The Accelerate Blue Fund at the University of Michigan is an early-stage venture fund that invests in startups emerging from U-M research, with the goal of accelerating world-class discoveries into real-world impact.
Innovation Partnerships manages the fund, providing critical seed investment capital to launch and grow companies rooted in university innovation.
A growing list of portfolio companies working to advance university innovations to the marketplace in ways that improve society and drive economic growth. A few examples include BlueConduit, which pioneers data science tools to improve water infrastructure; M3D, which is advancing medical imaging technologies; and Poás Bioenergy, which focuses on sustainable bioenergy solutions.
Co-founded by U-M’s Eric Schwartz, assistant professor of marketing, and Jacob Abernethy, a former U-M faculty member and current assistant professor of computer science at Georgia Tech, BlueConduit leverages cutting-edge machine learning software. This technology helps locate lead water service lines, empowering municipalities to replace them efficiently.
With support from the Accelerate Blue Fund, BlueConduit has worked with more than 250 municipalities, safeguarding the drinking water of more than 5 million residents. The company’s innovative approach not only mitigates public health risks, but also shapes water policy at both state and national levels.
Accelerate Blue Fund 2024 Annual Report
We are pleased to share our 2024 Annual Report, detailing the fund’s performance and the progress of our portfolio companies.
The Accelerate Blue Fund is pivotal in transforming research breakthroughs into tangible societal benefits by offering necessary seed capital to early-stage startups. We are committed to our role in supporting innovators at the University of Michigan and anticipate another impactful year in bridging the funding gap to bring transformative research to market.
BlueConduit has also joined the Get the Lead Out Initiative, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program focused on replacing lead service lines in drinking water systems across the country to protect public health. This participation underscores a commitment to not only solving the immediate lead crisis, but also striving for equity and improved quality of life within underserved communities.
In healthcare, M3D is redefining medical imaging with its advanced gamma camera technology.
Originating from the lab of Zhong He, professor of nuclear and radiological sciences at U-M, M3D capitalizes on more than 25 years of research, enabling real-time high-resolution visualization of radiation. This innovation has applications for elevating patient safety and enhancing surgical precision across healthcare facilities.
Through investment from the Accelerate Blue Fund, M3D has been able to support additional research and development to enhance their offerings. M3D’s flagship product, RAVIN, a camera designed to monitor radiation levels in medical settings, is available for use in more than 25 hospitals around the world.
Poás Bioenergy stands as a testament to sustainable innovation.
Developed by Jose Alfaro, former associate professor at U-M’s School of Environment and Sustainability, the company transforms biomass and agricultural waste into high-energy syngas for use as fuel, and biochar, which can be added to soil as both a carbon sequestration technology and a fertilizer amendment.
The Accelerate Blue Fund’s investment supported Poás’s initial steps in commercializing its technology. Since launching in 2022, the company has processed more than 3,000 tons of agricultural waste and formed strategic partnerships to scale production of syngas and biochar.
These companies embody the Accelerate Blue Fund’s mission to transform groundbreaking U-M research into real-world impact. To learn more about the Accelerate Blue Fund, visit https://www.acceleratebluefund.com/.