University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is one of the largest universities in the Midwest, known for its diverse academic offerings and high national rankings. It serves over 40,000 students across various disciplines, with notable programs in business, engineering, law, medicine, and musical theatre. The Stephen Ross School of Business and the College of Engineering are particularly esteemed. The university also has a vibrant cultural scene, highlighted by its film presence in Ann Arbor, which hosts major motion picture productions and the annual Ann Arbor Film Festival, attracting filmmakers globally. Additionally, the university manages a substantial endowment that invests in a range of alternative assets, including private equity, real estate, and infrastructure.

Felicia David-Visser

Senior Investment Manager

Michele Everard

Director of Investments

Rick Fitzgerald

Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs

Michael Haessler

Director of Investments

Kevin Hegarty

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Erik Lundberg

Chief Investment Officer

Cheryl Soper

Controller and Director of Financial Operations

Past deals in Michigan

Genomenon

Series B in 2022
Genomenon, Inc. is a biotechnology company that specializes in developing software tools for genetic diagnosis and research. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the company offers GENOMENON, a software solution designed for the rapid and automated analysis of next-generation sequencing data. This platform aids healthcare professionals and researchers by streamlining the identification of disease-causing variants from genomic datasets, thereby enhancing the accuracy and speed of genetic discoveries and diagnoses. Through its innovative tools, Genomenon aims to transform the landscape of genetic research and clinical decision-making.

Ecovia Renewables

Seed Round in 2018
Ecovia Renewables Inc. develops a platform technology to produce bio-based ingredients through a proprietary fermentation process using renewable biomass. The company's products include EcoSynth platform, produces a variety of biochemical and biofuel products; Ecovia biopolymers, fermentation platform to produce multi-functional biopolymers; and cellulosic biofuels, provides biosynthesis of fuels and chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass to present petroleum-based production. Its products are used in agriculture and personal care sectors. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Matterhorn

Series A in 2017
Court Innovations, a Software-as-a-Service company, develops an online case resolution platform. It offers Matterhorn, an online platform that enables users to select their court, search for case, check the status, get updates, and resolve it online. Court Innovations' platform also allows courts to handle many high-volume infractions online that save citizens and courts time and money, enables decision-makers to resolve cases equitably, and empowers defendants to work with the court to resolve minor violations informally and at a convenient time. It serves customers in Michigan and Ohio. J.J. Prescott founded Court Innovations in 2014. It has its headquarters in Ann Arbor in Michigan.

PreDxion Bio

Grant in 2016
PreDxion Bio is a precision medicine diagnostics company that provides ICU doctors with actionable patient immune function data. The company offers MicroKine, a diagnostic tool that measures patients’ immune responses. It enables doctors to identify up to six cytokine proteins using small blood volumes. Using this technology, physicians are able to tailor ICU treatments to each patient's needs. Founded in 2016, PreDxion Bio is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Axonia Medical

Seed Round in 2014
Axonia Medical is a privately owned-company located in Kalamazoo MI, founded by the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Douglas H. Smith, The Robert A. Groff Endowed Professor and Vice Chairman for Research, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Harry C. Ledebur, Fmr. Executive in Residence at Southwest Michigan Life Science Venture Fund. Axonia Medical is pioneering a revolutionary and proprietary approach to repair and restore damaged peripheral or central nervous systems using tissue-engineered nerve grafts (TENGs). By recapitulating the anatomy of the nervous system, TENGs are expected to bridge lost nervous tissue and jump-start regenerative mechanisms to achieve levels of functional recovery not possible with current technologies. As a result, TENGs may not only change the way nervous system injuries are treated, but also clinical expectations for restoration or recovery of sensory, motor and/or cognitive deficits

LectureTools

Grant in 2011
LectureTools is a web-based student response and learning environment that facilitates in-class communication between instructors and students with laptops and mobile phones. LectureTools began at the University of Michigan as a research project and is now a technology spinoff preparing for commercial launch. Our simple and intuitive interface enables the addition of interactivity to lectures. Independent research has since shown that LectureTools improves student engagement and attentiveness in large classes. During lecture, instructors can unhide slides and pose several types of student response activities to students. The Presentation Dashboard allows instructors to track student comprehension and receive notifications when students are struggling. The student inquiry channel allows students to ask questions possibly answered by teaching assistants in real-time, empowering even the least confident students to speak up. Answered questions are visible anonymously to the entire class, allowing students to learn from each other. LectureTools is run in the cloud and requires no special hardware, installation, or downloads. We provide instructors with a single system where they can upload lecture slides for your students to access. Students have a built in note-taking tool designed for the lecture environment, as well as the ability to bookmark slides for further review.