PitchMI statewide innovation competition opens for entries

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer delivers her keynote address at the 2024 Mackinac Policy Conference. | Kyle Davidson

The entry period is open for Michigan’s new “Shark Tank”-style competition for innovative solutions where the state will give one winning idea a $100,000 investment to help make the project come to life.

Those interested in the PitchMI competition have until 11:59 p.m. Sept. 16 to submit an idea that transforms mobility for Michiganders. The competition will take place at the first MI Future Mobility Conference at Newlab in Detroit at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 24.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer first told the Michigan Advance that the competition was in the works in May, saying she hopes PitchMI will help the state harness the entrepreneurial spirit that Michiganders have and connect big thinkers to resources.

“PitchMI will unleash Michigan’s innovative spirit, strengthen our entrepreneurial ecosystem, create good paying jobs, and spur new ideas on the future of mobility. I can’t wait to see all the creative ideas and look forward to the competition in October,” Whitmer said in a news release Monday.

The competition is open to pre-seed, Series A, and Series B companies where at least 51% employees live in Michigan. Proposed ideas have to have working prototypes ready for demonstration.

In addition to the PitchMI competition, Whitmer unveiled other efforts in May at the Mackinac Policy Conference to support invention and problem solving in the state, including appointing aviation innovator Ben Marchionna as chief innovation ecosystem officer for Michigan.

Marchionna’s appointment is about “rally[ing] the troops” to build into Michigan’s economic future in creative ways, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist told the Advance back in May.

The Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC) innovation team is ready to support transformative ideas in the state and the PitchMI competition is a great tool to invest in cutting-edge ideas Marchionna said in a news release Monday.

“This competition will build on our work to empower innovators to tackle real-world challenges, building a stronger, more connected Michigan, and sparking the next wave of globally impactful solutions,” Marchionna said.

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