Midwest Startup Funding for the week ending August 21, 2026

Sound waves were the story of the week in Midwest funding. Not long after Histosonics was valued in the billions by using them to evaporate tumors, a Cleveland startup has raised $15m to use them to put out fires. Add a $53m Series D for rural healthcare out of Chicago, a new 50,000-square-foot mobility factory in Detroit and an oversubscribed medtech seed round in Grand Rapids, and the region put up around $77m this week.

Here are the Midwest investments from across the great states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin that we've been able to track and verify this week, ending August 21st, 2026. (In case you missed it, check last week's roundup here.)

While you're here: If you'd like to make sure you're notified about any funds raised from the six states we cover, then make sure you're subscribed to our newsletter

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Hopscotch Primary Care

Location: Chicago, Illinois

Business Type: Healthtech

Amount Raised/stage: $53m Series D

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What they do:

Provides technology-enabled primary care to rural patients, offering same-day visits, 24/7 team access, proactive outreach, and value-based care that improves outcomes and reduces costs. Rural health is having a moment across the region — see also Indiana's new model for building rural health startups.

Read more here.

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Sonic Fire Tech

Location: Cleveland, Ohio

Business Type: Deep Tech

Amount Raised/stage: $15m, led by The O.H.I.O. Fund with participation from Khosla Ventures

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What they do:

Develops an acoustic fire suppression system that uses low-frequency, inaudible sound waves to extinguish flames within seconds, avoiding water or chemicals and reducing damage and cleanup.

Read more here.

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Grounded

Location: Detroit, Michigan

Business Type: Manufacturing

Amount Raised/stage: $5m seed

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What they do:

Builds modular electric vehicles and a software-defined platform, enabling customizable fleet solutions for commercial, municipal, and industrial applications, while expanding manufacturing capacity with a new 50,000‑sq‑ft facility.

Read more here.

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Capitan Orthopedics

Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan

Business Type: Healthtech

Amount Raised/stage: $4.1m seed (oversubscribed)

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What they do:

Develops an orthopedic implant platform for shoulder surgery, featuring a metallic SupraSpacer and a seven-step procedure that treats irreparable rotator cuff tears while preserving humeral head cartilage.

Read more here.

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Want to know more?

Read the latest quarterly funding reports for each state here:

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Illinois startup funding - Q2 2026

Indiana startup funding - Q2 2026

Ohio startup funding - Q2 2026

Michigan startup funding - Q2 2026

Minnesota startup funding - Q2 2026

Wisconsin startup funding - Q2 2026

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While you're here: If you'd like to make sure you're notified about any funds raised from the six states we cover, then make sure you're subscribed to our newsletter

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