Success builds upon success, says Tony Grover, managing director of Ann Arbor-based RPM Ventures. So it’s no surprise that the year-over-year success of Michigan’s venture capital and entrepreneurial community has accelerated its growth. Grover expects that...
venture capital
Confluence of Positive Factors Stokes Venture Capital Activity in Michigan, Says U-M Finance Professor David Brophy
Last year shaped up to be a winning year for Michigan start-ups and venture capital investors. During the first nine months, Michigan’s venture capital community steadily increased its investment in locally based companies, according to the Michigan Venture Capital...
Stewart Thornhill featured in Washington Post article
Executive Director Stewart Thornhill weighed in on the potential for university-led venture funds to succeed in the Washington Post earlier this week. In the article, he advocates for diversification, and the article points to the Wolverine Venture Fund as an example...
Professor Jim Price Advises on Common Entrepreneur Mistakes
Professor Jim Price shared his expertise with VC-List.com on the 10 most common mistakes entrepreneurs make when they're pitching venture capital firms—from failing to understand how venture capital firms work to pitching financials that lack credibility. Be sure to...
Ross ranked No. 8 among best business schools for VC-based entrepreneurs
PitchBook, a provider of private equity and venture capital research, released its annual list of the Top Universities for VC-Based Entrepreneurs. The University of Michigan was ranked No. 8, up from No. 13 in 2013. The list is based on PitchBook’s database of 13,000...
Professor uses Summer Break to Innovate Italy’s Economy
Professor Erik Gordon is using his time off from teaching MBA students in Michigan to teach at the WeHave the Future! Summer Camp in Northeast Italy. The program, created by the former editor-in-chief of the Economist, Bill Emmott, hopes to address the economic...
Prominent CEOs Weigh in on Best Practices for Engaging with VC-backed Boards
Chief executives can take strategic steps to ensure venture-capital-backed boards have the right people with the right experience to help start-ups and growth-stage companies achieve key milestones and avoid serious pitfalls. Likewise, said a panel of CEOs from...
The Midwest Offers Investment Opportunities and Value, Says a Panel of VCs
Venture-capital investment in the Midwest is picking up momentum, said four seasoned VCs during a panel discussion on Tuesday afternoon. “Investors on the coasts are thinking more about the Midwest, because they sense there is value here and they are interested in...
Corporate VCs Have Deployed New Business Models to Reinvigorate Venture Investments in Life Sciences, Says MGCS Keynote Ed Torres
In opening remarks at this year’s Michigan Growth Capital Symposium, S. Edward Torres, co-founder and managing director of Lilly Ventures, said corporate venture-capital investors focused on the life sciences have spearheaded the evolution of new, more sophisticated...
Entrepreneurs and Investors Must Work to Build Better Companies and More Attractive Deals, Says UM’s Brophy
As entrepreneurs and venture-capital investors convene today for the 2014 Michigan Growth Capital Symposium, they face a common goal of building better companies and more attractive deals that can compete for institutional investment money flowing from local, national...