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Global VC Ecosystem Rankings report, 2023 DETROIT IS AMERICA’S NEXT GREAT STARTUP HUB Ranked as the 2nd emerging startup ecosystem globally in 2022, metro Detroit (incl. Ann Arbor) is home to over 1500 startups 1 $4 billion in venture capital was invested in Detroit startups from 2017 to 2023 2 FOUNDERS ARE THE FLYWHEEL — when they stay, grow, and give back, the ecosystem compounds
2021 $6B Apr 2021 $3.8B Jan 2022 $3.5B May 2022 $23B Feb 2023 $1.2B Jul 2024 $30B Oct 2024 $1.2B Dec 2024 $10.6B Aug 2025 $2.3B Grand Rapids Novi Ann Arbor Plymouth Rochester Ann Arbor Detroit Livonia Troy Novi Ann Arbor Houghton
2021 $6B Apr 2021 $3.8B Jan 2022 $3.5B May 2022 $23B Feb 2023 $1.2B Jul 2024 $30B Oct 2024 $1.2B Dec 2024 $10.6B Aug 2025 $2.3B Grand Rapids Novi Ann Arbor Plymouth Rochester Ann Arbor Detroit Livonia Troy Novi Ann Arbor Houghton California California
Lines D2A2 Bus QLine Streetcar Rosa Parks Transit Center DAX Bus People Mover NEED BRIDGES Henry Ford + MSU Future of Health & TechTown Bedrock Gratiot Innovation District WSU Health Sciences Research Building Chroma
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for its first five years. Since 2015, Temkin and his partners — who went on to found Greatwater Opportunity Capital — had steadily built a portfolio of about 2,200 residential rental units. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The cost of construction and property insurance skyrocketed. Rent collections faltered as tenants failed to pay. Now, Temkin said his rental business in Detroit is in danger of collapse. “We have 131 units that are in imminent danger of foreclosure,” Temkin said. “In 10 years of doing this, we had never missed mortgage payments until right now.” Greatwater isn’t alone. Four landlords managing thousands of units told Outlier Media it’s become nearly impossible to run a profitable residential rental business in the city. “If there are significant unknowns … many owners are just going to give up on (Detroit),” said David Alade, CEO of development firm Century Partners. “We’re going to lose a lot of good owners, and we’re going to lose a lot of good properties.”