The Final Four: Michigan startups advance to spring 2027 PitchMI Championship

What’s happening: Four high-growth Michigan startups are advancing to the 2027 PitchMI Championship after winning their respective industry-specific semifinals. Organized by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) and the MSU Research Foundation, the founder-focused competition has awarded $1.7 million in total funding so far. Each semifinal winner secured a $425,000 investment package, which includes $100,000 in Google Cloud credits and a one-year membership to the Small Business Association of Michigan.

Who are the finalists:

• Common Vector Robotics (Detroit): Building autonomous, rugged ground robots designed for critical battlefield and off-battlefield operations.
• Motmot (Detroit): Developing autonomous underwater robots to inspect active municipal water mains and provide actionable infrastructure risk data.
• OmegaCool (Ann Arbor): Creating advanced metalworking fluids and fluid-management services to improve machining performance and reduce waste.
• Ollivate (Detroit): Launching a gamified healthcare education platform that turns board preparation and continuing education credentials into science-backed learning experiences.

What they’re saying: “PitchMI is open to Michigan-based startups only, because the startups being built here are world-class,” said Alison Todak, vice president of entrepreneurship and innovation at the MEDC. Highlighting the collaborative nature of the local startup network, Ollivate co-founder April Olson added, “The investor community, MEDC, the MSU Research Foundation, and the resources they give us have been phenomenal.”

What’s next: The four finalists will meet on one stage in spring 2027 for the statewide PitchMI Championship. There, they will compete head-to-head for an additional $1 million grand prize, which will bring the ultimate winner’s total investment award to $1,425,000.