Red Cedar Ventures

Red Cedar Ventures (RCV), established in 2014, is a venture capital firm based in East Lansing, Michigan, and operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the MSU Research Foundation. It is recognized as the first venture fund in mid-Michigan, focusing on early-stage investments in high-tech startups that are commercializing intellectual property developed at Michigan State University. RCV aims to support the growth of technology-focused entrepreneurs and companies throughout the state, fostering innovation and economic development in the region.

John Tran

Venture Analyst

David Washburn

President and Board Member

Jeff Wesley

Executive Director

Matthew Okoneski

Director, Venture Investments

Past deals in Pre-Seed Round

Approva

Pre Seed Round in 2023
Approva is an all-in-one home loan solution that simplifies and accelerates the house loan process by providing users with the best mortgage deal in real-time.

Vetr Health

Pre Seed Round in 2023
Vetr Health operates a subscription-based veterinary service, offering routine and wellness care for pets. Their unique model includes in-home vet visits, providing convenience and reducing stress for both pet owners and their pets, particularly those with busy schedules or anxiety issues. Additionally, they offer unlimited telehealth visits, ensuring pet owners have access to veterinary care whenever needed.

Reel Free

Pre Seed Round in 2023
Reel Free designed a medical device, similar to an automated reel-in garden hose, for managing oxygen tubing. This innovation enhances user mobility and reduces the risk of falls.

Quantitative Coin Grading

Pre Seed Round in 2023
QCG is a technology-based coin grading service platform to assess the value of coins.

Akeila Bio

Pre Seed Round in 2023
Akeila Bio is developing novel small molecule drugs targeting RXR nuclear receptor biology with applications in a variety of disease areas

Protein Pints

Pre Seed Round in 2023
Protein Pints is a premium ice cream manufacturer specializing in high-protein, low-sugar desserts. Their product line includes various flavors like chocolate, strawberry, cookie dough, and mint, all made with natural ingredients and lactose-free, gluten-free whey protein isolates. The company caters to health-conscious individuals seeking to meet their daily nutritional goals through indulgent, guilt-free treats.

UniServices

Pre Seed Round in 2023
UniServices operates an online platform that connects college students with local residents and businesses seeking assistance with various tasks such as dog walking, painting, or tutoring. This marketplace facilitates the completion of odd jobs within communities, enabling students to earn additional income while providing convenient services to those in need.

Deepview AI

Pre Seed Round in 2023
Deepview is a technology company focused on bringing to market the world’s best AI Cameras for manufacturing and automotive applications.

Vetr Health

Pre Seed Round in 2023
Vetr Health operates a subscription-based veterinary service, offering routine and wellness care for pets. Their unique model includes in-home vet visits, providing convenience and reducing stress for both pet owners and their pets, particularly those with busy schedules or anxiety issues. Additionally, they offer unlimited telehealth visits, ensuring pet owners have access to veterinary care whenever needed.

Elite Care Technologies Material

Pre Seed Round in 2023
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MagPlasma

Pre Seed Round in 2023
MagPlasma is a developer of advanced technologies specializing in air purification and surface disinfection. The company's primary focus is integrating plasma systems designed to effectively disinfect air and surfaces, aiming to protect healthcare workers and service providers from airborne contagions. By utilizing novel materials, MagPlasma's devices collect and disinfect harmful pathogens before they can reach infectious levels, enhancing safety and health standards in various environments. Their innovative approach seeks to address public health challenges through effective contagion disinfection solutions, ultimately contributing to safer environments for individuals and communities.

Titan Bioplastics

Pre Seed Round in 2023
Titan Bioplastics is a material engineering company specializing in advanced nanotechnology and sustainable material solutions. The firm focuses on developing plant-based composites and products aimed at enhancing the use of recycled plastics and bioplastic composites across various manufacturing sectors, including packaging, construction, and bio-polymers. Titan Bioplastics works to help companies meet global standards for recycled content, implement carbon-negative materials, and reduce landfill waste. Their expertise encompasses areas such as coatings, polymer composite development, and the utilization of innovative materials like Graphene Oxide and Graphene resin composites. The company also engages in various applications, including ballistic projects for military purposes and energy environmental technology initiatives, contributing to advancements in material technology and sustainability.

JustAir Solutions

Pre Seed Round in 2022
JustAir Solutions is an air pollution monitoring company. They provide mapping, monitoring, and visualizing. Monitor the air people breathe at a neighborhood level. They observe the activity and trends that drive air quality.

Will Winn Games

Pre Seed Round in 2022
Will Winn Games is a game development studio focused on creating engaging multiplayer video game experiences. The company is dedicated to designing, developing, and marketing innovative games that facilitate social connections among players. By rebuilding their games from the ground up as fully online multiplayer experiences, Will Winn Games aims to provide gamers with immersive experiences across all major gaming platforms, enabling them to forge friendships and rivalries through gameplay.

KindKatch

Pre Seed Round in 2022
KindKatch is an audience engagement solution company that specializes in personalized video content to enhance brand interaction and drive conversions. The company provides a platform that allows brands to capture video and picture content from both their teams and audiences, facilitating deeper relationships with consumers. By leveraging tools for content collection, curation, and sharing, KindKatch enables companies to personalize their marketing and storytelling efforts at scale. This approach helps brands effectively engage with their audience, ultimately leading to increased attention and improved conversion rates.

CrossBraining

Pre Seed Round in 2022
CrossBraining, LLC is a company based in Jackson, Michigan, founded in 2017 by Josh Nichols, a nominee for Michigan teacher-of-the-year. The company specializes in developing a video software platform that facilitates vocational and corporate learning. This platform offers tools for video editing, narration, music addition, iteration, learning, collaboration, and sharing within a community. CrossBraining's competency-as-a-Service cloud platform is designed to prove learning competency in K-20 education, vocational training, and corporate settings through its video library and certification suite. The company aims to address specific challenges in the pipeline between unskilled laborers and skilled trades employers, helping educational institutions align projects and capture phases of assignments effectively.

SBE Medical

Pre Seed Round in 2021
SBE Medical develops a catheter that saves time for clinicians, eliminates the chance of UTIs, and dramatically increases patient comfort.

Full Cycle School

Pre Seed Round in 2021
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Will Winn Games

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Will Winn Games is a game development studio focused on creating engaging multiplayer video game experiences. The company is dedicated to designing, developing, and marketing innovative games that facilitate social connections among players. By rebuilding their games from the ground up as fully online multiplayer experiences, Will Winn Games aims to provide gamers with immersive experiences across all major gaming platforms, enabling them to forge friendships and rivalries through gameplay.

TiiCKER

Pre Seed Round in 2021
TiiCKER is an innovative software platform designed to engage and incentivize consumer shareholders for publicly traded companies. It offers a unique experience where users can examine their stock portfolios, trade without commissions, and invest in new companies while accessing associated benefits in a single location. The platform enables companies to effectively measure and engage their retail investors, converting consumers into shareholders. TiiCKER provides verified shareholder perks, direct marketing to shareholders, and insights that help companies attract new investors and assess the lifetime value of their shareholders. By combining these features, TiiCKER enhances the relationship between companies and their consumer investors.

MyPlasma

Pre Seed Round in 2021
MyPlasma is a webshop for electric lighters.

Rebound

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Rebound is an e-commerce business metric aggregation platform that provides insights from online marketplaces, websites, and SaaS tools. The company offers an innovative AI assistant that delivers instant answers, alerts, and insights related to revenue, profitability, inventory, and other essential metrics. By eliminating the need for dashboards or applications, Rebound enables clients to access key business information quickly and efficiently through text messages, allowing for better decision-making and time savings. This approach streamlines the process of monitoring business performance, making it easier for users to stay informed about their operations.

Tandem

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Tandem is a technology company that provides a scheduling platform designed to streamline operations and foster community engagement within educational institutions. The platform empowers users to manage resources, schedule events, and stay informed about campus activities, thereby enhancing overall campus coordination and communication.

Starchtek

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Starchtek is a company focused on developing starch-based compostable foam specifically designed for the protective packaging market. By utilizing advanced starch-based technology, Starchtek provides an affordable, plastic-free alternative to traditional packaging materials such as expanded polystyrene (EPS), commonly known as styrofoam. The company's environmentally friendly solutions cater to the protective and cold chain packaging sectors, allowing clients to ensure the safety of their products while contributing to environmental sustainability.

The Patient Company

Pre Seed Round in 2021
The Patient Company, LLC specializes in the development and production of SimPull, an innovative automated lateral patient transfer device designed to enhance patient care. Founded in 2019 by Andrew Heuerman, the company operates from locations in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Grand Rapids, Michigan. SimPull aims to improve safety for healthcare clinicians by reducing the risk of injury during patient transfers, while also streamlining the transfer process to minimize time and eliminate waste generated by disposable components used in traditional methods. This fully automated device allows a single care team member to operate it, ensuring that patient transfers are conducted safely and respectfully.

IASO

Pre Seed Round in 2021
IASO is a provider of cloud-based backup software and storage solutions designed for consumers, small to mid-sized businesses, managed service providers, and enterprises. The company offers an ultra-fast and reliable online backup service, utilizing advanced and secure technology to ensure data recovery. With a network of 600 direct partnerships worldwide, IASO emphasizes the importance of effective data recovery in its solutions, reflecting its name’s origin from Greek mythology, where Iaso is the goddess of recovery. This focus on reliability and security makes IASO a significant player in the online backup software industry.

Motion Grazer AI

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Motion Grazer AI is a technology company based in East Lansing, Michigan, founded in 2020 by John McIntyre, Madonna Benjamin, Daniel Morris, and Michael Lavagnino. The company specializes in developing a monitoring system for livestock using a computer and a real-sense camera. Their hardware platform, SIM, focuses on sow monitoring and health assessment, providing individual sensing, monitoring, and analyses to support precision livestock farming (PLF) for sows and other animals. This system offers automated and quantifiable indicators of reproductive potential, body condition, and locomotion, aiming to enhance productivity and profitability while ensuring animal health and welfare at a reduced cost.

Building CATALYST

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Building Catalyst is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform designed to enhance the building process by integrating various aspects of project management. The platform utilizes data science to inform decision-making, allowing for a comparative analysis of project elements such as program, design, and budget. By automating data and technology solutions, it enables builders and contractors to optimize resources, predict construction outcomes, and streamline efforts, ultimately improving project results while reducing time and costs.

3DFoundri

Pre Seed Round in 2020
3DFoundri is a producer of advanced metal manufacturing technology that specializes in 3D printing, metal finishing, and polishing services. The company focuses on enabling cost reductions and enhancing part complexities through innovative processes. It employs techniques such as magnetic-field assisted finishing, which can be integrated with computer numerical control (CNC) systems to eliminate fine machining lines. This approach supports the additive manufacturing of intricate metal components, aimed at improving manufacturing efficiency and reducing lead times, particularly in automotive and various other sectors. Customer inquiries are efficiently managed through phone, email, and online applications, ensuring responsive service.

Airway Innovations

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Airway Innovations, LLC is a company that specializes in designing and manufacturing advanced airway management solutions aimed at preventing unplanned extubations in intubated patients. Its flagship product, TubeTrac, is an innovative endotracheal tube holder that transfers pull force from the endotracheal tube to the back of the patient’s head, effectively preventing self-extubations. The patented design of TubeTrac allows for greater adjustability, facilitating oral care and repositioning of the tube to minimize the risk of lip ulcers and pressure sores. This product not only enhances patient comfort but also supports improved quality of care and safety in healthcare settings. Founded in 2014 and based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Airway Innovations is dedicated to raising the standard of care for intubated patients through its practical and effective solutions.

ServiceBot by WorkWave

Pre Seed Round in 2020
WorkWave's ServiceBot is an online ordering system designed for the home service sector. The company was founded in 2019 and is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

ARUtility

Pre Seed Round in 2020
ARUtility LLC is a company that specializes in providing augmented reality utility locating solutions aimed at minimizing underground damage during excavation activities. Founded in 2018 and based in East Lansing, Michigan, ARUtility offers an innovative platform that integrates utility locating, asset management, and Building Information Modeling (BIM) visualization. The application allows users—including architects, contractors, engineers, and homeowners—to visualize utility locations both above and below the ground surface in a 3D format. This functionality enhances collaboration among utilities by enabling them to share asset information and manage projects more effectively. ARUtility serves a range of sectors, including electric, water, gas, fiber, sewer, and telecommunications, helping to streamline operations and reduce costs associated with underground excavations.

Phenologic

Pre Seed Round in 2020
PhenoLogic Inc. is a technology company based in East Lansing, Michigan, that specializes in smart automated systems for agricultural applications. Founded in 2020, the company has developed an innovative inline fertilizer injection system designed for professional growers and farmers. This system, known as Poseidon, effectively proportions multiple fertilizers into a water line, ensuring that plants receive the right amounts of nutrients and water at optimal times. PhenoLogic's technology enhances communication between various agricultural systems, synchronizing lighting and fertigation processes while controlling operations through a centralized platform. This advanced approach enables farmers to optimize production yields and reduce costs in crop cultivation.

MenuBubble

Pre Seed Round in 2020
MenuBubble, LLC, established in 2018 and headquartered in East Lansing, Michigan, operates a subscription-based platform delivering healthy, preservative-free meals across Michigan, including Greater Lansing, Detroit, Flint, Ann Arbor, and Grand Rapids. The company caters to individuals, students, and families, offering low-calorie meal plans that are accessible, convenient, and suitable for various dietary restrictions. MenuBubble generates revenue through preorder subscriptions, instant delivery services, third-party food delivery platforms, channel sales, and profit-sharing with local health food companies.

BetterYou

Pre Seed Round in 2020
BetterYou is a digital wellness platform focused on enhancing health and wellness decision-making for both individuals and organizations. By utilizing data generated from daily device usage, the platform offers insights into how users allocate their time compared to what is truly important to them. BetterYou empowers users to define their own vision of "time better spent" and supports them in achieving their wellness goals across various dimensions, including physical, mental, social, and educational aspects. Additionally, the platform provides organizations with population-level insights, enabling them to promote better employee well-being and drive health savings by fostering healthier habits within their workforce. Overall, BetterYou aims to facilitate meaningful lifestyle changes and improve overall wellness for its users.

Phenologic

Pre Seed Round in 2020
PhenoLogic Inc. is a technology company based in East Lansing, Michigan, that specializes in smart automated systems for agricultural applications. Founded in 2020, the company has developed an innovative inline fertilizer injection system designed for professional growers and farmers. This system, known as Poseidon, effectively proportions multiple fertilizers into a water line, ensuring that plants receive the right amounts of nutrients and water at optimal times. PhenoLogic's technology enhances communication between various agricultural systems, synchronizing lighting and fertigation processes while controlling operations through a centralized platform. This advanced approach enables farmers to optimize production yields and reduce costs in crop cultivation.

HealthOpX

Pre Seed Round in 2019
HealthOpX is a technology company that specializes in software solutions aimed at enhancing the health of at-risk patients through community-based engagement. It serves community organizations, health systems, and payers, enabling them to effectively implement programs and collaborate with government and healthcare entities. The company's predictive analytics platform assesses the risk of patient readmission, emergency room visits, and morbidity, thereby facilitating improved care coordination and medical adherence. By focusing on patient engagement and quality care outcomes, HealthOpX provides healthcare practitioners with tools to deliver convenient and cost-effective benefits to individuals seeking treatment.

MyPlasma

Pre Seed Round in 2019
MyPlasma is a webshop for electric lighters.

IASO

Pre Seed Round in 2019
IASO is a provider of cloud-based backup software and storage solutions designed for consumers, small to mid-sized businesses, managed service providers, and enterprises. The company offers an ultra-fast and reliable online backup service, utilizing advanced and secure technology to ensure data recovery. With a network of 600 direct partnerships worldwide, IASO emphasizes the importance of effective data recovery in its solutions, reflecting its name’s origin from Greek mythology, where Iaso is the goddess of recovery. This focus on reliability and security makes IASO a significant player in the online backup software industry.

AgileCare Solutions

Pre Seed Round in 2019
AgileCare Solutions is a health technology company that specializes in enhancing communication and decision-making for caregivers in the home-based care sector. Its innovative platform utilizes artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to streamline the process of connecting healthcare staff with patients and their families. The software offers tailored recommendations based on individual client needs, optimizing the match between caregivers and those in need of private care. This functionality enables private-duty home-care companies and healthcare agencies to efficiently find and hire qualified caregivers, thereby reducing scheduling errors and increasing caregiver retention and customer satisfaction. Overall, AgileCare Solutions aims to empower caregivers and improve the quality of home care services.

Oasis Systems

Pre Seed Round in 2019
Oasis Systems is a provider of information technology, systems engineering, enterprise applications, and program management services, primarily serving the Department of Defense and U.S. Federal Agencies. The company is recognized for its ability to anticipate and respond to customer needs by delivering high-quality, cost-effective technical solutions and analytical services. With a skilled team of professionals, Oasis Systems specializes in engineering services, human factors engineering, and enterprise systems, ensuring that clients receive efficient and effective support tailored to their operational requirements.

Uru Sports

Pre Seed Round in 2018
Uru Sports, founded in 2015 and based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, operates an online platform connecting field hockey players, coaches, and teams globally. Its platform facilitates international job searches for athletes and coaches seeking overseas positions, while enabling teams and clubs to discover and recruit talent efficiently. Uru Sports aims to empower all participants by providing a centralized hub for career opportunities, similar to LinkedIn's professional networking model but tailored specifically for the sports industry.

IASO

Pre Seed Round in 2018
IASO is a provider of cloud-based backup software and storage solutions designed for consumers, small to mid-sized businesses, managed service providers, and enterprises. The company offers an ultra-fast and reliable online backup service, utilizing advanced and secure technology to ensure data recovery. With a network of 600 direct partnerships worldwide, IASO emphasizes the importance of effective data recovery in its solutions, reflecting its name’s origin from Greek mythology, where Iaso is the goddess of recovery. This focus on reliability and security makes IASO a significant player in the online backup software industry.

Lingco Language Labs

Pre Seed Round in 2018
Lingco Language Labs operates an online personalized language learning platform known as Lingco Classroom, which leverages artificial intelligence to enhance the educational experience for both students and instructors. The platform conducts initial assessments to evaluate students' existing language proficiency in vocabulary and grammar, enabling customized learning paths tailored to individual needs. By providing real-time insights into student performance, Lingco Classroom allows instructors to identify areas where students struggle and offers machine learning recommendations for relevant activities and content. This approach aims to facilitate targeted instruction and support students in achieving language proficiency effectively.

MySideKick

Pre Seed Round in 2018
MySideKick is an innovative risk prediction and prevention platform focused on enhancing institutional safety through the use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, real-time data, and automation. By providing a social safety platform, it connects users with a supportive network aimed at protecting them from harassment, hate, and danger. MySideKick empowers institutions and athletes to make informed and safe decisions, facilitating collaboration among friends, teammates, coaches, and team leaders on a unified safety platform. Recognized for its capabilities, MySideKick serves as the Official Safety App for Team USA Athletes at the upcoming 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.

FibrosIX

Pre Seed Round in 2018
FibrosIX is a biotechnology company founded in 2016 and based in East Lansing, Michigan. The company focuses on developing small-molecule therapeutics aimed at preventing lung fibrosis in cancer patients. Its innovative drugs target and modulate a critical signaling pathway involved in the development of fibrotic diseases, which can lead to diminished lung function and respiratory issues. By addressing these challenges, FibrosIX aims to enhance the quality of life for patients undergoing cancer treatment.

Indapta Therapeutics

Pre Seed Round in 2018
Indapta Therapeutics is a privately held biotechnology company that focuses on the development of a natural killer (NK) cell therapy platform aimed at treating various blood and solid tumor cancers. The company specializes in commercializing a proprietary, off-the-shelf, non-engineered, and allogeneic G-NK cell designed to enhance the immune response and significantly improve the cytotoxicity of antibody therapies. By harnessing the potent antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) activity of these NK cells, Indapta Therapeutics enables healthcare providers to offer innovative treatment options for patients battling cancer.

Orion Trading Systems

Funding Round in 2017
Orion Trading Systems is a developer of an innovative financial platform that transforms how brokers, educators, and traders access and utilize trading software. The company's platform supports a wide range of assets, including stocks, options, futures, forex, and digital assets, all within a single application. It offers broker-neutral options that facilitate trade execution, order and position management, and workflow automation. This allows fund managers and brokers to efficiently execute trades and manage portfolios while integrating accounts from multiple brokers into a unified experience. By providing customizable solutions, Orion Trading Systems aims to enhance the trading capabilities of its users in the global investment market.

Indapta Therapeutics

Pre Seed Round in 2017
Indapta Therapeutics is a privately held biotechnology company that focuses on the development of a natural killer (NK) cell therapy platform aimed at treating various blood and solid tumor cancers. The company specializes in commercializing a proprietary, off-the-shelf, non-engineered, and allogeneic G-NK cell designed to enhance the immune response and significantly improve the cytotoxicity of antibody therapies. By harnessing the potent antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) activity of these NK cells, Indapta Therapeutics enables healthcare providers to offer innovative treatment options for patients battling cancer.

AIM Artificially Intelligent Machineshop

Pre Seed Round in 2016
Operator of a Computer Numeric Control equipment manufacturing shop intended to specializes in sourcing custom sheet metal parts.

Ubiquitous Energy

Pre Seed Round in 2016
Ubiquitous Energy, Inc. is a pioneering company specializing in transparent photovoltaics that aim to enhance the energy efficiency of various applications, including mobile devices and smart glass for buildings. Founded in 2011 and based in Redwood City, California, the company has developed ClearView Power technology, which allows windows to generate electricity while remaining visually indistinguishable from standard glass. This innovative technology captures and converts ultraviolet and near-infrared light into usable energy, providing a sustainable power source for devices such as wearables, tablets, and digital signage. Ubiquitous Energy’s solutions facilitate the integration of solar energy into everyday products, enabling significant reductions in carbon footprints without incurring substantial additional costs. The company has also established a strategic development agreement with Asahi Glass Co., Ltd., further solidifying its position in the market.

Treeborn

Pre Seed Round in 2015
Treeborn, Inc. is a manufacturer and distributor of chestnut chips, primarily used as a unique ingredient in the brewing process. Founded in 2014 and based in East Lansing, Michigan, the company specializes in transforming sustainably grown chestnuts into thin wafers known as chestnut chips. These chips add a sweet, nutty flavor to various beers, including ales and stouts, and serve as an excellent base for gluten-free brewing. In addition to chestnut chips, Treeborn produces raw and roasted chestnut flour, catering to a diverse audience, including individuals with celiac disease. The company's commitment to quality and sustainability reflects its focus on providing innovative products for the brewing industry and consumers seeking gluten-free options.

Thermetrics

Pre Seed Round in 2014
Thermetrics provide industry-leading technologies for thermal manikin systems and other thermal testing equipment. Our products are used and trusted by commercial organisations, testing labs, and government clients all over the world. They are dedicated to developing cutting-edge thermal measurement testing solutions that will enable customers to develop game-changing technologies. The equipment meets the most stringent thermal comfort research standards.

Lifeblood Biological Services

Pre Seed Round in 2014
Owner and operator of a blood center. The company operates as a blood bank as well as providing human cells, biological materials and other

Digitouch Health

Pre Seed Round in 2014
Digitouch Health is a medical device company based in Valhalla, New York, specializing in the development of a smartphone device that enables users to measure and track their blood pressure. The device utilizes advanced algorithm-enabled technology and oscillometry to provide accurate blood pressure readings without the need for calibration. It facilitates the monitoring of hypertension and allows for the seamless transmission of data to electronic health records, thereby enhancing patient convenience and ensuring clinical accuracy. By collaborating with healthcare practitioners, Digitouch Health aims to support individuals in managing their cardiovascular health, ultimately contributing to longer and healthier lives.
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