MSU Research Foundation Welcomes Four Startups to Incubator Facilities

EAST LANSING, Mich. (Oct. 17, 2024) — The MSU Research Foundation welcomed five startup businesses to incubator facilities in the Lansing capital region and Grand Rapids between July and September of 2024.

Joining the startup community at the Technology Innovation Center (TIC) in downtown East Lansing are:

• Foreign House, LLC is developing Mira, a smart mirror that integrates AI and augmented reality to display personalized information, interactive controls, and virtual overlays for enhanced usability.
• Iora Nature Tech, Inc. provides a cloud-based application that uses remote sensing data and machine learning to map individual tree crowns for forest management, conservation, and carbon monitoring.
• Pherrix, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing RNA-based diagnostics and therapies for treating cancer in pets.

Joining the startup community at The Bridge incubator in Grand Rapids are:

• Exciplex is an AgTech startup developing advanced diagnostic technologies to quickly detect toxins in animal feed, helping prevent contamination and safeguard animal health on-site.

“We’re excited to welcome these startups into our incubator spaces in both East Lansing and Grand Rapids,” said Jeff Smith, Director of Research Parks at the MSU Research Foundation. “Their work across diverse sectors, from BioTech to AgTech, highlights the strength and variety of University technology transfer and Michigan’s growing entrepreneurial ecosystem. We look forward to supporting their progress and seeing the impact they will have on the Regional economy.”

The TIC and The Bridge are incubator facilities that support emerging companies and research groups through comprehensive startup programming and services provided by the MSU Research Foundation. The TIC, located in East Lansing, offers a 7,000-square-foot collaborative workspace for tech startups, operated in partnership with the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) and the Lansing Regional SmartZone. The Bridge, a 20,000-square-foot incubator on the fourth floor of the Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Building in downtown Grand Rapids, is operated in collaboration with the MSU College of Human Medicine, MSU Grand Rapids Innovation Park (GRIP), and Grand Rapids SmartZone LDFA.