Applications now open for the 14th annual entrepreneurial contest to find the next winning brick-and-mortar small business
DETROIT, Jan. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — TechTown Detroit and Comerica Bank have announced the return of the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest by TechTown, a small business competition that awards $100,000 in startup funding as well as support services to one entrepreneur seeking to open a brick-and-mortar storefront in Detroit, Hamtramck or Highland Park. The competition, first launched in 2011, hatches small business development in Detroit and takes place over the next four months, with the winning business crowned in May.
Applications are now available on HatchDetroit.com and close on Friday, Feb. 27. Entrepreneurs with a retail concept looking to establish their first brick-and-mortar location in Detroit, Hamtramck or Highland Park are eligible to apply.
“Detroit’s entrepreneurial ecosystem thrives because of the creativity and determination of its small business owners, and TechTown is honored to champion that innovation through the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest,” said Christianne Malone, Assistant Vice President for Economic Development at Wayne State University and Chief Program Officer of TechTown Detroit. “We’re committed to fueling that momentum through entrepreneurial support, meaningful partnerships and accessible funding opportunities.”
Entrepreneurs interested in applying to the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest by TechTown are invited to attend information sessions on Wednesday, Jan. 28 and Wednesday, Feb. 11.
Public Voting and Hatch Off
The small business contest includes two rounds of public voting to determine the Top 4 and help the judges choose the winner, allowing the community to vote and support their next favorite business to open a brick-and-mortal retail location.
The competition culminates on Wednesday, May 13 at Wayne State University’s Industry Innovation Center with the annual Hatch Off, during which the Top 4 entrepreneurs present their business plans to a panel of judges and a live audience.
There, the winner will receive the $100,000 grand prize that also includes a business support package from TechTown, Wayne State’s entrepreneurship hub.
Comerica Bank’s Small Business Commitment
For nearly 15 years, Hatch Detroit has become one of the area’s most innovative initiatives nurturing small businesses backed by Comerica’s commitment to helping small business and entrepreneurs thrive through the annual contest.
For the second consecutive year, Comerica Bank and the Comerica Charitable Foundation are committing $200,000 to TechTown’s Hatch Detroit program to support Detroit’s small business economy. In addition to its financial commitment, Comerica works alongside TechTown to provide in-kind support, such as technical services for contestants, during the contest.
“Hatch Detroit and TechTown Detroit continue to drive entrepreneurial and small business growth, and the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest by TechTown has become a valuable opportunity for entrepreneurs to further develop, gain exposure and receive critical resources to help them become viable,” said Steve Davis, Comerica Bank Michigan Market President. “Comerica has proudly supported the Hatch Detroit Contest since 2012, and we look forward to joining with TechTown again this year to build on the legacy that has become one of Detroit’s most successful business incubation programs.”
On Oct. 6, 2025, Fifth Third Bancorp and Comerica Incorporated announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement. The material regulatory and shareholder approvals to merge have been received, and the transaction is expected to close on February 1, 2026, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the remaining customary closing conditions. The merger will not affect the competition, and it will remain the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest by TechTown through 2026.
“Both Comerica and Fifth Third believe that small businesses strengthen neighborhoods and communities, and Hatch Detroit cultivates the advancement of small businesses from ideas to thriving retail ventures in Detroit,” Davis said.
Since 2019, Comerica Bank has provided the grand prize for the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest by TechTown winner and will do so again this year. Like last year, Comerica Bank will also be contributing an additional $50,000, in tandem with a $50,000 grant from the Comerica Charitable Foundation, to TechTown for organizational support of the Hatch Detroit program to assist with its ongoing incubation of small businesses.
Including this year’s contributions and grants, Comerica Bank and the Comerica Charitable Foundation have collectively committed over $1.5 million into Hatch Detroit since first supporting the small business program in 2012.
TechTown’s Commitment to Small Businesses and Hatch Detroit
TechTown has served Detroit as a vital incubator for small businesses and entrepreneurs for more than 20 years. Hatch Detroit was integrated into TechTown’s suite of entrepreneurial programs and services in 2022.
The Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest by TechTown has helped create some of Detroit’s most successful and well-known small businesses, including winners Walter Pat’s Bakery Cafe (2025), G.L.A.M. Body Scrubs (2024), Bouncing Around The Motor City (2023), Little Liberia (2022), 27th Letter Books (2019), Baobab Fare (2017), Meta Physica Massage (2016), Sister Pie (2014), Batch Brewery Company (2013) and La Feria (2012). Recent Hatch Detroit alumni have opened businesses including: Craig’s Coffee, JP Makes and Bakes, K Walker Initiative, Lily’s & Elise, Next Chapter Books, Shell Shock’d Tacos and Sepia Coffee Project.
In 2025, Lauren Ellis, owner and pastry chef of Walter Pat’s Bakery Cafe, won the Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest by TechTown. Walter Pat’s is a seasonally driven, small-batch, Black woman-owned bakery. It offers classics as well as new, unique flavor combinations inspired by a Midwest upbringing and Southern influence.
Together, Hatch Detroit alumni have opened more than 60 businesses, employ more than 500 people and have invested more than $12 million in their businesses.
Key Comerica Hatch Detroit Contest Dates:
Jan. 15: Applications open
Jan. 28: Information Session
Feb. 11: Information Sessions
Feb. 27: Applications close at 11:59 p.m.
March 11: Top 25 contestants notified
April 21: Top 10 contestants revealed
April 22-April 29: Top 10 public voting takes place
April 29: Top 4 announced
April 29-May 13: Top 4 public voting takes place
Wednesday, May 13: Winner announced at Hatch Off
Comerica Bank is a subsidiary of Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA), which is a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and strategically aligned by three business segments: The Commercial Bank, The Retail Bank and Wealth Management. Comerica, one of the 25 largest commercial U.S. financial holding companies, focuses on building relationships and helping people and businesses be successful. Comerica provides banking centers across the country with locations in Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan and Texas. Founded on Aug. 17, 1849, in Detroit, Michigan, Comerica has offices in 15 states and services 13 of the 15 largest U.S. metropolitan areas, as well as Canada and Mexico. Comerica reported total assets of $77.4 billion at Sept. 30, 2025. Learn more about how Comerica is raising expectations of what a bank can be by visiting www.comerica.com, and follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn
TechTown Detroit, Wayne State University’s entrepreneurship hub, is a nonprofit business service organization that provides programs, education and resources for early- to growth-stage small businesses and tech entrepreneurs. By building bridges for entrepreneurs to succeed, TechTown is accelerating an inclusive economy for Detroit and Southeast Michigan. Since 2007, TechTown has supported 7,000 companies, which created more than 3,000 jobs and raised more than $480 million in startup and growth capital. For more information, visit techtowndetroit.org.
Hatch Detroit supports both existing and new retail initiatives in the cities of Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park. Hatch Detroit was founded in 2011 to give residents and aspiring entrepreneurs an opportunity to have a voice in neighborhood retail development and joined TechTown Detroit’s suite of entrepreneurial programs and services in 2022. Beyond the contest, Hatch Detroit provides funding, exposure and mentoring in support of its alumni entrepreneurs. With support from Hatch Detroit, 60 alumni have opened businesses. They employ over 500 people and have invested over $12 million in economic development. To learn more, visit hatchdetroit.com.
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SOURCE Comerica Bank
