MTEC SmartZone has launched its third cohort of the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Program Accelerator, welcoming six new businesses into the three-month intensive program designed to transform innovative startups into industry leaders.
The 2026 cohort met for the first time Tuesday evening before officially opening the program Wednesday morning. The accelerator, launched in 2024, aims to help technical entrepreneurs navigate the business challenges that often derail promising startups.
“Founders, you know, they think a lot about technical problems and maybe sometimes customer-based. There’s a lot to run a business that many of them are not — legal side of the HR, you hire your first employee,” said David Rowe, CEO of MTEC SmartZone.
The program addresses a critical gap in startup development. While many entrepreneurs excel at solving technical challenges, they often struggle with the business fundamentals necessary for growth and sustainability.
Orbion CEO Brad King, who helped introduce the program to the new entrepreneurs, shared four key steps for growing a startup: get started, address risks, fill blind spots with experts and stick to your mission. King compared the startup experience to building a plane while it’s in the air.
“You’re trying to get this thing perfect. It’s going to take too long. And there is a natural aversion to letting somebody see your idea while they’re still ugly. But to do a startup, that’s what you have to be willing to do because you need to share it while it’s ugly with other folks who realize, yes, it’s ugly now, but it could be better,” King said.
The 2026 cohort includes six diverse businesses: Pile Vision, Capture Tech, Optical Quantum Technologies, SinusBath, her.HAT and ZiTech. All participants involve some level of manufacturing or material specialty while solving challenges across various industries.
The three-month program follows a structured timeline designed to move entrepreneurs from concept to investor-ready presentations. May focuses on business model development in advanced materials and manufacturing sectors and revenue generation. June emphasizes practicing concepts from May in the real world, meeting with investors, corporate partners, customers and providers. The program culminates with demo days in Houghton on July 10 and in Detroit on July 16, where the cohort will use tools and frameworks developed over the past two months to introduce their businesses to investors, practice business pitches and meet with financial experts.
Pile Vision founder Kornvik Tanpipat, currently studying at the University of Michigan and active in the Entrepreneurial Leadership program, discovered the accelerator through program director Grace Hsia Haberl.
“There are so many great entrepreneurs as guest speakers as well as the people who run the program. So I really look forward to learning from them and getting all those insights and turning them into actionable items,” Tanpipat said.
Seth Nelson, representing Optical Quantum Technologies, brings local connections as a Michigan Technological University student. He has worked in the Army Research Lab with Dr. Jim Baker, who recommended Nelson join the accelerator to further develop devices used in Internal Measurement Units.
“Just coming in and being able to learn just the bare bone basics and being able to meet and have an excellent networking opportunity. Already I’ve been given some really awesome advice and learned a great deal just in the first day,” Nelson said.
Jonathan Weyhrauch hopes to advance his company Capture Tech through close collaboration with experts over the next three months. Previously involved in the gener8or gBETA program, CaptureTech seeks innovative solutions to soil and environmental challenges.
“That’s why we’re here. We are using advanced materials and we are trying to optimize our testing and manufacturing capabilities,” Weyhrauch said.
Weyhrauch was encouraged to participate after speaking with industry collaborator Juergen Koller, who was part of the 2025 cohort while developing Sequestro Incorporated.
Since its inception, the AMMP Accelerator has assisted 13 companies in moving from initial concept to boardroom presentation. Over the course of the program’s history, AMMP has helped entrepreneurs file six patents, 10 license agreements, two copyrights and four trademarks to support seven products, while establishing three additional license agreements. Previous participants include companies like BRCE, which recently appeared on Shark Tank, and the two previous cohorts have leveraged connections and development opportunities through the program to access nearly $7.4 million in investments.
MTEC SmartZone’s commitment to entrepreneurs extends beyond the formal program. After the program ends, entrepreneurs maintain regular contact with the program’s staff and can reach out for additional advice or knowledge. The organization wants to see businesses that are part of its programs flourish and will assist even after Demo Day in Detroit ends.
Those interested in learning more about the MTEC SmartZone AMMP Accelerator can find additional information online.
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