Newlab

As part of New York @techweeka16z , Newlab Brooklyn will showcase what founders are building across robotics, energy systems, critical materials, and industrial automation. Expect prototypes, demonstrations, and conversations with the companies turning complex technologies into real-world systems. 🔗RSVP at the link in our bio.

“It wasn’t a choice between Detroit and New York. It has been Detroit from the beginning.” For 120+ years, Michigan has been defined by the auto industry. But now, that same concentration of big auto, engineering expertise, and manufacturing infrastructure -- that made the car affordable and accessible -- is being adapted to the next wave of innovation. Leaders in Detroit aren’t worried about Detroit missing out on what’s next, they’re preparing the city to lead it. The full roundtable drops Friday at 12 PM. Join us then.

Diode wants to help the US make hardware at the speed of software. 40 billion smart devices are projected to come online by 2030. Every single one, from iPhones to drones, needs a circuit board. The problem? Designing those boards still takes months and the best designers are retiring. One mistake, and you're starting over. It's slow, expensive, and the US doesn't have the shared infrastructure to keep up with global competition. So Diode built an open-source tool that turns circuit board design into code so AI can read it, check it, and build new designs in hours instead of days. One engineer. 100+ boards a year. Hardware is finally catching up.

Applications are now open for the 2026 Creative Residency at Michigan Central Art and @newlab Detroit. This year’s program includes two fellowship tracks: Art + Technology, supported by the John S. and James L. @knightfdn , and Art + Health, in partnership with @henryfordhealth . Four fellows will be selected in total. Each will receive a $30,000 unrestricted award, access to fabrication facilities, mentorship, and the chance to work inside an innovation ecosystem shaped by artists, technologists, and civic partners. Applications are open April 13th through May 10th at 11:59pm EST. A virtual Open House takes place April 30th from 6:30pm-8:00pm. Link in bio for details and to apply.

When there is no playbook, you create it. Michigan Central is a 20-acre campus for innovators to build, design, scale, and compete. With our founding partner @Newlab , we are preparing Detroiters to be at the forefront of developing new technologies. Watch the full roundtable at the link in bio.

@Femology founder @MeaganWard leads Michigan Central and @Newlab 's second roundtable discussion. Hear from leaders who are pushing boundaries in the mobility and robotics industries, and if you're not already in Detroit, this conversation will convince you otherwise. Featuring: Ana Healander, Co-Founder, Airspace Link Albane Dersy, Co-Founder, InBolt Justine Johnson, Chief Mobility Officer, State of Michigan Achsha Jones, CEO & Co-Founder, TripSlip ✨ The full roundtable drops Friday at 12 PM.✨

When a fast-moving company hits a production constraint, the answer shouldn’t be a six-week overseas lead time. @groundedrvs was one of the first companies to join Newlab in Detroit when we launched with @michigancentraldetroit . In the years since, they’ve scaled from early camper van prototypes into electric specialty vehicles serving medical, trades, and food and beverage markets. Most recently, they’ve been developing a fleet of mobile dental vans in partnership with @colgateus . This project required a redesigned vehicle platform with precision-machined custom components beyond the scope of their in-house machining capabilities in their Detroit workspace. Overseas manufacturing could not meet the delivery deadline. So Grounded connected with Newlab’s Product Realization team for support. The outcome: the team produced the custom components in under two days, helping Grounded complete their build and deliver the fleet to Colgate on schedule. This is what shared infrastructure means for early-stage critical technology startups. Speed to market. Speed to scale. Stay tuned for more startup stories from Newlab.

Critical Mass is one of the ways we open the doors at Newlab and show what founders are actually building. Across our locations, the series brings together the people building critical technology across energy, mobility, manufacturing, and robotics, giving the community a chance to see the work up close. If you’ve joined us so far, thank you for being part of it. And if you haven’t made it yet, you’re in luck. We have two more Critical Mass gatherings coming this June, one in Brooklyn and another in Detroit. Stay tuned.

Welcome the newest Founder Fellows. Now in its fifth year, the Founder Fellowship program amplifies underrepresented voices in critical technology. These 15 startups are reengineering our world: designing infrastructure that thinks, materials that matter, and systems that scale. From climate-resilient cities and circular materials to physical-world AI and next-gen manufacturing, this cohort is transforming overlooked systems into adaptive, scalable solutions. Meet the 2026 Newlab Founder Fellows: Maeva Coste & Jennifer Laws - BioWraptor Oskar Schortz & Marcus Comaschi - GyroPlant Satpal Kaur - UnBOXED Marcel Bock & Ashmin Varma - Enerclave Shannen Kaylia Henry - @cocoafiber Tyler Raciti & Chet Ellis - Volumes Kevin Kong - Everstar Brenna Boehman & Joanna Millstein - Adaptora Marie Eric - @tasteetape Ayna Arora - MorphoAI Mohsen Zehtabchian & Igor Stavrulov - Amatec Asfandyar Khan - Shuffle Nicholas Raffa & Anthony Huvenne - @biomific Suma Reddy - Gather Omer Caylan & Yang Zhong - Carbion (Names Listed in order that they appear (left to right, top to bottom))

You can’t build alone. The earliest days of a company require hustle, but scaling takes more than effort. Founders need backers, mentors, teams, partners, and a community that can sustain momentum as complexity grows. Michigan Central’s 20-acre campus was developed to serve as a home for innovators in Detroit. Within that ecosystem, Newlab Detroit focuses on supporting critical technology founders with the prototyping facilities and infrastructure needed to move from early stages to real-world commercialization. Learn more about how to apply for membership at Newlab or another Michigan Central program at the link in our bio. The full roundtable drops Saturday at 12PM.

Black talent is often underestimated or misunderstood. Building a more equitable innovation ecosystem requires persistence across capital, infrastructure, and real-world deployment. For many founders, that reality shows up in the daily grind with more scrutiny, higher expectations, and the pressure to prove yourself again and again. Sometimes the work of being a founder is simply continuing to show up anyway. “I have to prove myself 10x over… but the way I approach that is to actually welcome it.” - Crystal Brown, Founder & CEO, CircNova AI We believe that talent is evenly distributed across communities and cities, but access is not. So our goal is simple: ensure that the genius in every community has a clear path to become undeniable.

Detroit founders don’t wait for permission to build, they create the conditions to win. Michigan Central and Newlab Detroit brought together four founders developing critical technologies for a candid roundtable on what it actually means to build in this city, including the advantages and the friction of scaling, funding, community, and long-term legacy. The conversation is led by Dawn Batts, PhD, co-founder of Commune Angels and Head of Private Market Investments at Union Heritage, and explores the realities of building high-growth companies in Detroit alongside: Ron Butler, Founder, Energy Storage Safety Products International Crystal Brown, Founder, CircNova AI Brittanie Dabney, Founder, Ecosphere Organics Justin Turk, Founder, ConStrat AI The full roundtable drops Saturday at 12PM.