SOUTHFIELD – The Michigan Energy Office (MEO) has awarded a one-year, $75,000 Michigan Cleantech Product Launch Program (MI CPLP) grant to Lawrence Technological University (LTU) and the Centrepolis Accelerator to launch a “Cleantech ScaleUp for Success” pilot program.
ScaleUp for Success is an immersive 12-month program – in this case, to support Michigan-based “cleantech” hardware entrepreneurs.
This new funding grant will allow the Centrepolis Accelerator to focus its product development, mentorship services, workshops, and events on supporting Michigan cleantech product companies to prepare products for market and manufacturing at scale.
“Cleantech hardware startups usually require extensive amounts of time and capital investment to bring their innovations to market,” said Dan Radomski, Centrepolis Accelerator director. “Their teams typically have limited manufacturing expertise, underdeveloped production plans, and inadequate access to quality product development and supply chain partners. These challenges cause hardware entrepreneurs to run out of time, funding, customer patience, and investors willing to support them. The MEO grant allows the Centrepolis Accelerator to provide critical resources and expertise to help Michigan cleantech hardware companies avoid these complexities, improve probability of success to launch their products, and grow their business.”
The new funding agreement represents the first grant that the MEO has provided to LTU.
“Today’s cleantech landscape is difficult for hardware startups. This grant provides energy startups with validation, incubation, and mentorship services which are critical to their success in the marketplace,” said Robert Jackson, Director of the MEO, which is part of the Michigan Agency for Energy (MAE).
The Centrepolis Accelerator is a Michigan-based accelerator that expedites the growth of “hardware” developers – entrepreneurs and companies that offer a physical product and process – by providing critical commercialization services using lean product development methodology. It also offers small manufacturers help with growth strategy and scaling up their business. It is supported by LTU, the city of Southfield, the Michigan Economic Development Corp., the New Economy Initiative, and, now, the Michigan Energy Office.
The Centrepolis Accelerator is part of the Southfield Centrepolis SmartZone and operates under a partnership between the City of Southfield and LTU. It plans to open a 6,300-square-foot accelerator space on campus later this year. Learn more at www.centrepolisaccelerator.com and www.southfieldcentrepolis.com.
The Michigan Energy Office is committed to promoting healthy communities, economic growth, and environmental sustainability through energy waste reduction (EWR) and renewable energy (RE). The office engages stakeholders to inform and develop Michigan’s energy future, participate in lead-by-example initiatives, and support energy literacy to develop a vibrant energy workforce. Learn more at https://www.michigan.gov/energy/0,4580,7-364-85452_86924_86925—,00.html.
Lawrence Technological University, www.ltu.edu, is a private university founded in 1932 that offers more than 100 programs through the doctoral level in its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Engineering, and Management. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 100 universities for the salaries of its graduates, and U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best Midwestern universities. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.