DeepField is planting its flag on West Liberty in downtown Ann Arbor, claiming new office space where it can call the likes of Menlo Innovations, Barracuda Networks, and Google as neighbors. "It's an incredible pool of talent and energy," says Craig Labovitz, CEO & co-founder of DeepField. "It's incredibly close to the university and the growing pool of tech talent." The 1-year-old start-up got its start in the Tech Brewery on Ann Arbor's north side. That is where the company has done much of the work to develop software that enables large corporations to adapt to the ever changing world of the Internet's back-end IT infrastructure. It raised $1.6 million in venture capital last year to develop its technology. DeepField's technology is now deployed in some large companies (Labovitz declined to name which ones) in North America, Europe and South America. "We're seeing a large part of the consumer Internet traffic in the United States," Labovitz says. Naim Falandino, chief data scientist for DeepField, adds, "We are in all segments of the market now." DeepField recently hired two people, bringing its staff to nearly 15. The growing staff meant it had to sign a two-year lease for a new office space downtown to make room for the new hires. DeepField currently has five job openings and expects to make another 10 hires later this year. Source: Craig Labovitz, CEO & co-founder of DeepField and Naim Falandino, chief data scientist for DeepField Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Terumo Cardiovascular Systems continues to expand as a rapid pace, growing its Ann Arbor-based workforce to 600 people after making 150 new hires in the last two years. The company currently has 30 open positions in a variety of white-collar work areas. "These are all-across-the-board jobs," says Barbara Schmid, director of corporate communications at Terumo Cardiovascular Systems. "They are in professional, medical and administrative fields. A majority of them are in engineering." Terumo Cardiovascular Systems is a subsidiary of Japan-based Terumo Corp but has called the Ann Arbor area home for nearly 50 years. It is a maker and global exporter of heart and lung machines and other devices used in cardiac surgery. Among its technologies are perfusion products, which are used to temporarily replace the functions of the heart and lungs during cardiac and thoracic surgical procedures, and intraoperative monitoring systems that provide continuous information on important blood parameters during cardiac surgery. Terumo Cardiovascular Systems recently finished a nearly $5 million investment in upgrading its Ann Arbor facilities. It recently secured a 12-year tax abatement for the project. Source: Barbara Schmid, director of corporate communications at Terumo Cardiovascular Systems Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Mobile-app start-up Larky has publicly launched its newest app and is growing its small staff to make it a success. The downtown Ann Arbor-based company is creating an app that helps consumers maximize their membership perks and loyalty programs. The app alerts them when they are eligible for savings or discounts through things like alumni association memberships. Many of these reward programs are highly underutilized because of consumer ignorance or forgetfulness of their existence. Larky's technology looks to remind consumers of these perks at the point of purchase. So far, 10 major organizations with access to 50 million consumers have signed on and Larky is looking to lock down a few thousand more in the next few months. "We built this to be used on a very large scale," says Gregg Hammerman, co-founder of Larky. "We are proud to be based in Michigan and to have Michigan partners, but we want to scale to millions of members." Larky landed $650,000 in seed capital earlier this year. It has a staff of three full-time employees and another three part-timers. The full-time employees include the company's two co-founders and one Adams Entrepreneur Fellowship Program fellow. "He has been enormously helpful," Hammerman says. "He has helped us grow a lot." Source: Gregg Hammerman, co-founder of Larky Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Chris Bogdan spent $5 or more a day at coffee shops for more of his college career than he likes to remember. The regular caffeine and sugar rush from his regular coffee and muffin came at a cost he thought could be lower, so he and a friend came up with a start-up to do that. Get Up and Go makes caffeine-infused muffins that pack the same kick as Bogdan's coffee and pastry habit. The difference is they cost $3.50 and are a convenient grab-and-go item. Bogdan and Zach Rose, both University of Michigan undergraduate students, launched Get Up and Go last summer not long after Rose and friends tasted some of Bogdan's first test treats. Bogdan, a neuroscience major, studied chemistry that helps show him how to make caffeinated food tasty. "I have this background in science so I can find a way to mask the taste of the caffeine," Bogdan says. The Ann Arbor-based company is focused on online sales and is working on a deal with ThinkGeek.com, according to Bogdan. The two are looking to ramp up sales and break into the retail markets this summer after Bogdan graduates from college and can focus on the business full-time. "Our goal is to do $750,000 to $1 million in sales," Bogdan says. Source: Chris Bogdan, CEO of Get Up and Go Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

For a century, Lansing's industrial history was reflected in a prominent Michigan Ave. storefront that was built as a lumber mill before housing a GM supplier. As the city itself transformed, so has the building, now home to a decorative artist who is helping to redefine the neighborhood.

VGKids set out years ago to serve the screen-printing needs of musicians and other creative businesses. In the process, they've spun out such creative ventures as SPUR Studios and reinvented historic industrial spaces in Ypsilanti.