Tag Archives: entrepreneurship

Inspired to create: U-M alumnae and the world of international tech start ups

By | January 15, 2021
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illustration of diverse women

When you think of tech startup companies, what comes to mind? Is it Silicon Valley, black turtlenecks, and billion-dollar IPOs? Or perhaps something about college drop-outs and the proverbial idiosyncrasies of “tech-bro culture”? While stereotypes can be helpful for getting the big picture of things, when you look more closely they’re often misleading caricatures, and this has proven especially true in the case of the tech industry.

Founded by CoE alum, SambaNova announces AI-accelerated HPC system

By | December 18, 2020
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Kunle Olukotun and SambaNova logo

As artificial intelligence applications grow and multiply, researchers have been racing to design a new generation of hardware that meets the unique computational needs of those applications. The market for these “AI chips” is booming, and a key player in this new space is Palo Alto based SambaNova Systems. SambaNova, now a unicorn valued at over $2.5 billion,… Read More »

Google lawsuit could have downstream chilling effect on emerging tech startups

By | October 21, 2020
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Google's Detroit office

The U.S. government’s lawsuit alleging violations of antitrust laws by technology giant Google marks a new era of uncertainty for emerging startup companies in Southeast Michigan and beyond, according to Erik Gordon, a clinical assistant professor at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business. The immediate impact of the lawsuit, said Gordon in a recent story in Crain’s Detroit Business, will… Read More »

U-M alum expands new global communications network

By | October 16, 2020
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Swarm logo

U-M alum Sara Spangelo, co-founder and CEO of Swarm, is establishing the world’s lowest-cost global communications network for customers in remote locations by using breakthrough satellite and ground hardware technology. In September, Swarm launched its first 12 commercial satellites from the Guiana Space Centre at Kourou, French Guiana. This set of 12 satellites joins Swarm’s existing nine experimental satellites. The company… Read More »

SI’s Silvia Lindtner examines China’s place in the global IT industry

By | October 14, 2020
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Prototype Nation book cover

Silvia Lindtner, an associate professor at U-M’s School of Information, is the author of the new book Prototype Nation: China and the Contested Promise of Innovation, which tells the story of China’s shifting place in global geopolitics and its contested place in the global tech industry. It is the culmination of nearly a decade of research Lindtner conducted in China, Silicon… Read More »

U-M startup SkyGig aims to take 5G to the next level

By | September 17, 2020
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skygig logo

Two U-M researchers are steadily building their young company, SkyGig, to bring the next generation of high-speed wireless connectivity to the 5G ecosystem, satellite communications (Satcom), and beyond. Since founding the company in 2019, co-founders Armin Jam and Avish Kosari have attracted $1M in new funding and are now expanding their team to accelerate development and commercialization of… Read More »

U-M startup unveils new LEDs for high-efficiency, high-performance displays

By | August 12, 2020
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womans hand showing smartwatch

Brighter, crisper screens that draw half the power and lasts twice as long are possible with NS Nanotech’s next-gen LEDs. University of Michigan startup NS Nanotech has announced the creation of a smaller, more energy-efficient light-emitting diode that aims to offer brighter, crisper displays for massive signs, mobile phones and other devices. The company, whose technology is based on research… Read More »

BackPac helps encourage volunteerism among those who can’t put down the phone

By | December 6, 2019
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furry black & white animal with tale, waving

Packy, a furry, fun mascot is the symbol of the BackPac app created by U-M students to encourage others, particularly their peers, to spend some time volunteering in the community—especially during the holidays when the needs are great.  “The number of volunteers has significantly gone down in the last decade,” said Gaurav Dhir, co-founder of BackPac and a… Read More »

Discover machines and makerspaces with the Mobius web portal

By | December 2, 2019
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Person wearing welding mask, welding on metal.

Mobius is a mobile-friendly, web-based portal that helps students, facility managers, faculty, and staff find the tools they need, and how to access the makerspaces that are available to them. Mobius is available to all members of U-M. Designed by MIT, Mobius helps members of the Make Impact Consortium navigate the vast array of resources used to make,… Read More »

New innovation center will include focus on AI, data science, cybersecurity

By | October 30, 2019
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U-M will anchor the Detroit Center for Innovation, a 14-acre center in downtown Detroit aimed at stimulating entrepreneurial activity, educating students and further diversifying the regional economy. The center will be designed to provide a new talent pipeline to current companies and attract new businesses to the area. In accepting the invitation to be a key partner in… Read More »

Blue unicorns: The U-M alums who founded Duo Security

By | May 14, 2019
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illustration of owl riding a sklateboard with Duo logo

Co-founded by U-M alums Dug Song and Jon Oberheide, Ann Arbor-based Duo Security sold late last year for $2.35 billion. As one of fewer than 150 privately held companies in the U.S. worth more than $1 billion (known as “unicorns”), Duo became incredibly successful in part by adhering to values besides the bottom line, such as inclusion and community. … Read More »

U-M startup Movellus raises $6 million in venture funding

By | April 11, 2019
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movellus logo

Movellus Inc., a U-M startup, has secured $6 million in venture funding for a total of $10 million so far. The company provides technology that helps accelerate and optimize semiconductor chip design. Its applications include cloud computing, the Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence. Movellus, based in San Jose, California, with operations in Ann Arbor, launched in 2016… Read More »

Taking on the limits of computing power

By | December 6, 2018
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DNA strand

The emerging field of genomic analysis is on the cusp of revolutionizing the understanding of diseases and the methods for their treatment and prevention. However, current DNA analysis is restricted to using limited data due to the large time and cost for Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), restricting progress. As biochemical sequencing is getting faster and cheaper, the bottleneck… Read More »

Software companies lead 2018 tech startups at U-M

By | October 11, 2018
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Man standing in front of posters showing lists of start ups by year.

The number of startups launched at U-M nearly doubled in fiscal year 2018 to 21 as U-M inventors went to market with a broad array of discoveries. Nine of the 21 startups are software companies. The majority of this year’s startups are also headquartered in southeast Michigan, where they’re creating jobs and helping to diversify the economy. “We… Read More »