Detroit Launches Tech Founder Residency Fellowship to Retain and Attract Startup Founders

• City will offer $2,000 monthly living stipends using Michigan Growth Office grant funds

• New fellowship also provides free coworking space in Newlab, Techtown, and Bamboo to help recent Michigan graduates build high-growth startups in Detroit

• Applications are live today and close December 1st

October 28, 2025 (DETROIT) – The City of Detroit today announced the launch of the Detroit Tech Founder Residency Fellowship, a new initiative designed to retain and attract Michigan’s top entrepreneurial talent by helping startup founders live and build in Detroit.

The year-long fellowship offers a $2,000 monthly stipend that can be applied in a variety of ways, including housing and other daily living expenses. It also provides membership access to workspace at TechTown, Bamboo, and Newlab at Michigan Central.  

Funding made available through a $210,000 Make MI Home grant awarded in May 2025 from the Michigan Growth Office.

Fellows will receive workspace and networking opportunities to grow their startups within Detroit’s expanding innovation ecosystem. Administered by the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC), the program is open to founders of early-stage, venture-backable startups who graduated from a Michigan college or university after May 2022 and commit to living in Detroit for 12 consecutive months.

“The City of Detroit is committed to keeping young innovators in Detroit and attracting new talent,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “Michigan already produces top-level startup talent, and we want founders to know that they have a home in Detroit.”

Applications are now live on MakeMyMove.com, the nation’s first relocation marketplace, allowing founders to apply and connect directly with Detroit’s startup community and resources. Applicants must apply by December 1, and selected fellows will relocate to Detroit by early 2026.

“Detroit is where great ideas create jobs and change the world and we are deeply appreciative to the State Growth Office for providing these grant funds,” said Justin Onwenu, Director of Entrepreneurship and Economic Opportunity for the City of Detroit. “With this fellowship, we’re helping ensure that Michiganders and expats across the country choose Detroit to launch and scale startups that solve tough challenges and create jobs for generations to come.”

“Strong startup ecosystems run on talent,” said Kevin Johnson, President and CEO of the DEGC. “We're removing the housing and workspace barriers so Michigan’s next generation of founders can build innovative companies right here in Detroit.”

“The Detroit Tech Residency Fellowship gives startup founders more than funding, it gives them community,” said City Council President Mary Sheffield. “We’re proud to continue making Detroit one of the best cities in America to start and grow a business, including the high-tech startups of tomorrow.”

The inaugural cohort will include up to eight fellows, who will relocate to or remain in Detroit beginning in early 2026. The fellowship builds on Detroit’s broader commitment to grow its startup and small business economy through initiatives such as Motor City Match, the Detroit Startup Fund, the Detroit Legacy Business Program, and the Detroit Capital Hub.