Invest360 Awards $200,000 to Michigan Startups at 2026 Pitch Competition

Fifteen emerging companies competed across life sciences, mobility and information technology as a sold-out crowd of investors, founders and ecosystem leaders gathered in Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor SPARK awarded $200,000 in investments to emerging Michigan companies during the sold-out 2026 Invest360 Pitch Competition & Summit, held September 23 at the University of Michigan Golf Course Clubhouse as part of a2Tech360.

Fifteen startups competed across three sectors - life sciences, mobility and information technology - with investor judges selecting one company from each category to receive a $50,000 investment from Ann Arbor SPARK. The three sector winners then competed for an additional $50,000 People's Choice investment selected by event attendees.

Constrat emerged as the day's top investment recipient, earning $100,000 total after winning both the Information Technology category and the People's Choice vote. Crank Bio and RoboWorkX each received $50,000 investments as the Life Sciences and Mobility winners, respectively.

The 2026 Invest360 winners are:

• Information Technology + People's Choice: Constrat - $100,000 total
• Life Sciences: Crank Bio - $50,000
• Mobility: RoboWorkX - $50,000

The competition featured five companies in each sector. Life sciences competitors included Crank Bio, Entirety Biomedical, Keryx, Sequestro and Zera Medical. The mobility field included Lacuum, Marel Power Solutions, Motion Sync Tech, Neumo and RoboWorkX. Information technology competitors included Altumatim, Constrat, GripFusion, Maka and Shifty.

"Invest360 is about putting promising companies in front of people who can help them take the next step - investors, customers, partners and other founders who understand what it takes to build a company," said Mike Flanagan, vice president of capital programs at Ann Arbor SPARK. "Ann Arbor and the surrounding region play an important role in Michigan's capital ecosystem because we have an unusually strong concentration of research, technical talent, experienced entrepreneurs and investors. When we connect those assets with early-stage capital, we give more companies an opportunity to build, grow and stay here."

Beyond the pitch competition, Invest360 brought founders and investors together for a day focused on the opportunities and challenges shaping today's venture environment.

Shiloh Tillemann-Dick, research director at the National Venture Capital Association, delivered the keynote on trends across the venture ecosystem. The program also flipped the traditional pitch format with reverse pitches from Dan Kidle, managing partner at Arboretum Ventures, and Noah Keen of GM Ventures, giving entrepreneurs a look at how investors think about opportunities and partnerships.

A fireside conversation featuring Christine Gibbons, founding CEO of HistoSonics, and Mike Blue, chairman and CEO of HistoSonics, explored the Ann Arbor company's path from university spinout through commercialization and growth, including the transition from founder leadership to a commercialization-focused CEO. HistoSonics reached a valuation of more than $2.25 billion in 2025, providing attendees with a local example of how research, entrepreneurship and capital can combine to build a company with global reach.

The afternoon also included a discussion on Startup Resources in the Region, examining how universities, economic development organizations, investors and other partners work together to support companies from early validation through commercialization, fundraising and growth. Panelists included Dawn Batts, head of private market investments at Union Heritage; Michael Hopkins, CEO of M3D; Kelly Sexton, associate vice president for research - Innovation Partnerships and Economic Impact at the University of Michigan; and Loren Townes, director of entrepreneurial services at Ann Arbor SPARK.

"Capital is obviously critical, but a strong startup ecosystem is about much more than writing checks," Flanagan said. "Companies need the right resources at the right stage - technical expertise, customers, mentors, talent, facilities and connections to investors. One of this region's strengths is the depth of that infrastructure and the willingness of organizations across the ecosystem to work together to help companies move forward."

Invest360 is part of a2Tech360, Ann Arbor SPARK's series of events celebrating entrepreneurship and innovation across the region. The 2026 series runs September 22 through October 2 and brings together entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, businesses, academic institutions, job seekers and community members through events focused on technology, talent, investment and economic growth.

The 2026 Invest360 Pitch Competition & Summit was supported by Bank of Ann Arbor, Barnes & Thornburg, Bodman, ID Ventures, University of Michigan Innovation Partnerships, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, MRPR, Washtenaw Community College, and a2Tech360 presenting sponsors OpenAI and Oracle.