TechTown

Overview + Programs UPDATED JUNE 2014

440 BURROUGHS STREET • DETROIT, MI 48202 • 313.879.5250 • techtowndetroit.org WE MEAN BUSINESS

TechTown is Detroit’s business innovation hub. As the city’s most established business accelerator and incubator, we provide a powerful connection to a broad network of resources, catalyzing entire communities of entrepreneurs best poised to energize the local economy. As Detroit reinvents itself, so TechTown works to reinvent Detroit. TechTown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and is located within the Woodward Technology Corridor SmartZone. Its programs serve entrepreneurs in the technology, retail and wholesale sectors.

LABS BLOCKS SPACE

VENTURE ACCELERATOR RETAIL BOOT CAMP JUNCTION440

Intense, 12-week business Competitive, highly customized Co-working community offering accelerator shows you how to turn program prepares serious entrepreneurs an affordable, flexible your early stage technology startup entrepreneurs with strong retail and collaborative work environment into a market-ready business. concepts for the successful launch with access to like-minded peers, of their brick-and-mortar Detroit educational resources, and modern business. meeting and event space.

DETROIT TECHNOLOGY SWOT CITY OFFICE & LAB SPACE EXCHANGE Programmatic partnership between Combines economic development Historic facility offering flexible TechTown, Bizdom, Invest Detroit and start-up acceleration office and lab spaces for innovative and the Detroit Creative Corridor strategies to transform historically Detroit companies. Center underserved neighborhoods into • DTX Launch Detroit: a tech vibrant and dense communities. accelerator for college students and recent grads • D-Venture: an executive-in- residence program • DTX Fellows: a fellowship program

OUR INVESTORS • New Economy Initiative for Southeast • Marjorie S. Fisher Endowment Fund of the • The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation • U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development Community Foundation for • The Kresge Foundation • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services • JPMorgan Chase Foundation • Wayne State University • Michigan Economic Development Corp. • Michigan Small Business Development Center •

techtowndetroit.org Labs at TechTown TECH-BASED PROGRAMS

VENTURE ACCELERATOR The Labs Venture Accelerator isn’t for the faint-hearted. This intense, fast-paced business accelerator will show you how to turn your early stage technology startup into a market-ready business. Upon graduation from the 12-week program, select startups may be invited to enter incubation at TechTown.

Venture Accelerator Target Technologies • Automotive • Manufacturing • Clean technologies, alternative energy • Computing • Materials • Engineering • Electronic devices • Biotech • Medical devices

DETROIT TECHNOLOGY EXCHANGE

Detroit Technology Exchange (DTX) is a programmatic partnership between TechTown Detroit, Bizdom, Invest Detroit and the Detroit Creative Corridor Center designed to recruit and groom talent for tech entrepreneurship opportunities and convert innovative technologies into Detroit-based startups. It is supported by the Michigan Economic Development Corp.’s Michigan Strategic Fund and the New Economy Initiative for Southeast Michigan.

DTX Launch Detroit DTX D-Venture DTX Fellows Launch Detroit is a highly competitive, The D-Venture executive-in-residence (EIR) The DTX Fellows program places high-quality, 10-week summer accelerator for college program seats selected entrepreneurial- mid-level talent into Detroit’s startups and students and recent graduates aspiring minded professionals to mine the entrepreneurial support organizations. This to launch a technology startup. Those underutilized and/or underdeveloped program will support six fellows over two years. accepted to participate receive an intellectual property (IP). Each EIR will entrepreneurial stipend of $2,500 per develop a business plan, act as CEO of a individual (up to $7,500 per venture team). company and raise venture investments to advance the company.

DTX PARTNERS:

[email protected] techtowndetroit.org/labs Blocks at TechTown PLACE-BASED PROGRAMS

RETAIL BOOT CAMP The Blocks Retail Boot Camp isn’t for the faint of heart.

This competitive, highly customized program prepares serious entrepreneurs with strong retail concepts for the successful launch of their Detroit business. During the eight-week program, entrepreneurs will focus on Detroit- specific topics, such as an introduction to select neighborhoods and key stakeholders, as well as opportunities and resources.

Eligible entrepreneurs:

• Brick-and-mortar, for-profit, independent retail establishments • Compelling value proposition that either offers an exciting product niche and/or serves an identified community need • Must have a commitment to launching within three to six months of program completion

SWOT CITY

TechTown’s SWOT City program combines economic development and start-up acceleration strategies to transform historically underserved neighborhoods into vibrant and dense communities. Currently, TechTown works in Brightmoor, East Jefferson, Grandmont Rosedale and Osborn.

Rather than serving businesses alone, TechTown sees a broader obligation to create an enabling environment for economic development — one that addresses five pillars of neighborhood stability: Economy and Employment, Safety,

Education, Housing and Social/Civic Engagement. OUR CURRENT REACH Over the course of a three-year neighborhood engagement, TechTown assesses the current state of each pillar, develops a comprehensive stabilization and growth strategy for improvement, then works to transition neighborhood businesses into viable enterprises that are contributors to, rather than detractors from, these strategic revitalization efforts.

[email protected] techtowndetroit.org/blocks