Detroit's Bloom spurs innovation in alternative vehicles

DETROIT (FOX 2) - In a city known for innovation, a new company is empowering the move towards innovation and alternative vehicles, providing a collaborative hub for businesses to bring cutting-edge transportation concepts from blueprint to reality.

In response to the shifting focus on innovative and alternative vehicles, Detroit is positioning itself as a pivotal market player through the efforts of Bloom, a company that's bridging the gap between great ideas and market-ready products.

Bloom's Detroit operation is a place where people and innovators can bring ideas to life – and it's all happening at Michigan Central – where Bloom has created an environment where burgeoning enterprises can access monthly rentals of space fully equipped with all the necessary tools to construct their prototypes, including laser-cutting technology for cutting-edge transportation models.

Justin Kosmides, Bloom's co-founder, says the company has 25 companies actively engaged and over 120 waiting to participate. Bloom's B2B network does not interact directly with consumers but supplies essential resources to brands and manufacturers. The platform is particularly advantageous for companies poised to mass produce innovative products like electric ATVs or snowmobiles.

"Bloom is a B2B network. We don't interface with customers but we provide all of the ingredients for the brands and companies," Kosmides said.

The inspiration for Bloom traces back to Detroit's automotive industry heritage, reminiscent of the assembly line revolution that once transitioned the world away from horse-drawn carriages. As the industry faces dramatic changes with a shift in manufacturing returning from Southeast Asia and Europe to the United States, Detroit, with its abundant resources and skilled workforce, was an ideal location for Bloom.

"This industry is in a lot of change right now – transitioning away from southeast Asia and Europe and realizing they need some ability to build here in the US.," Kosmides said.

The company's establishment in Detroit signifies a chance to help emerging markets—such as battery production for electric vehicles (EVs)—a strategic move given the surging demand for EVs.

"Detroit has an incredible opportunity to take what is traditional automotive tier 2 – tier 3 parts suppliers can now start building batteries," Kosmides said. "The demand continues to grow for these smaller EVs for a variety of purposes, and more of them need to be built here."