Participated · Seed · May 2026

Jupid develops AI-based accounting tools intended to act as an accountant for small businesses. The company has publicly announced an $840,000 financing to support that effort. Public reporting focuses on Jupid’s goal of giving small businesses their own AI accountant but does not disclose revenues, user counts, founding year, or location. Details on product roadmap beyond the stated mission were not provided in the article. No additional financial metrics or operating metrics were included in the reporting.

Led · Equity · Apr 2026

Founded in 2024 and based in Ann Arbor, Adrenaline Interactive has developed Brand Fusion AI, a platform that automates immersive product placements and brand integrations in video games such as Fortnite and Roblox. The company aims to replace traditional pop-up and static billboard ads with scalable, stylistically integrated in-game advertising. Leadership positions the product to reach Gen Z gamers and provide measurable returns for brands by automating planning, placement, and attribution. Adrenaline won a $1 million PitchMI grand prize in 2026, bringing its PitchMI-linked funding to $1.375 million. The firm will continue to receive mentorship and inclusion in Michigan’s startup investment portfolios through the PitchMI program. Company messaging emphasizes scaling authentic in-game ads while supporting Michigan’s local advertising economy.

Participated · Equity · Sep 2024

ATLAS Space Operations offers Ground Station as a Service (GaaS) and Ground Software as a Service (GSaaS) through its proprietary Freedom® software, enabling unified access to a federated network of antennas. The company operates over 50 antennas across more than 34 ground stations and supports LEO, MEO, and GEO orbits for commercial, civil, and defense customers. Freedom® software centralizes antenna networks, automates communications, enables dynamic scheduling, and provides near real-time troubleshooting and rapid onboarding. ATLAS reports a 100% contract renewal rate, underscoring heavy customer reliance on its ground infrastructure. Founded in 2015, the company moved its headquarters to Traverse City, Michigan in 2017 and maintains an office in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Management cites plans to use new capital to meet rising industry demand and to execute U.S. and EMEA expansion strategies. ATLAS Space Operations provides Ground Software as a Service (G-SaaS) through its Freedom™ software platform and a global antenna network to integrate disparate ground station networks for government and commercial clients. The company positions its Freedom™ solution as an industry-disruptive software layer that federates networks and maximizes ground-station value. ATLAS plans to accelerate international growth and expand its team to deliver enterprise-level G-SaaS for commercial customers and the DoD Hybrid Space Architecture. The company intends to increase market share in the private sector while supporting government requirements. ATLAS has been recognized by the World Teleport Association as one of the top three fastest-growing teleport operators worldwide for the past two years and was named the 15th fastest-growing software company in 2020 by Inc. 5000. Its mission statement is to connect humanity through space by combining software and a global antenna network.

Led · Seed · Apr 2023

TiiCKER operates web-based and mobile app platforms that deliver verified stock perks and direct-to-shareholder marketing, giving consumers access to shareholder perks, brand content, commission-free trading, and discovery tools. The company builds and markets shareholder loyalty programs for public company partners to engage and reward consumers and owners, aiming to maximize Shareholder Lifetime Value. TiiCKER plans to use new funding to continue investing in its AI-driven platform and apps and to expand measurement tools for major brands and public companies. Its roadmap includes tools to help partners launch optimized perks and measure the return on marketing spend across new consumers, first-party data, and sales. Led by CEO and founder Jeff Lambert, TiiCKER has gained partners such as Lions Gate Entertainment, Hagerty, Whirlpool, Real Good Foods, and Willamette Valley Vineyards. The company reported a record 2022 with a 119% increase in registered users and a 140% increase in total retail stock holdings connected on the platform, and recently acquired a five-floor, 25,000-square-foot building in downtown Grand Rapids for its new headquarters. TiiCKER provides a web-based and iOS mobile app platform for verified stock perks and direct-to-shareholder marketing, offering access to shareholder perks, commission-free trading, and custom content. Founded in 2019 by investor relations and consumer marketing veteran Jeff Lambert, the company targets consumer shareholders seeking to discover and connect with brands. The company’s pipeline spans Fortune 100 brands and emerging growth companies. TiiCKER closed a $2M pre-seed funding round to accelerate its product and commercial plans. Proceeds are earmarked for software development for planned feature additions, sales and marketing expansion, and client engagement and onboarding hires. The company is based in Detroit, Michigan.

Led · Seed · Jan 2023

Iaso Therapeutics is an East Lansing, MI–based biotechnology startup developing customizable drug delivery and vaccine technologies. Its core product is a vaccine platform built on bacteriophage mQβ designed to boost immune responses against weakly immunogenic antigens. The mQβ carrier has been conjugated with small molecules, sugars, peptides, proteins, polysaccharides and glycoproteins, giving it potential as a broadly used carrier for human and animal vaccines. The company intends to use the funds from its seed close to advance this customizable drug delivery and vaccine platform. Iaso was founded in 2018 by Dr. Xuefei Huang and is led by President and CEO Robert Forgey; it was spun out of Michigan State University. Huang’s research program spans more than 25 years and focuses on developing novel vaccine technologies targeting cancer and infectious diseases.