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Venture Capital

Investments

9

Portfolio Exits

3

About Frankel Commercialization Fund

The Frankel Commercialization Fund (FCF) is a pre-seed investment fund established to identify and accelerate the commercialization of ideas generated within the University of Michigan community and the surrounding area. The investment teams are made up of Stephen M. Ross School of Business MBA students. Frankel Fellows take a hands-on approach to investing that leverages the talents and resources available at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan to make a real impact for the entrepreneur and the University.

Headquarters Location

Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies 701 Tappan Street, R2410

Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109,

United States

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Latest Frankel Commercialization Fund News

U-M's Frankel Fund Has First Exit, Leads Fusion Coolant's Series A

Jan 19, 2013

University of Michigan’s student-led Frankel Commercialization Fund , in collaboration with the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies , announced this week that Arbor Photonics , one of the fund’s portfolio companies, has been acquired by  nLIGHT , an industry leader in semiconductor lasers. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. “We’re really pleased for such an early-stage fund to already have an exit,” says Tom Porter, the fund’s managing director. The Frankel Fund made its first-ever investment in Arbor Photonics, which was spun out of technology developed at the university, in 2007. The fund contributed $85,000 to an initial round of financing led by Ann Arbor-based  RPM Ventures . The Wolverine Venture Fund , the university’s venture-stage investment fund, has also invested in the company, participating in the company’s Series A round of financing in 2009. Arbor Photonics’ technology can produce a laser with five to seven times as much power as ordinary lasers for use in defense applications and materials processing. Porter calls Arbor Photonics’ technology “very strategically important” to nLIGHT, which has led nLIGHT to keep Arbor Photonics’ research lab in Ann Arbor. “It’s encouraging,” Porter adds. “When Michigan companies are acquired, companies often swoop in and just take, and Ann Arbor doesn’t get the benefit of what was started locally.” Also this week, the Frankel Fund announced its seventh investment:  Fusion Coolant Systems, another U-M spinoff startup . It led Fusion Coolant’s $600,000 Series A round; other participating investors were the Ann Arbor-based Amherst Fund , Troy, MI-based Automation Alley , the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund , and the Detroit Enterprise Fund and First Step Fund , both based in Detroit. Fusion Coolant has developed a patented dry coolant and lubrication system for use in metalworking and other manufacturing. The company recently opened a tech center on the west side of Detroit. CEO Tom Gross says Fusion Coolant will use the Series A funds to improve its product development and marketing strategy. Sarah Schmid is the editor of Xconomy Detroit/Ann Arbor. You can reach her at 313-570-9823 or sschmid@xconomy.com. Follow @XconomyDET_AA

Frankel Commercialization Fund Investments

9 Investments

Frankel Commercialization Fund has made 9 investments. Their latest investment was in AdAdapted as part of their Seed VC on July 7, 2014.

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Frankel Commercialization Fund Investments Activity

investments chart

Date

Round

Company

Amount

New?

Co-Investors

Sources

7/6/2014

Seed VC

AdAdapted

$0.72M

Yes

2

1/16/2013

Series A

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$99M

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10

3/14/2012

Series A

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$99M

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10

7/26/2011

Seed VC

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$99M

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0

5/17/2011

Series A

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$99M

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0

Date

7/6/2014

1/16/2013

3/14/2012

7/26/2011

5/17/2011

Round

Seed VC

Series A

Series A

Seed VC

Series A

Company

AdAdapted

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Amount

$0.72M

$99M

$99M

$99M

$99M

New?

Yes

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Co-Investors

Sources

2

10

10

0

0

Frankel Commercialization Fund Portfolio Exits

3 Portfolio Exits

Frankel Commercialization Fund has 3 portfolio exits. Their latest portfolio exit was LearnZillion on January 08, 2020.

Date

Exit

Companies

Valuation
Valuations are submitted by companies, mined from state filings or news, provided by VentureSource, or based on a comparables valuation model.

Acquirer

Sources

1/8/2020

Acquired

$99M

2

5/18/2017

Acquired

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$99M

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10

1/14/2013

Acquired

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$99M

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10

Date

1/8/2020

5/18/2017

1/14/2013

Exit

Acquired

Acquired

Acquired

Companies

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Valuation

$99M

$99M

$99M

Acquirer

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Sources

2

10

10

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