Edition: October 2026

October at ID Ventures 🍂

Fall is bringing plenty of momentum across Michigan’s startup community! This month, we’re celebrating portfolio company milestones, highlighting founders making moves, and connecting with the people and ideas moving our ecosystem forward. Take a look at what’s happening across our portfolio and beyond.

NOX METALS

🎉 Big congratulations to Nox Metals!

Nox was named Up-and-Coming Company of the Year at the Michigan Venture Capital Association Awards Dinner!

We’re proud to support founders building ambitious companies here in Michigan, and it’s exciting to see the Nox Metals team recognized for its progress and potential.

Congratulations to the entire team on this well-deserved honor!

Innovation Alliance

🏆 Congratulations to the Innovation Alliance on receiving the Community Impact Award!

Recognized at the Michigan Venture Capital Association Awards Dinner, this honor celebrates the important work happening to strengthen Michigan’s innovation ecosystem.

As a founding partner of the Innovation Alliance, ID Ventures is proud to be part of a collaborative effort to connect resources, expand opportunities, and help Michigan startups grow.

Building a stronger startup ecosystem takes all of us working together. Join us!

PitchMI Healthcare & Life Sciences

🏆A Big Win for Ollivate at PitchMI Detroit 

Congratulations to Ollivate, winner of the PitchMI Detroit Healthcare & Life Sciences semifinal! The company took home a $425,000 prize, $100,000 in Google Cloud credits, and a VIP membership to the Small Business Association of Michigan.

Ollivate is making nursing education and exam prep more engaging through interactive learning games. ID Ventures is pleased to provide capital investments in Michigan’s most promising startups through the PitchMI platform. 

Portfolio companies continuing to scale

🍔 Catapult helps independent restaurants grow revenue by launching virtual food brands that leverage their existing kitchens, staff and equipment to reach more customers through online food delivery.

🌐 Lumetec develops fiber-optic sensing technology that transforms existing cable networks into real-time monitoring systems to detect threats and protect critical infrastructure.

Celebrating the progress, growth, and stories of our founders

🚀 Maka has officially launched its ad-free streaming app for children ages 0–6, featuring thoughtfully curated shows vetted by child development experts, with no autoplay or engagement algorithms. Learn more

🌊 AmHyTech was selected for AquaAction’s Aqua Entrepreneur Michigan program, supporting innovative solutions that advance Michigan’s water and blue economy. Read more

🔔 Volt Harbor rings the bell: The University of Michigan spinout celebrated a major milestone, advancing its mission to repurpose retired EV batteries for clean energy storage.

🏭 Bloom raises $3.6M to scale its marketplace connecting hardware startups with U.S. manufacturers and strengthening domestic supply chains.

💎 Congrats to Gildform, a Detroit-based custom jewelry company, on receiving a $15,000 Make Detroit Home grant to support its continued growth in the city.

Opportunities to join some of Michigan’s most exciting startups

🏭 Nox Metals

Detroit-based startup modernizing America's metals supply chain with software, AI and automated manufacturing. Current listings include operations, engineering, finance, sales and manufacturing roles.

🔐Hush

Detroit-headquartered technology company protecting people's personal information, finances and digital reputations. Currently hiring a Senior Relationship Director role serving entertainment and high-profile clients.

Upcoming events and where to find the ID Ventures team

🌐 AFROTECH Conference | November 2–6 | Houston, TX

ID Ventures and Venture 313 are heading to AFROTECH with founders to build connections, explore new opportunities, and showcase the talent and innovation coming out of Detroit.

💡 The Profile Experience Investor Workshop | December 1 | Birmingham, MI

Hosted by Birmingham Angels, this interactive workshop brings founders and investors together to explore how investors evaluate startups, what founders should know before fundraising, and how to build stronger investor relationships.

🎤 Venture 313 Pitch26 Finals | December 8 | Detroit, MI

Venture 313’s Pitch26 finals will bring Detroit’s tech founders to the stage at Bonstelle Theatre to compete for a share of $100,000 in non-dilutive cash prizes.

Funding University Startups Early

🚀 We’re excited to launch the FUSE Fund, a new ID Ventures initiative designed to help currently enrolled students at Michigan universities take their first steps toward building high-growth companies. FUSE will invest $20,000–$50,000 in 4–6 student-led companies each year, providing early capital alongside mentorship, connections, and access to the ID Ventures network.

FUSE is about getting promising student ideas off the ground earlier and helping Michigan’s next generation of founders build what’s next.

Do you know someone currently enrolled at a Michigan university and building something?

Learn more and apply →

Powering Michigan's Prosperity

🤝 Michigan Innovation Alliance

Michigan's innovation economy grows stronger when we work together. As a founding partner of the Michigan Innovation Alliance, ID Ventures is joining organizations from across the state to improve collaboration, expand access to capital, and support the next generation of high-growth companies.

Whether you're an investor, founder, corporate partner, university, or ecosystem supporter, we invite you to learn more and become part of this statewide effort to shape Michigan's innovation future.

ID Ventures has invested in high-tech startups based in Michigan since 2010. 

Annual (2026):

💰 Amount Deployed: $3.9M

🏢 Total Companies Invested In: 28

Lifetime:

💰 Amount Deployed: $45M

🏢 Total Companies Invested In: 256

🚀 Active Companies: 139

🌍 Diverse Founders: 72%

🎉 Exits: 33

ID Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm focused on supporting innovative founders and high-potential startups in Michigan. We provide capital, guidance, and connections to help entrepreneurs navigate the challenges of building and scaling their businesses.

Our investments are in industry agnostic, high-growth sectors, with a focus on creating lasting impact for both companies and the broader Michigan innovation ecosystem. At ID Ventures, we aim to be a trusted partner to founders from their earliest stages through long-term growth.

Follow ID Ventures:💼 LinkedIn | 📸 Instagram | 🌐 Website 
Have news to share? 💌 [venture@investdetroit.com]