Five startups from Kalamazoo and Southwest Michigan will pitch to investors at a founder showcase at Western Michigan University, after finishing the Michigan Founders Fund Pre-Accelerator's fall 2026 program.
The group is the program's first cohort in Kalamazoo and Southwest Michigan. Until now, the free, seven-week pre-accelerator, which Michigan Founders Fund runs with accelerator network gener8tor, had held its cohorts in Detroit.
The five startups
Tutela, built by H2H Technology, helps organizations adopt AI securely by controlling what AI agents can access, do, and record. Cortez Lake is the founder and CEO.
Brownfield AI helps property owners and developers evaluate brownfield and surplus properties. Its co-founders are Kyle Gulau, CEO; Scott Gerstl, chief technology officer; and Kevin Wolf, who leads growth.
ALCD Systems helps licensed residential care providers manage compliance, staffing, records, and inspection readiness. Jamie Bigby is founder and CEO.
FieldStone, from ClaimRoute, helps small construction and trades businesses handle customer communication, scheduling, and follow-up. Michael Riddering is co-founder and CEO, and Mphumelelo Khaba is co-founder and engineer.
Flowers Automotive Recyclers uses technology-enabled vehicle disassembly and inventory management to route reusable parts. Ronald Lance Flowers Jr. is founder and CEO.
How the program works
The pre-accelerator gives each founder a $15,000 grant from Michigan Founders Fund and takes no equity. It follows the gBETA curriculum, gener8tor's pre-accelerator, and combines virtual and in-person sessions.
The program is open to technology and tech-enabled startups led by underrepresented founders. The Kalamazoo cohort takes founders from Southwest Michigan, and the Detroit cohort takes founders from Southeast Michigan.
Founders get coaching from gener8tor and Michigan Founders Fund, weekly mentoring sessions, and chances to pitch to investors and accelerators. Over seven weeks, the fall cohort worked on business models, pitches, and preparation for its next round of fundraising.
The Kalamazoo program's partners include the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, Kabundant, the Stryker Johnston Foundation, Kalamazoo Forward Ventures and Startup Zoo.
Background
The pre-accelerator launched in late 2024. Its winter 2026 group in Detroit was its fourth cohort.
In February, Rishi Moudgil, executive director of Michigan Founders Fund, said the program had seen high demand for each cohort over the past year.
Event details
The showcase runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Networking, food, and drinks start at the Richmond Center at 6:30 p.m. The founders pitch from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Center for Advancing Arts Research in the Dalton Center (1300 Theatre Drive).
Registration at the Richmond Center closes at 7 p.m., and guests must show a government-issued ID to enter. Registration is at luma.com/kzoomff.
