For Immediate Release
July 08, 2014
Contact Information

Racepoint Global
Kate Hassett
617-624-3200
AccelerateMichigan@racepointglobal.com

(BPRW) Entrepreneurs: Submit Your Start-up for an Opportunity to Compete for $1 Million in Cash and In-kind Awards

- Women and minority entrepreneurs encouraged to join entrants from around the world to pitch their business to Midwest and national venture investors "¢ Registration Deadline of July 23, 2014 -

(BLACK PR WIRE) – DETROIT--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition (AMIC) today announced the upcoming application deadline for this year’s international business competition. Technology start-ups at the prototype stage or beyond are invited to apply before July 23, 2014 to compete for a $500,000 Grand Prize and an additional $500,000 in prizes and in-kind awards.

As part of this year’s competition, AMIC is making a concerted effort to reach out to the women and minority business communities for applicants. “NEI is committed to inclusion and social equity as a driving value and we’re excited that the competition, which we helped found, is engaging more broadly,” noted David Egner, Executive Director of the New Economy Initiative. “US small business is comprised of roughly 35 percent women and 10 percent minority lead companies. Accelerate Michigan is looking to engage entrepreneurs that are representative of the business community at large.”

Since the competition’s inception four years ago, previous semi-finalists and finalists have raised more than $59 million in funding and created more than 600 jobs. “Our goal each year is to provide a platform for a broad range of entrepreneurs to showcase their work in front of top national venture capitalists,” said Lauren Bigelow, Executive Director of the Accelerate Michigan Competition. “We’re very proud of the impact that we’ve had on the broader tech entrepreneur community and the individuals involved with them.”

Additional details regarding competition eligibility and participation can be found on the Accelerate Michigan website.

About This Year’s Competition
The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition is aimed at fostering entrepreneurial growth throughout Michigan’s vibrant business community. Open to any early and/or late-stage businesses world-wide, competition submissions are accepted in the following sectors:

• Advanced Materials

• Advanced Transportation

• Alternative Energy

• Information Technology

• Life Science

• Medical Devices

• Next Generation Manufacturing

• Products and Services

Competition Timeline

• Submission deadline is July 23, 2014

• Semi-finalist investor pitches will begin on November 4-6, 2014 with a 2-day pitch competition at the Westin Book Cadillac in downtown Detroit.

• Accelerate Michigan 2014 will culminate November 6, 2014 where a $500,000 cash prize and an additional 10 awards totaling $500,000+ in cash and in-kind prizes will be presented

About Accelerate Michigan and its Partner Organizations

The Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition (AMIC) is an international business competition celebrating its fifth year of connecting late-stage entrepreneurial companies with national and international investors. The competition showcases the best and brightest new businesses to angel venture capitalists in order to foster growth. Made possible by grants from the New Economy Initiative and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s 21st Century Jobs Fund and a collaboration with the Business Accelerator Network for Southeast Michigan, Accelerate Michigan has had an immediate and positive impact on the state’s economy, bolstering and advancing Michigan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. For more information and to apply please visit www.acceleratemichigan.org.

Follow AMIC on LinkedIn
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About the Michigan Economic Development Corporation 21st Century Jobs Fund
Visit www.MichiganAdvantage.org

About The New Economy Initiative
Visit www.neweconomyinitiative.org

Source: Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition

View this news release online at: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20140708006004/en