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January 15, 2026

MSU Research Foundation Welcomes 9 Startups to Incubator Facilities

(Oct.-Dec. 2025) Nine new startups joined the Foundation’s incubator facilities in East Lansing and Grand Rapids, expanding activity across AI, manufacturing, agriculture, and life sciences.

EAST LANSING, Mich. (Oct. 14, 2025) — The MSU Research Foundation welcomed nine startup businesses to incubator facilities in East Lansing and Grand Rapids between October and December.

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

  • AdProAgent – Builds custom AI-based tools that help businesses improve website performance, strengthen online visibility, and automate routine operational tasks across marketing and customer engagement.
  • AgriDynamics Robotics – Develops agricultural robotics designed to assist with harvesting specialty crops, including apples, to help growers address labor challenges and improve efficiency.
  • iCatch (icatch.app) – Develops a mobile application that combines artificial intelligence and genetic testing to identify fish species from whole fish and processed products, improving accuracy and speed in seafood identification.
  • Property Protection Innovations – Develops smart home technologies designed to detect and help prevent damage from fire, water, and other common property risks.
  • Savant Solutions (tracient.io) – Develops machine-learning software for manufacturing and transportation environments that analyzes equipment and vehicle data to help identify unusual equipment behavior and reduce unplanned downtime.
  • Stakestack AI (stakestackai.com) – Develops an adaptive learning platform that uses artificial intelligence to deliver personalized, compliant workforce training and support employee skill development.
  • SymbioCI – Commercializes patented biotechnology developed at Michigan State University to control mosquito populations that transmit diseases such as malaria, dengue, and Zika.
  • TroubleShot – Develops software tools for industrial manufacturing facilities that monitor automated equipment performance and help operators identify issues that can lead to downtime.
Joining the startup community at The Bridge in Grand Rapids is:
  • Clicki Referrals (joinclicki.com) – Develops a referral management platform that helps service-based businesses track referrals and automate customer and partner reward payouts. Clicki was a finalist in the Ann Arbor regional round of the PitchMI startup competition.
“Welcoming nine new companies in a single quarter speaks to the momentum we’re seeing across our ecosystem,” said Jeff Smith, Director of Research Parks at the MSU Research Foundation. “While these startups operate across very different sectors, they share a common need for space, community, and hands-on support as they grow. Our incubator facilities in East Lansing and Grand Rapids are designed to meet companies at this stage and help them scale here in Michigan.”
By bringing early-stage companies together in shared incubator environments, the MSU Research Foundation increases access to university research, startup programming, and regional partners—helping companies grow more efficiently while strengthening connections across Michigan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Foundation delivers this support through its incubator facilities, which provide dedicated space, programming, and operational resources tailored to emerging companies and research groups, including:
  • The TIC, a 7,000 square foot collaborative workspace and resources for tech startups in East Lansing, featuring 19 offices and two conference rooms. It is operated in partnership with the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) and the Lansing Regional SmartZone.
  • The Bridge incubator, located on the fourth floor of the Doug Meijer Medical Innovation Building in Grand Rapids, offering 19,400 square feet of office space and collaborative work environments.
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