Detroit’s iconic Eastern Market has been a fixture in the city with the market, the surrounding commercial district, and the nearby neighborhoods playing a prominent role in the growth of the city throughout its illustrious history. The market is known for its diverse lineup of shops, food, and other businesses. Leaders in Detroit also view the sprawling district as an opportunity for future mobility solutions as the city continues to find ways to help Detroit grow while also reducing pollution and the impact increased commerce has on residents.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan partnered up with the Toyota Mobility Foundation to announce four finalists who will receive funding and other resources to pilot their technology and solutions in the market with the broader goal of potentially using them in other parts of the city.
Four finalists bring four different ideas to Eastern Market
The finalists chosen are four startup companies that are each bringing their own ideas into various aspects of Eastern Market’s operations. The first company is Orange Sparkle Ball Inc. When we last met the company, it was at Ford’s NewLab building where we got introduced to their Penny Pickup service which sees the company send small robots to collect various types of waste products. This time around, the company brought a bigger version of their robot for city leaders to check out with Orange Sparkle using the occasion to highlight the micr0-logistics platform it is working on which will improve and streamline the first and last-mile freight delivery process for commercial consumers.
Meanwhile, Civilized Cycles is focusing on improving the delivery process itself with the company working on what it calls a “Semi-Trike.” These trikes are designed to replace gasoline-powered tractor-trailers in city environments with the trikes being used to haul loads to areas where these vehicles cannot reach. The setup itself is deceptively simple with the front trike serving as the proverbial tractor to pull the trailer behind it. The trailer also serves as a giant stabilizer which helps prevent the trike from falling over. While the company had a traditional box-style trailer hooked up to the prototype it had on display in Eastern Market, the firm has said in the past that two other types of trailers are being developed including a flatbed trailer and a stake side trailer.
Zach Schieffelin founder and CEO of Civilized Cycles says the company is confident in the Semi-Trike’s ability to operate in city environments with the exec revealing the firm has already entered talks to use the trikes to help improve package delivery in New York City which is currently hampered by the two bridges that trucks use for package delivery. The trikes aim to streamline this by utilizing maritime shipping to create a continuous loop of parcel deliveries which helps solve some of the logistics issues parcel shippers face when moving packages through the city.
The last two finalists are ElectricFish and Neology with these two firms focusing on improving the charging side of things with their projects attempting to reduce demand on local power grids while also lowering energy costs for commercial consumers and even backup power in the event of a power outage.
Mayor Duggan sees Detroit as a player in mobility services
While announcing the four finalists, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said he sees Detroit as a growing hotbed for mobility-focused technology stating “We are tremendously grateful to the Toyota Mobility Foundation for selecting Detroit and its culture of innovation as the only recipient in the United States to be a part of its Sustainable Cities Challenge,” said Mayor Mike Duggan. “Eastern Market moves the food Detroiters need every day. Thanks to the Foundation, Detroit can help to pioneer solutions to lessen the environmental impact of this important commerce.”
Katy Trudeau, President and CEO of Eastern Market said “Over the last 100 years, businesses in Eastern Market have innovated around food logistics, distribution, and production. Working with growers, businesses, and other stakeholders across southeast Michigan and beyond, we are shaping the next 100 years right here in Detroit.”
The four companies that were chosen as finalists had a long road they had to travel with the firms being part of a larger pool of 10 companies that were rewarded $50,000 to refine their concepts. The four remaining firms received an additional $130,000 to fund real-world operations of their concepts including testing them in Eastern Market. The remaining portion of the broader $3 million in funding will be rewarded to one or more finalists in early 2026. “These finalists bring an exciting mix of complementary innovations and practicality, with solutions that aim to show demonstrable impact in Detroit’s Eastern Market, said Ryan Klem, Program Director at the Toyota Mobility Foundation. “Their work provides an opportunity to show incremental steps towards sustainable, people-centered freight systems globally.”
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.