# Michigan Tech Fund

Michigan Tech Fund is an Endowment / Foundation based in Houghton, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Houghton, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Houghton, Michigan, United States
- **Founded:** 1965
- **Assets under management:** $169.1M (Altss estimate)
- **Website:** mtu.edu/giving/about/tech-fund
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/michigan-tech-fund

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The Michigan Tech Fund was established in 1965 as a not-for-profit, tax-exempt corporation in the State of Michigan, existing solely to receive, invest, and disburse gifts that support Michigan Technological University and its students. Michael Pulick leads the board as Chair and Director, alongside President Richard Koubek and CFO Carlos Rodriguez, anchoring a governance structure that ties directly to the university's administration. The fund's deployment spans an atypical mix of hard assets and venture-stage commitments. Its balance sheet includes campus-linked properties such as the Mont Ripley Ski Hill, Portage Lake Golf Course, and the Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building, alongside a national real estate portfolio through vehicles like the American Core Realty Fund. On the venture side, the fund targets early-stage opportunities, with a focus on SpaceTech, ClimateTech, Digital Health, Industrial Tech, Mobility & Transportation, and Energy Transition & Renewables, concentrating its geographic exposure across North America. The fund participates in the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) study, providing a benchmark-contextualized view of its $169.1M pool (Altss estimate), and holds memberships in CASE. Philanthropic structures run parallel, including supporting organizations and vehicles like the Wolf-Moose Foundation Endowment Fund. No single recent operational event publicly breaks its steady-state campus-investment pattern. The Michigan Tech Fund's structural differentiator lies in its dual nature: it operates as both a real-asset operator for the university's recreational and commercial properties and a thematic venture allocator. This hybrid model — managing ski hills and seed-stage tech commitments under the same fiduciary roof — sets it apart from most endowment peers that silo campus assets from investable portfolios.

## Sectors

- SpaceTech
- ClimateTech
- Digital Health
- Industrial Tech
- Mobility & Transportation
- Energy Transition & Renewables

## People

- Michael Pulick — Chair and Director of the Michigan Tech Fund Board
- Karl LaPeer — Director of the Michigan Tech Fund Board
- Richard Koubek — President of Michigan Technological University and Director of the Michigan Tech Fund
- Jeffrey Littmann — Director of the Michigan Tech Fund Board
- William Roberts — Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Engagement; Vice President of Michigan Tech Fund
- Carlos Rodriguez — CFO and Vice President for Administration at MTU

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at the Michigan Tech Fund?

The fund is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Michael Pulick. The board includes Michigan Technological University President Richard Koubek and CFO Carlos Rodriguez, linking investment oversight directly to the university's administrative leadership.

### Does the Michigan Tech Fund operate as a typical university endowment?

Not exactly. While it manages a pooled endowment for Michigan Technological University, its portfolio is unusual because it directly holds and operates campus recreational assets — including a ski hill and a golf course — alongside a venture portfolio focused on areas like SpaceTech and ClimateTech.

### How is the Michigan Tech Fund related to Michigan Technological University?

The Michigan Tech Fund is a legally separate, not-for-profit corporation established in 1965 solely for the benefit of the university. Its leadership is intertwined: the university president and CFO serve on the fund's board, ensuring investment activities align with the university's mission.

### What investment stages does the Michigan Tech Fund target in its venture portfolio?

The fund primarily targets early-stage and startup investments, including seed rounds, within sectors it has identified as strategic priorities, such as Industrial Tech, Digital Health, and Energy Transition & Renewables.

## Related profiles

- [Robert & Ardis James Foundation](https://altss.com/profile/robert-ardis-james-foundation)
- [AutoHarvest Foundation](https://altss.com/profile/autoharvest-group)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/michigan-tech-fund

Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology