GRAND RAPIDS — Food, technology and recycling startups were among the 10 winners to receive individual $20,000 awards at this year’s 100 competition hosted by Grand Rapids-based business incubator Start Garden LLC. Start Garden officials say this year’s event was competitive after more than 650 entrepreneurs submitted ideas to be selected for funding. In August, the
GRAND RAPIDS - A statewide organization of economic development leaders is sounding alarms following Ford Motor Co.’s recent announcement to venture outside of its home state to make a historic investment in electric vehicles. Ford announced this week that it — along with partner SK Innovation Co. — will invest $11.4 billion and create 11,000 jobs in Tennessee and
GRAND RAPIDS - Statewide legislation introduced this month hopes to resolve a years-long dispute between power providers and local governments over the taxable value of wind turbines and how much revenue is directed to local taxing units. House Bill 5326 — introduced on Sept. 22 and sponsored by state Rep. Pat Outman, R-Six Lakes — mirrors
GRAND HAVEN — A West Michigan-based startup in the early stages of raising capital wants to lower the cost of and better manage energy storage and electric vehicle charging in homes.Founded last year by Joshua Bylsma, Tradion LLC seeks to integrate recycled batteries with home electric vehicle charging stations to better manage when electricity is pulled
TRAVERSE CITY - Magna International Inc. CEO Seetarama Kotagiri got right to the point in discussing the implications of an increasingly electrified vehicle fleet on the global automotive supply chain. Speaking as a keynote at the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) Management Briefing Seminars last week, Kotagiri started detailing the issue almost immediately as he took
LANSING - A financing tool that helps businesses fund clean energy and energy efficiency projects would be expanded to include additional properties and water quality efforts under legislation announced last week. House Bill 5011 — sponsored by Rep. Yousef Rabhi, D-Ann Arbor — seeks to expand commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) financing for infrastructure
GRAND RAPIDS — The city’s Local Development Finance Authority has recommended that Start Garden Inc. and Spartan Innovations L3C administer the Grand Rapids SmartZone business incubator through a collaborative approach. The LDFA on March 1 put out a request for proposals to run the business incubator, with the goal of bringing more diversity and equity among tech startups, as MiBiz previously reported.
KALAMAZOO — Representatives from Western Michigan University announced on Tuesday that the school has received the largest private gift ever bestowed on a public university. With the Empowering Futures Gift, anonymous donors will provide $550 million to the Kalamazoo school over the course of 10 years. Administrators expect the first round of funds to be available for
GRAND RAPIDS - After taking a year off, Start Garden is bringing back a business pitch competition that awards $1,000 to 100 contestants and $20,000 to 10 finalists. The Start Garden 100 begins accepting pitches from entrepreneurs who are asked to submit a 90-second video describing their idea. Start Garden will accept entries through July 26. Judges
GRAND RAPIDS — The autonomous shuttle that runs through downtown could transition to an on-demand format with new vehicles under a proposal before city officials to renew the pilot program that’s set to expire on April 30. The Autonomous Vehicle Initiative led by Mobile GR, Ann Arbor-based May Mobility Inc. and various private sponsors started in July 2019.
