Detroit-based Common Vector Robotics has won $425,000 after taking first place in the Defense & Aerospace semifinal of Michigan’s PitchMI Startup Competition, providing the company with additional capital as it develops rugged autonomous ground systems for military and other critical field applications.
The semifinal was held at the Grand Rapids Civic Theatre and was organized through a partnership between the Michigan State University Research Foundation and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
A $500,000 statewide co-investment from Anchor Up Ventures, Kalamazoo Forward Ventures, JM Longyear and ID Ventures increased each semifinal prize from $250,000 to $375,000.
Traverse City startup incubator and entrepreneurship hub 20Fathoms added another $50,000 to Common Vector Robotics’ award, bringing its total winnings to $425,000.
Common Vector Robotics, or CVR, manufactures rugged ground robots intended for demanding operations both on and off the battlefield.
The company develops many of the core components required by its systems internally, including battery packs, battery management systems, motor controllers, electronic control units and suspension systems.
That vertically integrated approach is designed to give CVR greater control over performance, durability and system integration while reducing its dependence on off-the-shelf components.
The company’s two primary robotic platforms are Ghostrunner and GL-1.
Ghostrunner is a high-speed, off-road robotic platform designed for distributed sensing, communications support, logistics and mobility in rugged environments where conventional infrastructure may be unavailable.
The robot is built around CVR’s vertically integrated hardware stack and is intended to support field operations in difficult terrain.
GL-1 is a 400-kilogram autonomous robotic base designed to carry payloads such as robotic arms, sensor masts and equipment racks.
The system uses Visual SLAM for navigation, can be supervised from a centralized command center and can support a modular power payload of up to 27 kWh for the equipment it carries.
The $425,000 award gives CVR additional resources to advance those platforms as demand grows for autonomous and remotely operated systems across defense, logistics and other mission-critical environments.
The PitchMI competition was created to identify and support promising Michigan startups while connecting founders with investment capital and the state’s broader entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Common Vector Robotics’ victory in Grand Rapids also advances the company to the statewide PitchMI Championship in spring 2027.
The championship winner will have an opportunity to receive an additional $1 million.
The Defense & Aerospace event was the first of four PitchMI industry semifinals being held across Michigan.
Additional semifinals cover AI & Software, Advanced Manufacturing, Materials & Outdoors, and Healthcare & Life Sciences.
For CVR, the Grand Rapids win adds both financing and visibility as the company builds a Michigan-based robotics manufacturing business focused on demanding operational environments.
KEY QUOTES:
“It’s incredible to build in Michigan and to be with all my other fellow founders building in the same space.”
“I really wasn’t expecting the check. This is going to be huge for our business to grow and get it to that next stage.”
“Being in the PitchMI space is really exciting, just the energy of all these startups pitching.”
“I hope for a lot more competitions like this, to allow a lot more companies to grow and succeed.”
Arnold Kadiu, CEO and Co-Founder of Common Vector Robotics
