• Gilbert Family Foundation’s additional investment brings total program commitment to more than $15.6 million.
  • Investment supports three partner organizations—TechTown Detroit, Invest Detroit and Detroit Development Fund—with goal to create a seamless pipeline for tech-based businesses to start, grow and scale.
  • Since launch in 2022, Venture 313 has helped more than Detroit 125 founders unlock more than $50M in additional investment capital.

DETROIT, May 19, 2026 — Gilbert Family Foundation today announced an additional $6.4 million investment in Venture 313, strengthening the organization’s commitment to Detroit’s growing tech ecosystem. The new commitment includes grants to three entrepreneurial support organizations: TechTown Detroit, Invest Detroit and Detroit Development Fund.

Originally launched in 2022 with a $10M investment, Venture 313 removes barriers for Detroit-based tech founders by providing access to capital, coaching, technical support and flexible financing tools. The program coordinates across its three partners to ensure founders receive the right support at every stage of growth.

“Detroit has long been a hub for creativity and innovation,” said Laura Grannemann, Executive Director, Gilbert Family Foundation. “Venture 313 is about ensuring that our city’s tech entrepreneurs have the right resources to turn their ideas into thriving businesses. By investing across the full startup journey, we’re building a stronger, more inclusive ecosystem that allows founders to start, grow and scale their businesses in Detroit.”

Since its launch, Venture 313 has supported more than 125 businesses, helping them tap into $62 million in additional capital and creating over 50 jobs. Gilbert Family Foundation has also engaged in wide-ranging stakeholder feedback from founders, ecosystem partners and community organizations to shape and strengthen the program so Venture 313 continues to meet the real-time needs of Detroit’s entrepreneurial community.

Venture 313’s coordinated network of partners each bring deep community ties and specialized expertise to the program. TechTown Detroit supports founders in the earliest stages of entrepreneurship by providing grants, hands-on coaching, and tailored resources that help entrepreneurs turn ideas into minimum viable products. TechTown Detroit also serves as the primary program administrator for Venture 313.

“Every founder we work with at TechTown arrives with a vision, and our job is to help them build the foundation to make it real, said Ned Staebler, President and CEO, TechTown Detroit. “Gilbert Family Foundation’s continued investment in Venture 313 is a powerful vote of confidence in Detroit’s entrepreneurs and in the collaborative model we’ve built with Invest Detroit and Detroit Development Fund. Together, we’re proving that when you remove barriers at every stage, founders don’t just start businesses here. They scale them here.”

Detroit Development Fund meets founders where traditional financing falls short, offering flexible loans and working capital for entrepreneurs who don’t fit the conventional venture capital mold. They also manage technical assistance support and host lunch and learn events for the founders. Invest Detroit sources high-growth startups ready to scale, pairing equity-like investments of up to $250,000 with ongoing coaching and programming

Founder Success Stories Show Impact of Venture 313

Venture 313 has helped many founders achieve notable successes. One example is Isabel Sheiman, CEO and co-founder of Maka Kids, a streaming platform providing curated, expert-reviewed children’s content designed to create safer and more developmentally supportive screen time experiences for families.

Sheiman relocated Maka Kids from New York to Detroit with support from Venture 313 and Invest Detroit, including a $200,000 seed investment that helped the company establish its headquarters in the city and accelerate its growth. Since making the move, Maka Kids has raised more than $2 million to expand its platform.

“As newcomers who moved to Detroit to build our company Maka Kids here, Venture 313 has welcomed us in from day one,” said Isabel Sheiman, CEO and co-founder, Maka Kids. “They’ve opened doors we wouldn’t have had otherwise – from sponsoring our presence at SXSW to spotlighting us across the ecosystem. V313 isn’t just funding Detroit’s entrepreneurs; it’s actively connecting them to opportunities beyond and signaling that Detroit is a serious place to build.”

Darren Riley and his company, JustAir, also benefited from Venture 313’s support. Detroit has one of the highest asthma rates in the nation and JustAir is working to change that through a platform that tracks and monitors air quality in Detroit and beyond. The company has raised more than $1.5 million, expanded into 11 states, and earned national recognition as one of Fast Company’s 2025 Most Innovative Companies for Social Good.

“Our vision at JustAir is to build the trusted infrastructure for environmental health,” said Darren Riley, CEO, JustAir. “Venture 313 and Gilbert Family Foundation provided a platform of resources, support and guidance during a key growth phase that’s helping us get there.”

 

How to Participate

Detroit-based founders seeking capital, programming or technical support can apply through Venture313.com. Applications are reviewed and routed to the partner organization best aligned with each founder’s stage of business.

 

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 About the Gilbert Family Foundation

Gilbert Family Foundation is a private nonprofit foundation founded by Jennifer and Dan Gilbert to accelerate a cure for neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and build economic opportunity and equity in the city of Detroit. The Gilbert Family Foundation supports groundbreaking, cutting-edge research in hopes of eradicating NF1, a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves anywhere in the body. Additionally, the Foundation supports the economic stability and mobility of residents in Detroit by investing in wealth-building opportunities and breaking down systemic barriers.

For more information on the Gilbert Family Foundation, please visit gilbertfamilyfoundation.org.

About Invest Detroit

Invest Detroit was created in 2009 to enhance its overall mission to support inclusive growth of entrepreneurial ventures. ID Ventures, Invest Detroit’s venture team, is one of the most active early-stage investors in the state and has invested in over 250 Michigan-based companies across multiple sectors including life sciences and healthcare, information technology, fintech, mobility, advanced manufacturing and materials. ID Ventures invests in Michigan-based companies and oversees additional programs designed to grow and support the state’s startup ecosystem. Visit idventures.com for more information.

 

About TechTown Detroit

Since 2007, TechTown Detroit has helped more than 8,000 companies create and sustain thousands of jobs and raise over $500 million in capital. As Wayne State University’s and Detroit’s entrepreneurship hub, TechTown is a nonprofit that connects early- to growth-stage small businesses and tech founders with programs, education, and resources that open doors. By building an inclusive economy, TechTown is helping Detroit and Southeast Michigan compete and win. Visit techtowndetroit.org.

About Detroit Development Fund

Detroit Development Fund is a non-profit organization and a certified community development financial institution. It was created in 1998 with an initial mission of helping revitalize an economically distressed target area in Detroit’s far East side neighborhoods, and now operates throughout the city of Detroit.

Detroit Development Fund provides loans and technical assistance to small business owners, developers, building owners, contractors and subcontractors who cannot get all of the capital they need from traditional financing sources. It delivers its products and services with the goals of revitalizing businesses and neighborhoods in Detroit, Michigan, creating economic equity, and promoting a healthy environment.