Step into the Shark Tank at the Inaugural PitchMI Competition

Meet the four finalists of the inaugural PitchMI competition held during the Mobility Conference, where Detroit-based startup Civilized Cycles was awarded a $100,000 investment from the Michigan Growth Office.

As part of the State of Michigan’s first-ever Mobility Conference in October 2024, the Michigan Growth Office held its inaugural PitchMI competition. This Shark Tank-style pitch competition invited innovators from across the state to submit applications for proposed solutions that address mobility and transportation challenges, with the winner receiving a $100,000 investment from the Growth Office.

After receiving 49 applications, the Growth Office announced its four finalists at the close of Michigan Tech Week: Civilized Cycles, Boaz Bikes, GEKOT Robotics and Voltaic Marine. In the end, Civilized Cycles came out of the Shark Tank with the big prize.

Civilized Cycles, based out of Detroit, Michigan, designs and manufactures ultra-light electric vehicles. Their flagship product, the Semi-Trike, offers the cargo capacity of a van at a fraction of the cost. This alternative transportation method is a more affordable, practical and sustainable alternative for moving large amounts of cargo short distances.

“Detroit and Michigan have been such a great home for us both for manufacturing and our operations in general. Winning PitchMI is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved,” said Marc Liu, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Civilized Cycles. “This funding will be instrumental in accelerating our mission to revolutionize urban cargo transportation. We're eager to scale our operations in Michigan and make a positive impact on cities nationwide and beyond.”

Watch our full recap of the PitchMI competition and see how mobility innovations and solutions are happening right here in Michigan:

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