Advance Michigan State University research and innovation by commercializing discoveries, supporting startups and entrepreneurs, and investing in ventures and partnerships that translate ideas into real-world impact.
Michigan State University Research Foundation pairs very large support for Michigan State University with direct funding for startups tied to its commercialization mission. In the recent grants list, the two largest awards went to the Michigan State University Board of Trustees: $17,560,656 in 2024 and $14,823,054 in 2023, both marked support university. Beyond university support, the foundation is active in early-stage business building. It gave $400,000 to Grip Medical Properties I LLC for medical research, and it backed a cluster of Michigan startups with smaller startup-support grants, including Smart Bridge Medical, Elite Care Technologies, Justair Solutions, and Healthbar. The pattern fits a funder that uses grants and program-related investments to move research into market use, especially through venture and accelerator activity in Michigan. Its stated priorities include technology commercialization, startup formation and support, life sciences and MedTech, advanced materials and manufacturing, agtech, data science and AI, and sustainability and recycling through SHAPE Engine. The result is a portfolio that connects university research, faculty-led ventures, and early-stage companies with capital and commercialization support.
Technology transfer sits at the center of the foundation’s grantmaking. That shows up in support for Michigan startups such as Smart Bridge Medical, which received $70,845 for startup support. The same pattern appears in smaller awards to companies like Reel Free LLC, which received $11,350, also for startup support. Life sciences and MedTech are another clear thread: Grip Medical Properties I LLC received $400,000 for medical research, while Vetr Health LLC and Trusted Rides were both among the startup-support recipients in Michigan. The foundation also supports venture formation and incubation through programs such as Conquer Accelerator, which is described as a cohort-based startup accelerator for technology companies, and Venture Fellows Postdoc, which focuses on turning discoveries into real-world solutions through mentorship and entrepreneurial training. These grants and programs point to a funder that backs translational work across research, entrepreneurship, and early company growth.
Typical awards are modest for the startup portfolio, with a p25 of $7,000, median of $11,350, and p75 of $15,000. The distribution is highly concentrated: the two largest grants are university support payments that dwarf the rest of the recent list. The foundation also shows an operating pattern that combines grants with program-related investments, including venture funds and pre-seed vehicles. Several active programs are not open to unsolicited applications, while others are, including Purchase Order Financing, Conquer Accelerator, and Distinguished Professors. The grant list suggests a recurring relationship with Michigan State University itself, alongside a broader set of one-off startup awards in Michigan.
$33M
$600.4M
$35.7M
$29.2M
Most grants fall between $7K and $15K, with a median of $11K.
25th Percentile
$7K
Median
$11K
75th Percentile
$15K
About 100% of grants go to recipients in MI.
DAVID WASHBURN
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Giving is entirely local and entirely in Michigan, with 100% of grants to recipients in the HQ state. East Lansing appears through the Michigan State University Board of Trustees, which received the two largest awards. Plymouth shows up in both medical-research and startup-support grants, including Grip Medical Properties I LLC and Smart Bridge Medical. Grand Rapids is the most frequent city in the recent startup list, with multiple recipients there such as Elite Care Technologies, Justair Solutions, Healthbar, and Boxmagic. Wyoming, Michigan also appears through Reel Free LLC.
It funds Michigan State University itself, university-affiliated researchers and founders, and early-stage startups. Recent grants include support for the Michigan State University Board of Trustees, plus startup-support awards to companies such as Smart Bridge Medical, Elite Care Technologies, and Justair Solutions. Its programs also center on commercialization and venture formation.
Among the startup-oriented awards in the recent grants list, the p25 is $7,000, the median is $11,350, and the p75 is $15,000. Those figures sit well below the foundation’s largest university support payments, which are much larger than the startup grants.
It makes program-related investments as well as grants. The active program list includes venture funds such as RCV Pre-Seed, MiRise Preseed Fund III, and RCV Opportunity Fund, which are used for early-stage and follow-on investment activity in Michigan.
The foundation’s giving is entirely local in the data provided: 100% of grants went to recipients in Michigan. The recent grants list includes recipients in East Lansing, Plymouth, Grand Rapids, and Wyoming, all in Michigan.
Recent startup-support recipients include Smart Bridge Medical in Plymouth, Elite Care Technologies in Grand Rapids, and Reel Free LLC in Wyoming. The list also includes multiple other Grand Rapids startups such as Justair Solutions, Healthbar, Vetr Health LLC, and Boxmagic.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES | EAST LANSING, MI | $17,560,656 | 2024 | SUPPORT UNIVERSITY |
| GRIP MEDICAL PROPERTIES I LLC | PLYMOUTH, MI | $400,000 | 2024 | MEDICAL RESEARCH |
| SMART BRIDGE MEDICAL | PLYMOUTH, MI | $70,845 | 2024 | STARTUP SUPPORT |
| ELITE CARE TECHNOLOGIES | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $15,000 | 2024 | STARTUP SUPPORT |
| JUSTAIR SOLUTIONS | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $15,000 | 2024 | STARTUP SUPPORT |
| HEALTHBAR | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $14,371 | 2024 | STARTUP SUPPORT |
| VETR HEALTH LLC | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $13,727 | 2024 | STARTUP SUPPORT |
| REEL FREE LLC | WYOMING, MI | $11,350 | 2024 | STARTUP SUPPORT |
| BOXMAGIC | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $10,000 | 2024 | STARTUP SUPPORT |
| RIGRAX | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $9,540 | 2024 | STARTUP SUPPORT |
| PREEMIER | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $7,780 | 2024 | STARTUP SUPPORT |
| TRUSTED RIDES | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $7,000 | 2024 | STARTUP SUPPORT |
| CURACOLLABORATIVE LLC | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $6,437 | 2024 | STARTUP SUPPORT |
| AUXIN GAMES | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $6,000 | 2024 | STARTUP SUPPORT |
| FARMISH | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $5,532 | 2024 | STARTUP SUPPORT |
| KOZI ALE | GRAND RAPIDS, MI | $5,005 | 2024 | STARTUP SUPPORT |
| MICHIGAN STATE UNIVESRSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES | EAST LANSING, MI | $14,823,054 | 2023 | SUPPORT UNIVERSITY |
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
$17,560,656SUPPORT UNIVERSITY
GRIP MEDICAL PROPERTIES I LLC
$400,000MEDICAL RESEARCH
SMART BRIDGE MEDICAL
$70,845STARTUP SUPPORT
ELITE CARE TECHNOLOGIES
$15,000STARTUP SUPPORT
JUSTAIR SOLUTIONS
$15,000STARTUP SUPPORT
HEALTHBAR
$14,371STARTUP SUPPORT
VETR HEALTH LLC
$13,727STARTUP SUPPORT
REEL FREE LLC
$11,350STARTUP SUPPORT
BOXMAGIC
$10,000STARTUP SUPPORT
RIGRAX
$9,540STARTUP SUPPORT
PREEMIER
$7,780STARTUP SUPPORT
TRUSTED RIDES
$7,000STARTUP SUPPORT
CURACOLLABORATIVE LLC
$6,437STARTUP SUPPORT
AUXIN GAMES
$6,000STARTUP SUPPORT
FARMISH
$5,532STARTUP SUPPORT
KOZI ALE
$5,005STARTUP SUPPORT
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVESRSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES
$14,823,054SUPPORT UNIVERSITY