St. Clair EDA Emerge Fund ignites growth and success for startup entrepreneurs

John Robbins always seemed to stumble across people frustrated with their insurance plans.

The constant changes in cost and coverage options have caused frustration for many. That’s when Robbins and his business partners created ImmediPay, a platform where employer-funded healthcare plans shrink costs for the employer and employee, giving the employees more options to save money — even without deductibles.

“We are essentially giving customers a chance to shop for services themselves without deductibles. It’s less hassle for patients with the tools we are giving them. Instead of them trying to reach a deductible, we set a benchmark price plan they are willing to pay, and anything more expensive, they pay the difference. If you beat our price, you keep the difference. It goes into an account you can use later.”

While establishing his new business, Robbins relied on the EDA of St. Clair’s Emerge Fund to prepare for launch.

“The Emerge Fund is a grant that is given to companies that have a [minimum viable product],” says Kanchan Wankhede, the director of entrepreneurial services for the Underground, Region 6’s Smart Zone Business Incubator, managed by the EDA of St. Clair County. “Their application gets selected for them to present in front of a neutral panel, that then evaluates all the presenters’ products and how this grant will help them achieve their milestones.”

Wankhede continues: “They are then awarded the grant and a sponsorship to the Virtual Incubator program, where they get all the help they need to accelerate their product development to launch. They also get help to secure other grants as they progress on their business road map.”

Inception of The Emerge Fund and Its Impact on Local Businesses

The Emerge Fund started in 2017, as part of The Underground, with support from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and grants from the Community Foundation of St. Clair County.

Funding for the Emerge grant typically becomes available twice a year, offering small business grants up to $5,000 to help support local entrepreneurs and small business owners. If a company is approved, the Emerge funds can be used for filing a patent, marketing, developing a website, legal services, and other business-related initiatives. However, it cannot be used as a salary or income. 

As part of Robbins’ coaching and business development, he met with Tech Team Consultant Melanie de Vries of the Michigan Small Business Development Center.

De Vries says she tells businesses to start with discovery. 

“Spend time with potential customers. Dig into their pain points, and confirm that the problem is big enough that they will pay to solve it. And along those lines, know who the actual buyer is. The end user and the purchasing decision-maker aren’t always the same and missing that distinction can derail even the best ideas,” De Vries says. “Those insights should shape everything from how you design the product to how you price and position it. John was committed to this process, and it gave him the focus to turn his deep industry knowledge into a sound path forward.”

As for Robbins and his associates, they are excited to continue the journey that the EDA of St. Clair has helped them spearhead.

“The EDA [of St. Clair] gave me the support I needed,” Robbins says. “From grants to advice, they have really been helpful and have been there for us.” He adds they’ve received a lot of great feedback and are excited to see what the future holds.

When a current round of funding is open and applications are being accepted, the announcement and application link will be posted to their website, Wankhede says. 

The next group of companies in the program is set to graduate at Port Huron’s Elk Lounge at 4 p.m. on September 23 during the EDA’s Annual Meeting. That will include 10 businesses, like Dots Candy Bar and Nannies to the Rescue, that hope to follow the same successful pattern as Robbins.

“It’s pretty satisfying,” Wankhede says. “To see these businesses moving from one milestone to another. They have the confidence needed, and they are on the right track with their planning.”

This story is made possible with support from the St. Clair County Economic Development Alliance. The St. Clair County Economic Development Alliance (EDA) is a regional non-profit economic development agency that works with community stakeholders and regional partners to stimulate the economy and drive job growth and investment.