Arborlight, a spin-out of the University of Michigan, has secured $500,000 in seed funding as it leaves the institution’s incubator to its own space in Ann Arbor.
The lead investor in the round was the Michigan Pre-Seed Capital Fund, which was joined in participation by a number of Angel Investors.
The firm will use the funding to continue product development of its LED-based lighting, which mimics daylight. It will also be used to hire a small sales team.
Rich Sheridan, chief executive of Menlo Innovations and a customer of Arborlight, said: “I’ve seen earlier demos, and I’m very excited about this. It doesn’t just look like a fixture stuck in the ceiling, it looks like it’s real light. The impression you get is that it’s sunlight coming in. We’ve got a great space, but because it’s in the basement of a parking structure, there’s no natural light. It’s a fun space, it’s not dark and dingy, but this will add to the feel. I’m very excited about it.”
