23
24
ACADEMIC
YEAR RECAP
PEROT JAIN TECHLAB provides students with unique opportunities to experience entrepreneurship by working with startup companies that are building the future.
A YEAR OF GROWTH
Perot Jain TechLab (PJTL) propels student entrepreneurship through dynamic partnerships with cutting-edge startups. Thanks to crucial funding from venture capital firm Perot Jain, PJTL expanded with the launch of Perot Jain TechLab Electrification and Perot Jain TechLab Climate Change in Winter 2024.
2024
BY THE NUMBERS
244 STUDENT APPLICATIONS
65
STUDENT PARTICIPANTS
6
SCHOOLS
REPRESENTED
15
MAJORS
REPRESENTED
17
STARTUP
PARTNERS
30+
TECHNICAL
MENTORS
SUPPORTING
STUDENTS
7
STUDENTS HIRED WITH STARTUP PARTNER OR
INDUSTRY SPONSOR
IGNITING CROSS-DISCIPLINARY ENGAGEMENT
Environment and Sustainability
Other
9%
3%
Business
3%
School of Information
2%
Literature, Science, and the Arts
9%
Engineering
74%
Students Enrolled by School/College
STUDENT
REFLECTIONS
Here’s what students have to say about PJTL programs.
(My PJTL project) was my first industry experience working with C++. I am working at an internship next summer that uses C++, and therefore, this was super useful. Additionally, I learned that working at a start-up is what you put into it. I felt as though I treated this project like I was a project manager and software engineer.
(PJTL) gave me an entirely new perspective on entrepreneurship and technology, which I wouldn't have gathered from my research-oriented view till now. I would like to especially thank the instructors and my team members for making this a success.
This has genuinely been the best thing I’ve joined while at the University. Beyond the unparalleled opportunity of working on a cutting-edge project in a field with a high-value startup in my favorite industry. I hope this program continues, and my goal is to one day have a startup that is worthy enough to be a part of it.
New PJTL Iterations Launched, Expanded Facilities, and a Growing CFE Team
The Winter 2024 semester saw the official kickoff of two new PJTL initiatives: PJTL Electrification, dedicated to the electrification of transportation, and PJTL Climate Change, focused on carbon sequestration technologies. The PJTL at Mcity program also welcomed its ninth cohort of companies and students.
Enhanced Support and Resources for Student Projects
The CFE team supporting the PJTL series has grown, adding expertise to support student projects.
ALISON SMITH
Manages student project resources and collaborates with U-M units. She brings over 20 years of automotive experience.
JAY ELLIS
Co-instructor for PJTL Electrification with experience leading charging infrastructure for Walmart and Rivian.
Al Dobryden
With over 40 years of experience, Al brings technical and project management support and expertise in robotics, EV development, and AI.
Alisyn Malek
Co-instructor for PJTL Electrification providing entrepreneurial leadership as co-founder of May Mobility and currently COO of SkillFusion.
Perot Jain, Michigan’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) and Ann Arbor SPARK, funded important physical and digital assets for student-led technical projects. The programs acquired a Ford Mustang Mach-E with full autonomous capabilities and open-source programming, serving as a unique EV testbed at U-M. The programs also secured garage space at Mcity to house electric scooters, an all-terrain vehicle, and a light EV as student resources. In 2024-2025, PJTL plans to upgrade laptops for increased computational power.
STUDENT
SUCCESSES
Multiple students secured internships in the CAV industry for the 2024 summer term
- Kartikeya Gupta secured an internship Shield AI in San Diego working on autonomous aerial drone technology.
- Achyuth Kashyap secured an internship with Ford working on both ADAS systems and electrification. He also is participating in the EV Mobility Scholars program.
- Joshua (Pascal) Rhee secured an internship at Nissan in Farmington Hills, working on data science related to autonomy.
- Conor McNabny secured an internship with PJTL at Mcity company FleetLab.
- Siddhik Reddy Kurapati secured an internship with Magna International working on ADAS Software/Features - Advanced Driver Assistance Systems.
- Atharva Sule secured an internship working on both autonomous and electrification systems for Bosch and is a participant in the EV Mobility Scholars program.
- Mehmed Uludag secured an internship working on both autonomous and electrification systems for Bosch and is a participant in the EV Mobility Scholars program.
- Carol Wang secured an internship working on both autonomous and electrification systems for Ford and is a participant in the EV Mobility Scholars program.
Multiple students secured internships in the electrification industry for the 2024 summer term
- Megan Pouncy secured an internship with PJTL Electrification company Electric Fish.
- Ebi Bernard secured an internship with PJTL Electrification company Electric Fish.
- Iaroslav Kovalchuk secured an internship with PJTL Electrification company Electric Fish.
- Jade Li secured an internship with PJTL Electrification company Electric Fish.
- Mehmed Uludag secured an internship working on both autonomous and electrification systems for Bosch and is a participant in the EV Mobility Scholars program.
- Mihir Tasgaonkar secured an internship with Lucid Motors in New Jersey.
- Chenhao Li secured an internship with Lucid Motors.
- Filip Zachwieja secured an internship with Daimler North America working with the electric axle team.
STUDENT & COMPANY
RECRUITMENT
The late summer and fall semester were a flurry of recruitment efforts to secure startups for each program. Working with partners at Perot Jain, the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, Ann Arbor Spark, Mcity, and UMTRI, the programs secured a series of truly impressive startups, eager to work with teams of talented students.
The CFE engaged with over 40 high-tech startups operating in the fields of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV), electrification, and carbon sequestration. These interactions were geared towards identifying potential projects for the 2024 cohorts. Eventually, we extended invitations to 17 standout companies to participate in the program.
PJTL at Mcity’s eighth cohort features returning startups Retrospect, Buyutech, and Capoom, adding Flare, Drover, and FleetLab.
PJTL Electrification’s inaugural cohort includes Biliti, Electric Fish, InceptEV, LIVAQ, Marel Power, and Utilidata.
Rounding out the trio is PJTL Climate Change, continuing its legacy under the leadership of Volker Sick and Ryan Waddington. This program offers an exclusive passage for students to explore sustainable, carbon-reducing technologies while collaborating with environmental startups: Cowboy Clean Fuels, Flow Aluminum, Mission Zero, Paebbl, and Skynano.
PARTNER ENGAGEMENT
40+
STARTUPS
RECRUITED
3
NEW
COMPANIES
SELECTED
14
RETURNING
COMPANIES
LOOKING AHEAD
2024 STARTUP COMPANIES
Buyutech
Ankara, Turkey - buyutech.com.tr
Büyütech develops smart cameras and computer vision technologies for industries such as industrial, electronics, retail, and defense.
Fleet Lab
Ann Arbor, MI - fleet-lab.com
Fleet Lab enhances K-12 student transportation with electric vans, offering safety, efficiency, and equity. Our comprehensive package includes driver training, vehicle leasing, and software tools.
Capoom
San Francisco, CA - capoom.com
Capoom develops AI tools to automate the creation of photorealistic, lightweight, intelligent, and accurate 3D models.
Flare
Liverpool, England - flaresafety.com
Flare automatically alerts nearby vehicle drivers whenever you are nearby and classed as a vulnerable road user (i.e. cycling).
Retrospect
Ann Arbor, MI - retrospectav.com
Retrospect provides autonomous vehicle developers with safety assurance technology and releases reports for 3rd parties such as safety regulators.
Drover
Los Angeles, CA - drover.ai
Drover pioneers AI-powered computer vision for Light Electric Vehicles, using deep learning to enable infrastructure classification and object detection.
2024 STARTUP COMPANIES
Biliti Electric
Culver City, CA - bilitielectric.com
Biliti Electric provides military-grade, recyclable batteries for cost-effective EV infrastructure growth.
LIVAQ
Detroit, MI - livaq.co
LIVAQ is an EV off-road startup that merges tech & nature, while offering adventure.
InceptEV
Pittsburgh, PA - inceptev.com
InceptEV uses simulation and data to optimize electric fleet vehicle purchases.
Marel Power
Plymouth, MI - marel-power.com
Marel Power innovates high-density SiC power stack for varied high-voltage uses.
ElectricFish
Fremont, CA - electricfish.co
ElectricFish excels in climate tech with sustainable renewable energy storage for EV charging.
Utilidata
Ann Arbor, MI - utilidata.com
Utilidata uses edge AI, NVIDIA-powered smart grid chips for grid optimization.
2024 STARTUP COMPANIES
Cowboy Clean Fuels
Greenwood Village, CO - cowboycleanfuels.com
Cowboy Clean Fuels uses renewable biomass for carbon removal credits and Renewable Natural Gas production.
Flow Aluminum
Albuquerque, NM - article
The Flow Aluminum battery utilizes cost-effective, nonflammable materials, offering reduced size and weight for equivalent energy storage.
Mission Zero
London, UK - missionzero.tech
Mission Zero Technologies is developing efficient direct air capture tech for high-purity CO₂ recovery at reduced costs and energy consumption.
Skynano
Skynano Technologies' products replace carbon additives, enhancing end-device performance and reducing CO2 emissions throughout their lifecycle.
Paebbl
Stockholm, Sweden - paebbl.com
Paebbl believes carbon capture can counter climate change The company re-stores captured carbon into industrial raw materials.
Wrapping up an Impressive Semester of Teamwork
Student teams, instructors, and industry partners swiftly initiated projects in January. Weekly meetings with instructors and startup mentors fueled progress, while additional resources bolstered project excellence, exceeding initial expectations. Midway through the semester, students delved deeper into entrepreneurship through treks to Washington D.C., San Francisco, or Seattle, visiting alumni-led startups in tech industries.
The semester concluded with final presentations, from all three programs, to stakeholders from the startup community, industry partners, and the public sector. Notably, many projects are now prepared for field demonstrations in the next term, promising significant program advancements. Anticipation mounts for the completion of these projects in the upcoming fall semester.
Previewing the Academic Year 2024-2025
Within the next two years, CFE aims to broaden the PJTL series by introducing a healthcare technology focus, leveraging the University of Michigan's expertise in this field. A survey of more than twenty startups in medical devices, healthcare analytics, therapeutics, and related areas highlighted the value of project support, student talent, and U-M resources. Now, we're expanding the survey to more startups and initiating discussions on the program’s parameters.
With the launch of PJTL HealthTech, we'll recruit six startups and 24 students for exploratory projects starting January 2025. Michigan Medicine's Center for Surgical Innovation will collaborate, providing clinicians as mentors alongside technical mentors from startups, enriching the program with healthcare workforce insights.
Important Upcoming
Dates and Events
MAY 2024
- Applications open for FA24 semester
- PJTL Climate Change is recruiting 6 students
- PJTL @ Mcity is recruiting 6 students
- PJTL Electrification is recruiting 1 student
june-july 2024
- Application closes for FA24 semester
- Cohorts are finalized and announced
- Determination of companies to participate in PJTL at Mcity and PJTL Electrification, PJTL Climate Change and PJTL HealthTech 2025 cohorts
aug 2024
- Application opens for students to participate in PJTL 2025 cohorts
- Host student recruitment events such as: Women in ENTRepreneurship event, information sessions.
sept 2024
- Student Recruitment Event: MPowered Innovation Challenge
- Student recruitment information sessions
oct 2024
- Application closes for students for PJTL at Mcity and PJTL Electrification
nov 2024
- Final student cohorts are determined and announced
jan 2025
- PJTL at Mcity, PJTL Electrification, PJTL Climate Change and PJTL HealthTech Kickoff
If you are a startup targeting advancements in the healthtech industry, connected and autonomous vehicle industry, or carbon sequestration industry and are interested in participating in the Perot Jain TechLab series, please reach out to program director Nick Moroz at nmoroz@umich.edu.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
