Michigan Startup wins $1 Million Investment at Second Statewide PitchMI Competition

LANSING, Mich. - Yesterday, Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the Michigan State University (MSU) Research Foundation to announce Adrenaline Interactive as the grand prize winner of the 2026 PitchMI Championship. Following a high-stakes "Shark Tank" style competition at Grewal Hall in Lansing, the company was awarded a $1 million investment, bringing its total PitchMI winnings to $1.375 million.

"Winning feels surreal. To be honest, I still don't really believe that I won, because the other companies were just so phenomenal," said CEO and founder of Adrenaline Interactive, Max Albert. "There were four great companies up there, and I feel so lucky to share the stage with all of them. In terms of the future, this check is so meaningful to help us bring back advertising dollars to the state of Michigan."

PitchMI (pronounced "Pitch-Me") is one of the nation's largest founder-focused startup competitions, designed to identify and invest in Michigan's most promising startups. The PitchMI Championship served as the culmination of a statewide search for Michigan's most innovative startups, highlighting the state's commitment to fostering a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem and supporting founders who want to make a career or business in Michigan.

"Michigan is a place where big ideas come to life, and today's PitchMI Championship is yet another example of how Michigan is creating the jobs of the future," said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. "Congratulations to Adrenaline Interactive and all of the competing companies. By investing in our homegrown entrepreneurs, we are creating high-tech jobs and ensuring Michigan remains the best place in the world to innovate, grow a business, and dream big."

The road to the championship began in the fall of 2025 with four regional pitch events across the state, which saw 375 applications from founders in more than 100 Michigan communities. These regional competitions focused on key growth sectors:

• Healthcare & Life Sciences (Grand Rapids): Won by BedConnect, an online system streamlining hospital discharge processes.
• Cleantech & Outdoor Innovation (Traverse City): Won by Electric Outdoors, Inc., creators of a portable off-grid power and water canopy system.
• Mobility, Defense & Advanced Manufacturing (Detroit): Won by General Orbit, developers of simplified satellite navigation hardware and software.
• AI & Software (Ann Arbor): Won by Adrenaline Interactive.

"Adrenaline Interactive, and all the PitchMI finalists, represent the kind of companies Michigan wants to elevate and celebrate more: ambitious, high-growth, and built by founders with the talent and drive to scale," said Ben Marchionna, Chief Innovation Ecosystem Officer at the MEDC. "PitchMI gives these entrepreneurs a stage that matches the quality of what they're building. Companies like these are how Michigan attracts and retains exceptional people, creates high-wage jobs, and builds a durable, innovation-driven economy."

Michigan's entrepreneurial landscape continues to thrive with the addition of critical tools, including a $60 million investment in early-stage startups through the Michigan Innovation Fund, an R&D tax credit for small businesses, and increased access to resources to close the gap for underrepresented founders. Over the past five years, state investments in entrepreneurship and innovation helped catalyze more than 15,800 jobs and over 1,400 high-tech companies. Additionally, for every $1 the state invested, founders leveraged roughly $85 from other sources, which is an exceptional leverage ratio for public capital.

Organized by the MEDC and the MSU Research Foundation, PitchMI is designed to provide serious capital, rigorous evaluation, and meaningful visibility to Michigan's most promising startups. More than 75 investors and venture capitalists from around the country were in attendance at the championship.

"Our goal is to create a seamless pathway for founders to move from early traction to global scale without ever having to leave Michigan," said David Washburn, CEO of the MSU Research Foundation. "The level of talent we saw across this year's PitchMI cohort-from the Top 20 through today's finalists-was extraordinary. While we're excited to support Adrenaline Interactive as they reach their next milestone, all four finalists will continue as part of our Michigan Rise investment portfolio, and we look forward to working alongside each of them as they grow and scale here in Michigan."

Adrenaline Interactive is a startup specializing in dynamic in-game advertising which lets advertisers place in-game ads inside titles such as Fortnite and Roblox. Their platform, Brand Fusion AI, automates in-game product placement to increase engagement and provide measurable ROI for brands.

The Ann Arbor-based company was founded in 2024 by Max Albert and has received past MEDC support through the Michigan Rise Pre-seed Fund and from eLab through MEDC's SSBCI 2.0 Venture Capital initiative.

"Gen Z plays more video games in their free time than any other leisure activity. More than streaming, more than social media. If you have a Gen Z kid in your life, you already know this is the case. In order to reach the next generation, advertisers need to make gaming core to their marketing strategy," said Albert.

"Ads in video games today are frustrating to the player: pop up ads and billboard ads that don't stylistically look like they belong. That's why more and more brands are turning to product placement, but these are built by hand, every step of the way, from planning to placing to proving… all manual. Manual doesn't scale. Adrenaline Interactive is aiming to build the first authentic and scalable solution for in-game advertising."

In total, the 2025-2026 PitchMI competition awarded more than $2.3 million in investment capital with $250,000 for the winner of each regional event, the $1 million grand prize, additional investment totaling $325,000 from Corewell Health Ventures, Assembly Ventures, and eLab Ventures, and an added $400,000 in Google Cloud credits.

PitchMI is set to continue in 2026-2027, beginning with four industry-specific semifinal rounds:

• Sept. 15, 2026: Defense & Aerospace, to be held in Grand Rapids
• Sept. 22, 2026: AI & Software, in Kalamazoo
• Sept. 24, 2026: Advanced Manufacturing, Materials, & Outdoor Innovation, in Marquette
• Oct. 1, 2026: Healthcare & Life Sciences, in Detroit

More information, including how to apply to compete, will be released in the coming weeks.

Learn more about Michigan's entrepreneurial resources and PitchMI.

About the Michigan State University Research Foundation

The Michigan State University Research Foundation connects researchers and entrepreneurs at MSU and across the state to the resources, relationships and capital they need to drive real-world impact. The Foundation achieves its mission through grant programs that contribute over $15 million annually to the University, entrepreneurial programming and early-stage investments that accelerate technology transfer and startup growth throughout Michigan, and environments where startup businesses and collaborators can thrive. The Foundation's work is made possible through its stewardship of a flexible and sustainable endowment, nourished by over 50 years of licensing revenues and investment returns. Learn more about the MSU Research Foundation and its impact at msufoundation.org.

About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state's marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan's economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan® tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: FacebookInstagramLinkedIn, and Twitter.