Scoring Workbench
The formula is a decision aid. It does not replace CXO judgment. Exceptions are permitted when there is a written rationale and a clear next-state objective.
Priority formula
Priority = (Vertical Fit / 35) × 40 + (Strategic Fit / 100) × 40 + Warmth Bonus + Timing Bonus − Friction PenaltyWeights
Ranked targets
- 1TruStage Ventures / CMFG VenturesV 35 · S 9986.6
- 2Grand VenturesV 32 · S 9285.4
- 3Drive CapitalV 33 · S 9578.7
- 4Red Cedar VenturesV 27 · S 8275.7
- 5Detroit Venture PartnersV 28 · S 8473.6
- 6Michigan Capital Network / Grand AngelsV 24 · S 7870.6
- 7eLab VenturesV 28 · S 7560
- 8Canapi VenturesV 28 · S 7559
- 9Michigan Rise FundV 23 · S 7558.3
- 10BeringeaV 22 · S 7058.1
- 11Nyca PartnersV 28 · S 7555
- 12Commerce VenturesV 28 · S 7555
- 13Side Door Ventures Michigan FundV 28 · S 6254.8
- 14ID Ventures / Invest Detroit VenturesV 23 · S 7554.3
- 15Bank of Ann Arbor startup fund / CVC referenceV 28 · S 7554
- 16Union Heritage Venture CapitalV 28 · S 7554
- 17High AlphaV 28 · S 6249.8
- 18Augment VenturesV 23 · S 6249.1
- 19Tappan Hill VenturesV 23 · S 6249.1
- 20Oak HC/FTV 28 · S 6243.8
- 21Start GardenV 10 · S 7543.4
- 22New Community Transformation FundV 10 · S 7539.4
- 23Conquer AcceleratorV 10 · S 6238.2
- 24Henry Ford Health + MSU Innovation FundV 17 · S 4836.6
- 25SensCyV 17 · S 4836.6
- 26Renaissance Venture CapitalV 17 · S 4836.6
- 27Fontinalis PartnersV 17 · S 4836.6
- 28Corewell Health VenturesV 17 · S 4833.6
- 29WAVE VenturesV 17 · S 4833.6
- 30KzFV VC FundV 17 · S 4830.6
- 31EDF VenturesV 17 · S 4830.6
- 32Straylight CapitalV 17 · S 4830.6
- 33Assembly VenturesV 17 · S 4830.6
- 34UFP VenturesV — · S 7528
- 35The Right PlaceV 4 · S 7526.6
- 36Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)V 4 · S 7526.6
- 37Arboretum VenturesV 8 · S 4823.3
- 38Wakestream VenturesV — · S 6222.8
- 39WMU Biosciences Research & Commercialization CenterV 10 · S 4822.6
Vertical fit rubric — 35 points
- Artificial intelligence0–5
Has the investor funded or understood applied AI, agentic systems, model risk, automation, or AI infrastructure?
- Fintech0–5
Has the investor funded financial technology, payments, lending, transaction systems, or financial-data platforms?
- Banking infrastructure0–5
Does the investor understand community-bank technology, core modernization, compliance, risk, or balance-sheet systems?
- Insurance technology0–5
Does the investor understand underwriting, carriers, MGAs, reinsurance, cyber, or claims automation?
- Software infrastructure0–5
Does the investor value middleware, APIs, security, developer tools, evidence systems, or data architecture?
- B2B enterprise software0–5
Does the investor understand complex enterprise sales, recurring revenue, integrations, and long procurement cycles?
- Regulated-industry competence0–5
Does the investor understand governance, audit, model risk, cybersecurity, legal defensibility, and regulatory buyers?
Strategic fit rubric — 100 points
- Bank or credit-union customer introductions20
- Insurance-market introductions10
- Regulatory, risk, compliance, or legal access10
- Ability to lead or anchor the present round15
- Follow-on reserve and future-round capacity10
- Syndicate-building power10
- Technical and infrastructure competence10
- Board, executive, and recruiting leverage5
- Michigan / West Michigan durability10
Minimum advance gate
A target advances into active CXO outreach only when a plausible stage fit exists, a check role or strategic role is defined, the vertical fit is credible or an exception is documented, the strategic value is written down, and the proposed communication has an explicit objective.