Michigan Tech Week: May 19-21, 2026

NEW for 2026! Lightning Rounds connect startups with corporations
Michigan Tech Week continues to take shape, and we’re excited to share a closer look at a new programming element coming this year: Lightning Rounds.

Lightning Rounds connect startups and corporations for mutual growth. They are designed to spark corporate innovation connections such as pilot projects. We encourage all startups to apply, as well as corporations looking to engage with startups in the coming years. Pilots, partnerships, direct investment: everything is on the table, it’s simply a matter of finding the right match.

Click here to get all the details: Lightning Rounds at Michigan Tech Week 2026

How Lightning Rounds Work

Lightning Rounds are high-intensity, 15-minute, 1-on-1 pitch sessions between startups and corporate innovators, held at MTW on May 20th, 2026.

Lightning Rounds in four simple steps:

1. Apply: Startups and investors submit a brief application.

2. Match: Corporations review a curated list of startups and select who they want to meet.

3. Schedule: The MTW Lightning Rounds team manages the logistics and builds personalized meeting schedules based on mutual interest and availability.

4. Meet: Participants take part in focused, one-on-one meetings to explore potential next steps.

Note: Application does not guarantee any meetings. Corporations review all applications and select the startups with whom they would like to meet. Startups may be selected by multiple corporations and have several meetings or have just one meeting that could change everything.

Ann Arbor SPARK

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