MARQUETTE, Mich. — A Marquette-based startup is receiving national attention for its artificial intelligence platform that helps local and tribal governments more efficiently find funding.
Syncurrent, founded in 2022, was recently named one of the inaugural AI 50 award winners by the Center for Public Sector AI, with support from Government Technology. The award program recognizes individuals and organizations using AI to improve public service.
The company has developed a tool that dramatically reduces the time it takes governments to identify and qualify for grants, loans, and other funding opportunities. The platform pulls data from federal and state sources and sorts opportunities based on eligibility, location, and project type.
“We’re a government technology company reducing the time it takes local governments and tribal governments to identify funding from a months-long manual process down to a few minutes,” said Syncurrent CEO Dhruv C. Patel.
Syncurrent is currently used by about 160 governments nationwide, including 75 tribal nations across the U.S., with its strongest adoption in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
“Our biggest footprint right now is in Michigan. We have a lot of UP early adopters. We have the city of Marquette, which is awesome. We have the city of Escanaba, and they’re big fans of us, which we appreciate,” Patel said.
The AI 50 recognition places Syncurrent alongside larger national organizations. Patel noted that the award highlights both the company’s success and the potential for technology to grow outside of traditional tech hubs.
“We’re the smallest organization on the list, we’re the most rural organization on the list, and we’re only one of three startups,” he said. “So for us, being on that list as an underdog in Marquette, it’s just incredible. We’re deeply grateful.”
Patel said the award validates the company’s mission, but also shines a spotlight on the Upper Peninsula as a place where innovation can thrive.
“We’re drawing attention to this small community,” Patel said. “We’re showing you don’t need to be in the Valley or a major metropolitan to build a cool tech startup. You can build it in a place where people like living and working.”
Syncurrent plans to continue expanding across the country while keeping its headquarters and core operations in Marquette.
