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Venture 313

@venture313

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Venture 313 was created by the @gilbertfamilyfoundation to unlock Detroit's entrepreneurial potential with access to capital, coaching and community.

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Detroit founders, it’s time to pitch.

Pitch 26 is officially open. Venture 313 is bringing Detroit’s tech founders to the stage to compete for a share of $100,000 in non-dilutive cash prizes — with 0% equity taken.

We’re looking for tech companies operating in Detroit with early traction and a pilot-ready product.

Selected finalists will pitch LIVE at the Bonstelle Theatre on December 8 for funding, investor visibility, and a place in the Venture 313 cohort.

Phase I applications close October 21.

Ready to take the stage? Apply now at Venture313.com/pitch26

#Pitch26 #Venture313 #DetroitStartups #DetroitTech #DetroitFounders Entrepreneurship PitchCompetition taken in Detroit, Michigan by @venture313

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13 hours ago

And the winners are in!

A huge congratulations to Jamal Carter of Inspiry, Evol Johnson of CommuniTV and Zanne Ngatchou of Wattupdoe, the top three winners of the 2026 Venture 313 AI Buildathon!

These builders took on real challenges facing Detroit and turned their ideas into working digital solutions, ultimately taking the stage to pitch what they created at the Buildathon Showcase.

The Buildathon was all about seeing what can happen when Detroit’s creativity, problem-solving and emerging technology come together, and this year’s builders delivered.

Congratulations to our winners and to everyone who brought an idea, built something new, and helped make this year’s Buildathon happen! by @venture313

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a day ago

That’s a wrap on the Venture313 AI Buildathon! Swipe through and see some of the great moments from our showcase!
Over the past few days, Detroit’s builders came together to turn ideas into real solutions, compete for $50,000 in prizes, and show what’s possible when technology, creativity, and community come together.
Congratulations to our winners:
🏆 1st Place — Inspiry: $25,000
🥈 2nd Place — CommuniTV: $15,000
🥉 3rd Place — Watt Up Doe: $10,000
🏅 People’s Choice — Watt Up Doe: $2,500
And a huge thank you to every founder, builder, mentor, judge, panelist, and participant who showed up and made this experience what it was.
We’re grateful for the support of @google , @smartmovesus, @cityofdetroit, and all of our Venture313 partners for investing in Detroit’s innovators and helping create opportunities for our tech ecosystem.
Special shoutout to our subject matter experts and supporters, including @atomicobject and JD Fiscus, for sharing their time, expertise, and energy with our builders throughout the experience.
This was more than a competition. It was a look at what happens when Detroiters are given the resources, community, and platform to build.
Congratulations to everyone who participated. We’re already looking forward to seeing what you build next — and we’ll see you next year! 🚀 taken in Detroit, Michigan by @venture313

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3 days ago

Our September newsletter is out! 📨

This month, we’re highlighting portfolio company milestones, PitchMI momentum, the Venture 313 Buildathon, upcoming events, and more from across Michigan’s startup ecosystem.

Take a look and see what we’ve been up to at ID Ventures. 👇

t.e2ma.net/webview/6nkxjh/… by @venture313

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4 days ago

@venture313 hosted its AI Buildathon Showcase last evening where finalists received $50K in prizes. Serving as an informal kickoff to @dethomecoming, the three Venture 313 partners - @techtowndetroit (Ned Staebler), @idventuresvc (Patti Glaza) and @detroitdevelopmentfund.ddf (Erin Grant + Shanda J. Cooper) all came out to support! A huge thank you to partners @google and Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation for supporting so many #Detroit builders.

Belvin Liles III joined @wwj950 this morning to recap the event, preview today’s Homecoming programming with @crainsdetroit at @cosmdetroit featuring Darnell Adams, and discuss why so many Detroit expats are looking for ways to reconnect with the city and get involved with Venture 313, powered by the @gilbertfamilyfoundation.

Interview by @mirandalrichardson taken in WWJ Newsradio 950 by @venture313

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8 days ago

Detroit Homecoming kicks off tomorrow, and our very own Darnell Adams, Vice President of Detroit Community Initiatives at Gilbert Family Foundation, will be taking the stage with Caleb Conley, Program Manager at Venture313 and Growth Capital Manager at @TechTownDetroit.

Darnell and Caleb will educate the community about Venture313, their 10 “Founders to Watch,” and the forces that are coming together to strengthen the ecosystem and create new opportunities for founders to level up and succeed.

IMMEDIATELY after, a networking happy hour presented by Venture313 will be taking place, and you don’t want to miss out! by @venture313

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9 days ago

IT’S SHOWCASE DAY!

After days of building, testing, and bringing big ideas to life, our Venture313 AI Buildathon finalists are ready to take the stage.

Join us TODAY from 5–9 PM for the AI Buildathon Showcase, where our finalists will pitch what they built for their shot at $50,000 in prizes. 💻🏆

Swipe through to meet the incredible panelists and judges who will be joining us to help bring the showcase to life.

A huge thank you to @smartmovesus and @google for supporting Detroit’s builders and making this experience possible. 🤝

📍 See you tonight.
⏰ 5–9 PM
💰 $50,000 in prizes

Let’s see what Detroit built. 🔥
#Venture313 #AIBuildathon #DetroitTech #DetroitInnovation #BuildInDetroit taken in Detroit, Michigan by @venture313

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10 days ago

We’re proud to recognize 10 founders who are building innovative companies, creating meaningful impact, and contributing to the continued growth of Detroit’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Selected as part of Crain’s Detroit Homecoming, this year’s honorees represent the breadth and ambition of the founders building in Detroit and across Michigan.
Join us in celebrating the 2026 Top 10 Founders to Watch and learning more about the companies they’re building.

Read the full feature: crainsdetroit.com/crains-content-studio/publishing-partner/cdb-venture-313-tech-founders

Congratulations to this year’s honorees. We’re excited to continue supporting their journeys and the future they’re building in Detroit.
#Venture313 #DetroitInnovation #DetroitFounders #FoundersToWatch taken in Detroit, Michigan by @venture313

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10 days ago

A weekend full of building, collaborating, problem-solving, and bringing ideas to life. 💻🔥

From late-night builds to team huddles, technical support, and those “wait… we actually built this” moments — the Venture313 AI Buildathon was one for the books.

And now… the finalists have officially been selected. 👀

Congratulations to our finalists, and shoutout to EVERY builder who showed up, put in the work, and pushed an idea forward. Your creativity and ambition made this weekend special. Shoutout to our child care provider, @squiggles.giggles_ over the weekend for making this buildathon more accessible

Now it’s time to see what they built.

🏆 $50,000 in prizes
🗓️ Tomorrow, September 22
⏰ 5:00 PM

Come see the finalists pitch, celebrate the builders, and experience what Detroit’s next generation of innovators is creating with AI.

See you tomorrow. 🚀

#Venture313 #Buildathon #DetroitTech #DetroitStartups #AI BuildInDetroit taken in Detroit, Michigan by @venture313

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11 days ago

Last night, we kicked off the Venture313 AI Buildathon in a BIG way.

The room was packed with builders, founders, creatives, technologists, and innovators ready to turn ideas into something real.

A huge shoutout to the incredible subject matter experts, mentors, and technical partners who showed up to support our builders, answer questions, share expertise, for Day 1. Your time, knowledge, and energy made the night what it was. @henryfordhealth @rhsphx @detroitfiredepartment @jlouisgreenway @justairco @total_analysis_usa @faraitoday &Street Democracy

And to everyone who came out and started building with us: this is just the beginning.

Keep building. Keep iterating. Keep pushing.

We’ll see you tonight for Day 2!

#Venture313 #Buildathon #DetroitTech #DetroitStartups #AI BuildInDetroit taken in Detroit, Michigan by @venture313

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14 days ago

Detroit, it’s time to BUILD.
The Venture 313 AI Buildathon kicks off September 17, bringing Detroit’s builders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and community together to create, compete, and build what’s next.
RUN OF SHOW
09.17 | KICKOFF — Meet your team, get the challenge & start building.
09.18 | BUILD NIGHT — Workshops, build sessions & technical support.
09.19 | BUILD DAY — A full day to build, test & refine.
09.20 | REMOTE BUILD DAY — Keep building from wherever you are.
09.21 | SUBMISSIONS — Projects due & finalists selected.
09.22 | SHOWCASE — Top 5 teams pitch live for $50,000 in prizes.
Ready to build? Or just want to see what Detroit creates?
Sign up to participate or RSVP for the Showcase → https://events.techtowndetroit.org/Venture313Buildathon taken in Detroit, Michigan by @venture313

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16 days ago

Detroiters know Detroit’s challenges, and they can play a role in building solutions.

The City of Detroit is supporting Venture 313’s 3rd Buildathon, where residents will use AI-assisted tools to develop digital solutions around priorities identified through Mayor Mary Sheffield’s Rise Higher Detroit Community Framework.

Challenge areas include safe and thriving neighborhoods, community health, transportation and sustainability, accessible government, and education and youth opportunities.

No coding or AI experience is required. Participants will receive training, connect with experts and build alongside other Detroiters.

Up to $50,000 in prizes are available, with finalists presenting their work at a public showcase.

Buildathon: September 17–21
Showcase: September 22

🔗Visit the link in bio to RSVP. by @venture313

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17 days ago