable source, containing video content, faculty information, listings of pertinent courses from across the University and blogs.

U of M Medical Innovation Center

The Medical Innovation Center is a uniquely positioned organization that encourages new methods of collaboration among clinicians, dentists, scientists, engineers and business professionals to foster innovation, enable new medical technologies and, ultimately, improve health.

The Center pursues its objectives by:
  • Educating a new generation of medical innovators with cross-disciplinary technical and business skills
  • Accelerating the research and development of innovative biomedical devices, technologies and processes
  • Providing a common ground for multidisciplinary teams from schools and colleges to access and synthesize the University’s assets in areas as diverse as medicine, business, dentistry, engineering, art and design, and engineering
  • Fostering dynamic relationships with industry to accelerate the commercialization of technology
  • Providing access to mentors to train and inspire new innovators
  • Creating the culture and systems that can bring wide clinical access to health technology through business creation
  • Pursuing sustainable, strategic partnerships with industry worldwide, bringing together complementary strengths and capabilities to improve global healthcare and healthcare delivery
  • Hosting seminars and educational lectures
  • Funding events, programs, projects and initiatives
  • Making donations to the Innovation Lab (equipment, materials, software)
  • Offering internships for students
  • Establishing Innovators-in-Residence exchange programs for scientists and professionals
  • Hosting company site visits
  • Providing incubator space for post-fellow project completion