PlanetM has awarded more than $440,000 in grants to five startups addressing mobility challenges in Michigan. The latest round of PlanetM Mobility Grant recipients includes Ann Arbor-based Bedestrian ($100,000), EasyMile ($103,600), Hi-Ho Mobility ($80,000), NAVENTIK ($75,000) and NAVYA ($85,000).
Lansing-based PlanetM is a partnership of mobility organizations, communities, educational institutions, research and development, and government agencies working together to develop and deploy the mobility technologies driving the future. Available to any mobility-focused company or investor, PlanetM is a no-cost, concierge service that connects startups, businesses and communities to Michigan’s mobility ecosystem — the people, places and resources dedicated to the evolution of transportation mobility.
PlanetM Mobility Grants also provide aid to mobility startups and corporations to test, validate and prove out new technologies on Michigan roadways and in the National Airspace System, or at one of the state’s premier testing facilities, including the American Center for Mobility, Mcity at the University of Michigan and GM Mobility Research Center at Kettering University.
“Each startup selected offers a thoughtful solution to accessibility and transportation challenges across the state,” PlanetM Operations Manager Amanda Roraff said in a statement. “These startups will have a lasting impact in industries such as health care, where patients have identified barriers to mobility, and in higher education, where students have identified challenges to affordable and accessible transportation options.”
Keweenaw Research Center at Michigan Technological University in Calumet and the Michigan Unmanned Aerial Systems Consortium in Alpena are the newest PlanetM testing facility partners. These organizations will ensure testing opportunities are available statewide and join the ACM, Mcity and Kettering University as testing, education and product development centers for connected and automated vehicles.
