The startup picture in Detroit

Outside capital reaches a meaningful minority, but Detroit trails comparison cities: 326 tracked companies have ever raised money, against Pittsburgh's 820 and Indianapolis's 530. The city has a real funding market, though its depth looks modest beside those peers.

Startups in Detroit - Funding, Founders & Investors

Everything startup in one place: who's building, how the landscape clusters, the people and investors behind it, and whether the capital is real.

General Motors

General Motors: Committed to Inclusivity and Global Scale

est. 1908 · 76,000 staff · raised outside money

Mary T Barra — CEO

John Stapleton — CFO

RocketCompanies

Platform to track startups

est. 1985 · 14,700 staff · raised outside money

Federico Migliorini — Founder

Visteon

Automotive cybersecurity and self-driving vehicles technology

est. 2000 · 10,000 staff · raised outside money

Sachin Lawande — CEO & President · Master Of Science (M.S.) SIUE

Mahipati Desai — Director

Quicken Loans

Online Mortgage Lending Platform

est. 1985 · 9,679 staff · raised outside money

Harris Eisenberg — Chief Executive Officer

Sun Communities

Sun Communities: Trusted Manufactured Home & RV Communities

est. 1975 · 7,594 staff · raised outside money

Gary Shiffman — Chairman & CEO

Credit Acceptance

Automobile Financing via Dealer Network

est. 1972 · 2,246 staff · raised outside money

Brett Roberts — CEO

Bridgewater Interiors

Efficient Automotive Seat Manufacturing

est. 1998 · 2,102 staff · raised outside money

Ronald Hall — CEO & President

Hays Medical Center

Robotic Surgery Service Expansion

est. 1991 · 1,500 staff · raised outside money

Edward Herrman — President and CEO

MSX International

Technology-Enabled Automotive BPO Solutions

est. 1996 · 1,107 staff · raised outside money

Fred Minturn — CEO

StockX

Online sneaker marketplace with real-time bidding and analytics

est. 2016 · 948 staff · raised outside money

Chris Kaufman — Co-Founder · Bachelor of Fine Arts Eastern Michigan University

Greg Schwartz — Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder

Compuware

Mainframe Development & Testing Tools

est. 1973 · 900 staff · raised outside money

Christopher Malley — CEO & President

Joseph Angileri — Presient and COO

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services

Mobile app to manage banking account for MBFS users

est. 2007 · 663 staff · raised outside money

Ola Kaellenius — CEO · Master of Science Stockholm School of Economics

Saga Communications

Mid-Market Radio Operations

est. 1986 · 585 staff · raised outside money

Ed Christian — president/ceo · Wayne State University

365 Media

Omnichannel Media Engagement & Monetization Platform

est. 1998 · 515 staff · raised outside money

John Tilly — CEO

Shinola

Private Equity Firm Investing Across Consumer and Media Sectors

est. 2011 · 471 staff · raised outside money

Tom Kartsotis — Founder

American Axle & Manufacturing

Advanced Driveline and Forging Solutions for Next-Gen Vehicles

est. 1917 · 444 staff · raised outside money

David Dauch — Chairman & CEO

Richard Dauch — Founder

3-Dimensional

Innovative Manufacturing Solutions

est. 1992 · 402 staff · raised outside money

Douglas Peterson — Founder & CEO

Chad Peterson — CEO

Dorsey Schools

Skilled Operator Training School

est. 1934 · 383 staff · raised outside money

John Barnes — CEO & President

CrowdRise

Crowdrise Online Fundraising & Volunteering Platform

est. 2010 · 332 staff · raised outside money

Jeffro Wolfe — Co-Founder

Wright & Filippis

Online store for Orthotics and Prosthetics

est. 1944 · 320 staff · raised outside money

Anthony Filippis — President & CEO

RouteOne

Fintech for dealerships, improving the purchase process

est. 2002 · 314 staff · raised outside money

Justin Oesterle — CEO · BA University of Michigan

DCFC

A soccer club based in Detroit that emphasizes community engagement and fan involvement.

est. 2012 · 284 staff · raised outside money

Sean Mann — CEO & Owner

Monroe Bank & Trust

Regional Community Bank with Digital Services

est. 1858 · 276 staff · raised outside money

Douglas Chaffin — CEO & President

HelloWorld

Digital Marketing Solutions with Native Platform Technology

est. 1999 · 255 staff · raised outside money

Matt Wise — Ex-CEO

cluster · 409 companies

Business Services

51 founded since 2018 · 19 funded

Sub-themes

marketing services · 101it services · 47services for nonprofits · 42legal services · 36event management services · 32hr services · 29

e.g. Dickinson Wright, urban science, Honigman

cluster · 275 companies

Consumer

57 founded since 2018 · 37 funded

Sub-themes

b2c e-commerce · 58fashion tech · 34temples and religious trusts · 24social platforms · 22road transport tech · 21sports tech · 18

e.g. Carhartt, Automotive News, Society of St. Vincent de Paul

cluster · 225 companies

Enterprise Applications

67 founded since 2018 · 55 funded

Sub-themes

enterprise software · 41marketingtech · 39hrtech · 39saas · 39sales force automation · 16manufacturing tech · 14

e.g. RocketCompanies, CrowdRise, aggregate intelligence

cluster · 185 companies

Real Estate And Construction

16 founded since 2018 · 8 funded

Sub-themes

real estate & infrastructure developers · 31architects · 26real estate brokers · 22construction contractors · 20property management services · 17building materials · 16

e.g. amrock, Smithgroup, Walbridge

cluster · 173 companies

Retail

49 founded since 2018 · 22 funded

Sub-themes

fashion tech · 35internet first brands · 31b2c e-commerce · 29apparel brands · 14home improvements · 13wholesalers · 12

e.g. Carhartt, StockX, Shinola

cluster · 164 companies

Healthcare

21 founded since 2018 · 18 funded

Sub-themes

rehabilitation and long-term care · 33services for healthcare providers · 23clinic chains · 20hospitals · 15cannabis brands and retailers · 13hospital chains · 10

e.g. Detroit Medical Center, Ciena Healthcare, Children's Hospital

cluster · 148 companies

Media & Entertainment

26 founded since 2018 · 12 funded

Sub-themes

internet first media · 42film & tv studios · 32social platforms · 16radio tech · 14internet first news publishers · 13online event ticketing · 10

e.g. crain communications, Automotive News, Hometown Life

cluster · 119 companies

Consumer Goods

15 founded since 2018 · 17 funded

Sub-themes

food & beverage products · 35apparel brands · 18internet first brands · 17home furnishing products · 14fashion accessories · 12beauty & personal care products · 8

e.g. Carhartt, Shinola, faygo beverages

cluster · 104 companies

Financial Services

12 founded since 2018 · 14 funded

Sub-themes

services for investment industry · 18finance & accounting services · 17asset management · 13banks · 12service providers to banks · 10consumer and sme loans · 9

e.g. Quicken Loans, Sun Communities, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan

cluster · 96 companies

Food And Agriculture

9 founded since 2018 · 8 funded

Sub-themes

food service chains · 34food distributors · 11restaurants · 10food & beverage products · 8alcoholic beverage products · 7food processing · 5

e.g. Sherwood, Harvestsherwood, Little Caesars

Founder & Background	Role	Company
Sachin Lawande Ex-HARMAN, QNX, 3Com, AT&T Bell Labs. Bombay University BS 1988, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville MS 1992	CEO & President	Visteon
Mahipati Desai Ex - HCL Technologies, Filtrum tools & components, Visteon Corporation. Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode eMDP Advanced Op	Director	Visteon
Harris Eisenberg Bedrock Management, ex-Thermopylae Sciences And Technology, ex-Reston Challenge, American University - Kogod School of Business, 2	Chief Executive Officer	Quicken Loans
Ronald Hall Ex-Johnson Controls, Dykema Gossett. United States Military Academy at West Point B.Sc 1991	CEO & President	Bridgewater Interiors
Edward Herrman Hays Medical Center, ex-Integris Bass Baptist Health Center And Integris Pavillion Ltach, ex-Integris Southwest Medical Center, Un	President and CEO	Hays Medical Center
Fred Minturn Tuebor, ex-Msx International, ex-Village Of Grosse Pointe Shores, Western Michigan University - Haworth College of Business	CEO	MSX International
Chris Kaufman Founder West Grand, UpTo, Shift Digital, TwitArt.com, Quicken Loans. The Honors College at Eastern Michigan University BA 2007, No	Co-Founder	StockX
Greg Schwartz Stockx, ex-Deutsche Bank, ex-Warner Music, university of Michigan, 1970	Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder	StockX
Dan Gilbert Founding partner - Rockbridge Growth \| EquityNFX, Gilbert Family Foundation, Bedrock Detroit, Detroit Venture Partners, Cleveland	Co-Founder	StockX
Paul Guerra LCDA, SVCI, YL Ventures, Team8. Texas Tech University BS	CISO	StockX
Ola Kaellenius Ex-Daimler, Mercedes-Benz HighPerformanceEngines, McLaren Automotive, DaimlerChrysler. Stockholm School of Economics MS 1993	CEO	Mercedes-Benz Financial Services
Ed Christian Saga Communications	president/ceo	Saga Communications
John Barnes Dorsey College, ex-Cengage Learning, ex-Thomson Reuters, university of Michigan, 1995	CEO & President	Dorsey Schools
Jeffro Wolfe Co-Founder StreetHippo Ventures, Ex-Crowdrise, Merrill Lynch. University of Michigan BA 1997, LSE 1997	Co-Founder	CrowdRise
Anthony Filippis Northwestern University	President & CEO	Wright & Filippis
Justin Oesterle Ex-Deloitte, Syntel. University of Michigan BA 1992, 1997.	CEO	RouteOne
Sean Mann University of Bristol	CEO & Owner	DCFC
Matt Wise Current - CEO at Fisher/Unitech Ex- HelloWorld, Inc., Draftfcb - DePaul University	Ex-CEO	HelloWorld
Manoj Bhargava Founder & CEO Innovations Ventures. Princeton University 1972	Founder & CEO	5-hour Energy
Ralph Bland Blue Ribbon School recognition, Skillman Foundation Good Schools.	CEO & President	NPFE

backgrounds shown where available

233 investors are on record backing Detroit companies. The most committed:

Most active — backed 2+ companies

Detroit Venture Partners

Venture for America

Invest Detroit

4HHS

4Ludlow Ventures

4Annox Capital

4ID Ventures

3JPMorgan Chase

3Revolution

2Bank of America

2HRSA

2Falcon Investment Advisors

Institutional

Detroit Venture Partners · VC fundVenture for America · accelerator / incubatorInvest Detroit · VC fundLudlow Ventures · VC fundAnnox Capital · VC fundID Ventures · VC fundRevolution · VC fundSV Angel · VC fundBeringea · VC fundGeneral Catalyst · VC fundDrive Capital · VC fundInvest Michigan · VC fundRSE Ventures · VC fundEndeavor · VC fund+ 94 more

Private & corporate backers

HHSJPMorgan ChaseBank of AmericaHRSAFalcon Investment AdvisorsCerberus Capital ManagementChatham CapitalOSTIDOEEngine No. 1+ 115 more

hover a name to see who they backed

Funded startups — peer cities

Pittsburgh

820

Indianapolis

530

Cincinnati

460

326Detroit

284Milwaukee

Companies that have raised

Company	Industry	Rounds	Latest Round	Founded
Ally	financial services	3	2013-11	1919
MSX International	automotive	1	2014-07	1996
Pixel Velocity	computer software	12	2020-04	2001
vRide	transportation/trucking/railroad	2	2014-06	1977
First Independence Bank	banking	4	2022-05	1970
Golfler App	computer software	5	2016-04	2015
TernPro Creative	media production	1	2015-05	2013
Gravity Software	computer software	1	2019-02	2004
Athlytic	sports	3	2023-10	2020
Craftle	design	1	2023-12	2021
Skoop	media and information services (b2b)	2	2020-12	2018
ToDooly	human capital services	1	2020-06	2019
Wimsatt	building materials	0	—	1936
WRKSHP	movies, music and entertainment	0	—	2022
York Project	retail	1	2016-04	2012
Zeck	computer software	1	2024-04	2022
SolidSky	biotechnology	0	—	2023
Paira	internet	0	2026-02	2025
21st Century Therapeutics	biotechnology	4	2018-09	2008
365 Media	computer software	0	—	1998
3-Dimensional	mechanical or industrial engineering	0	2009-09	1992
5-hour Energy	health, wellness and fitness	1	2012-07	2000
American Axle & Manufacturing	automotive	1	2017-04	1917
Abroaders	leisure, travel & tourism	0	—	2013
AdaptiveRadiance	furniture	0	—	2022

round amounts sparse for tier-3 cities — counts shown, dollar totals withheld

Company	Industry	Founded	Employees
Humza	medical devices	2026	—
Dauch	automotive	2026	—
Paira	internet	2025	—
Booked Leads	computer software	2025	—
Cornerstone Strategy Group	management consulting	2025	—
Dwello	financial services	2025	—
EdificeX	real estate	2025	—
HiddenState AI	computer software	2025	—
IG Export Tool	internet	2025	—
Providence Wave Group	consumer electronics	2025	—
ArtClvb	fine art	2024	—
Autosem	internet	2024	—
Beye.ai	computer software	2024	—
Chevstocks	financial services	2024	—
ContentSeal	internet	2024	—
Det City	computer games	2024	—
Detroit Riverwalk Hotel	hospitality	2024	—
Hudson	buildings and property	2024	—
Innovative Tile and Stone	construction	2024	—
Inspectie	computer software	2024	—

The startup picture in Detroit

General Motors

RocketCompanies

Visteon

Quicken Loans

Sun Communities

Credit Acceptance

Bridgewater Interiors

Hays Medical Center

MSX International

StockX

Compuware

Mercedes-Benz Financial Services

Saga Communications

365 Media

Shinola

American Axle & Manufacturing

3-Dimensional

Dorsey Schools

CrowdRise

Wright & Filippis

RouteOne

DCFC

Monroe Bank & Trust

HelloWorld

Business Services

Consumer

Enterprise Applications

Real Estate And Construction

Retail

Healthcare

Media & Entertainment

Consumer Goods

Financial Services

Food And Agriculture

Need to go deeper than a city?