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Ann Arbor has long been a hub for cutting-edge health research and scientific talent. But this year, the region is stepping into the spotlight in a new way. Ann Arbor SPARK is introducing a dedicated Life Sciences event at a2Tech360, its annual series of panels, workshops, pitch events, and tech showcases. This addition reflects the rapid growth of the life sciences sector and its increasing importance to the region’s innovation economy.
From medical devices and biotech to AI-powered health tech, the life sciences space is exploding with potential — and Ann Arbor is uniquely positioned to lead.
Why Life Sciences Are Thriving in Ann Arbor
It’s no accident that this growth is happening in Southeast Michigan. Ann Arbor is home to the University of Michigan, one of the world’s top public research universities, as well as major health systems, leading hospital networks, and a deep legacy of scientific innovation. That legacy includes the region’s long-standing connection to Pfizer, which had a major R&D presence in Ann Arbor for decades and helped build the area’s reputation for world-class biomedical research.
But innovation needs more than inspiration — it needs infrastructure. That’s where Ann Arbor SPARK comes in. The organization plays a critical role in fueling the life sciences sector by connecting founders to funding, helping them find hard-to-access lab space, and building a startup community where entrepreneurs, researchers, and investors can collide.
In recent years, a growing number of life sciences startups — from Genomenon’s
genomic data platform to Endra Life Sciences’ non-invasive imaging technology — have taken root here, many spinning out from U-M’s rich research pipeline or relocating to tap into the region’s support ecosystem.
“There’s a tremendous amount of talent in the region,” said Mark Smith, President and Chief Imagineer of MI-HQ, the foundational life sciences coworking and innovation campus. “But the biggest challenge is connecting the dots. SPARK is helping with that — making sure founders know what’s already here, and that they don’t need to leave the region to grow.”
MI-HQ: Building the Infrastructure Startups Needed
In 1997, Smith bought a building outside downtown Ann Arbor to house a startup he was supporting. That company didn’t make it — but something bigger did. Realizing the scarcity of lab and cleanroom space in the region, Smith opened the doors to other early-stage companies in life sciences and biotech. They shared equipment, swapped knowledge, and created a kind of micro-ecosystem. That building filled quickly. So did the next one.
Today, MI-HQ has expanded into a 180,000-square-foot campus hosting dozens of science and technology startups — and it’s still growing.
“We're technology-agnostic, but life sciences is where we’ve seen real demand,” said Smith. “A lot of these companies can’t afford their own equipment early on, so we built a place where they could share resources and scale.”
SPARK has been an essential partner in that growth, helping MI-HQ host events like “Tech on the Edge,” and directing startups in need of lab space to the MI-HQ campus. That collaboration is only getting stronger — MI-HQ is now expanding into Ypsilanti, bringing more specialized space to the region and meeting the needs of the next wave of life science entrepreneurs.
Startups Making Moves
This startup biotech ecosystem is already fueling progress. Dozens of early-stage companies have found a home through SPARK’s support and MI-HQ’s infrastructure.
For example, a “skunk works” effort by Wacker Chemical at MI-HQ helped prove out new R&D directions and ultimately paved the way for the company to build a roughly 150,000-square-foot R&D tech center and new regional headquarters in Ann Arbor — evidence that early access to space and community can translate into long-term investment.
Another example is Sartorius, which established its U.S. BioAnalytics Center of Excellence in Ann Arbor. With support from SPARK in securing state incentives and local infrastructure, the company has doubled its local staff and is now delivering advanced bioanalytical tools and services to health systems across the region.
And they’re not alone. Companies like ArborMetrix, LynxDx, and Endra Life Sciences are continuing to scale — showing that with the right support, startups here don’t just launch — they lead.
Community + Collaboration
“There’s so much power in creating collisions,” said Smith. That’s exactly what SPARK does — intentionally building a network that includes entrepreneurs, scientists, hospital systems, researchers, and investors. Through programs like a2Tech360, and specifically Tech Trek and Women in Tech, SPARK makes space for connection and amplified voices often left out of the life sciences conversation.
Whether it's finding wet lab space, navigating regulatory pathways, or just sharing ideas over coffee, the region’s life sciences founders aren’t doing it alone. That’s the ethos MI-HQ was built on, too: collaboration that fuels progress.
“To build a great ecosystem, you need to unlock the power of the greater community. You can’t build an ecosystem by yourself,” said Smith. “The combination of spaces such as Mi-HQ, Bamboo, Cahoots and others, along with program support from SPARK, helps create a vibrant ecosystem where early stage companies can grow and thrive. We need spaces and organizations like SPARK that bring people together, and help founders get where they’re going faster.”
What’s Next for Life Sciences in SE Michigan
Between new lab space coming online, expanded support from organizations like SPARK, and increased interest from investors, Southeast Michigan’s life sciences sector is hitting its stride.
At MI-HQ, Smith and his team are already working on what’s next: an AI-powered app that helps founders connect to the right regional resources, forecast their company’s growth curve, and optimize their structures for tax and investment advantages.
It’s all part of a bigger vision: to make it easier for scientists and founders to build where they are, and stay rooted in the region.
