TECH REPORT 2025
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
$5M
Raised by Payload in 2022
Payload accepted into Y-Combinator in 2022
Payload acquired by Figma , a San Francisco- based design platform, in June 2025
$1.2B
IPO led by Figma a month later
2 Data Centers
proposed by Microsoft in Greater Grand Rapids.
Named the number one city on the rise in 2025 according to LinkedIn
Greater Grand Rapids named the most entrepreneurial tech ecosystem in the Midwest for growth by Dealroom.co
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TECH REPORT 2025
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1,312 5,610
Tech jobs added in the last year
Tech jobs added since 2021
Unique tech job postings 9,500 $90k
Median salary
Top tech occupations in Greater Grand Rapids: Industrial Engineers
VC Activity in 2025 YTD
12 Deals
14% 12% 9%
Mechanical Engineers Software Developers
$63.5 Million in capital raised
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TECH REPORT 2025
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
TECH STRATEGY PROGRESS
In 2021, The Right Place collaborated with more than 100 partners across the region to create a tech strategy guiding the region to becoming the premier tech hub in the Midwest by 2031.
GOAL: 20,000 Tech Jobs Over 10 Years
0
2,500
5,000
7,500
10,000
12,500
15,000
17,500
20,000
Source: Lightcast
TECH JOBS IN GREATER GRAND RAPIDS
5,610 1,312
Total tech jobs in Greater Grand Rapids: 40,979
Tech jobs added since Tech Strategy implemented in 2021
Tech jobs comprise 6.5% of total jobs in Greater Grand Rapids in 2025 (Compared to 6.3% during the same period of 2024)
Source: Lightcast
All data in this report is based on the Grand Rapids-Wyoming Metropolitan Statistical Area and is preliminary as of Q3 2024, unless noted otherwise. Tech Job Postings are based on data collected from August 1st through July 31st to ensure timeliness. DATA NOTES
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TECH REPORT 2025
TECH JOBS IN GREATER GRAND RAPIDS
TECH JOB BREAKDOWN THE STATE OF TECHNOLOGY
Greater Grand Rapids is an applied technology hub, blending software development, systems integration, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity with the region’s deep manufacturing expertise. This dynamic means that several manufacturing-related positions are included in our definition of technology. Industrial engineers, software developers, and mechanical engineers comprised the top three most populated tech occupations in Greater Grand Rapids.
Top Five Tech Occupations
13.8%
Industrial Engineers
12.1%
Software Developers
8.9%
Mechanical Engineers
Electrical, Electronic, & Electromechanical Assemblers (Except Coil Winders, Tapers, & Finishers)
8.6%
7.7%
Computer User Support Specialists
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
Source: Lightcast
During the past decade...
119% 502% 117%
Data Scientists Computer & Information Systems Managers Computer & Information Research Scientists
...experienced the highest job growth.
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TECH REPORT 2025
TECH JOB BREAKDOWN
TECH JOB POSTINGS
Advertised Median Tech Salary (July 2024 to June 2025)
Annual unique job postings in the technology sector fell nearly 11% to 19,500 in 2025 from the previous year.
Tech Job Postings
50,000
45,000
40,000
35,000
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
0
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Source: Lightcast
Top Ten Tech Jobs by Postings in 2025
357 318 247 245 195
153 150 139 132 118
Controls Engineers
Manufacturing Technicians
Quality Engineers
Software Engineers
Manufacturing Engineers
Systems Engineers
Electrical Engineers
Application Engineers
Mechanical Engineers
Data Engineers
Source: Lightcast (12-month period aggregated July to June)
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TECH REPORT 2025
TECH JOB POSTINGS
TECH JOB POSTINGS
Experience with computer science, automation, and information technology were the most frequently cited software skills in tech-related occupations in 2025. Companies also commonly requested candidates know platforms like SQL, Microsoft Azure, and Python.
In-Demand Specialized Tech/Software Skills 2025
1,637
Computer Science
1,340
Automation
840
Information Technology
808
SQL (Programming Language)
802
Electrical Engineering
725
Microsoft Azure
701
Data Analysis
685
Python (Programming Language)
604
Mechanical Engineering
601
AutoCAD
584
Software Development
Number denotes individual job postings referencing skill
567
SAP Applications
536
Information Systems
502
Software Engineering
453
Application Programming Interface (API)
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600 1,800 Source: Lightcast
Job Postings
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TECH REPORT 2025
TECH JOB POSTINGS
VENTURE CAPITAL Venture capital activity in 2024 closed with 25 deals and $37 million in capital raised. Both deal volume and capital raised were less than the previous year, with deal volume falling 22% and capital raised decreasing 75%. While 2024’s venture activity proved softer than previous years, 2025 has showed signs of momentum. Total capital raised has already surpassed that of 2024 figures by more than $20 million. Likewise, 12 deals closed in the first 8 months of 2025 compared to 10 deals during the same period the previous year.
Volume
30 35 40 25 20 15 10
Through 8/31/25
0 5
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025*
Source: Pitchbook
Value
$160M $180M $140M $120M $100M $80M $60M $40M $0 $20M
Through 8/31/25
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Source: Pitchbook
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TECH REPORT 2025
VENTURE CAPITAL
VENTURE CAPITAL
2024 Deal Composition
Industries including...
20% 32%
HEALTHCARE SOFTWARE (Business/Productivity/Social/Platform)
...comprised the majority of deals in 2024.
Source: Pitchbook
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TECH REPORT 2025
VENTURE CAPITAL
HIGH-TECH TALENT 20th 11th 13th 14th CBRE recognized Greater Grand Rapids as one of the top 25 emerging tech markets in North American for high-tech talent*.
in High Tech Employment in 2024
in High Tech Job Growth (2022 to 2024)
in High Tech Wage Growth (2022 to 2024)
in High-Tech Talent Degree Grads in 2023
Source: CBRE Scoring Tech Talent 2025 *High-tech talent refers to industries and occupations predominately in the computer science and digital fields.
All numbers represent high-tech employment in 2024. Percentages reflect growth in high tech employment over five years.
Tech Employment & Growth in Comparable Cities
Boise 12,290 (3.5%)
Grand Rapids 14,920 (15.7%)
Stamford 14,630 (0.9%)
Des Moines 19,550 (8.0%)
Louisville 17,020 (6.1%)
Colorado Springs 21,200 (16.1%)
Oklahoma City 23,000 (15.9%)
Huntsville 25,730 (17.7%)
Birmingham 15,780 (3.8%)
Tucson 16,080 (3.7%)
Source: CBRE Scoring Tech Talent 2025
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TECH REPORT 2025
HIGH-TECH TALENT
TECH INITIATIVES
Growth
Payload CMS
After raising more than $5 million in 2022, Payload CMS was acquired by Figma, a San Francisco-based design platform in June 2025. A month later, Figma raised $1.2 billion in an IPO.
Microsoft Data Center
In October 2024, Microsoft purchased land to build two proposed data centers in Greater Grand Rapids. This represents a significant addition to the region’s technology infrastructure.
WoodChuck.AI
Climate impact startup, WoodChuck.AI partnered with other regional companies to develop a Biomass and AI Innovation Center in Greater Grand Rapids. WoodChuck.AI has integrated AI to continuously improve quality while converting storm debris into clean biomass for renewable energy.
Symplicity
Symplicity Communications, an IT and communications infrastructure management and consulting firm, will relocate its headquarters to Downtown Grand Rapids. The woman- owned company plans to complete the move by early 2026.
City Innovations
City Innovations opened its new downtown headquarters in 2025 designed to guide startups and entrepreneurs plan, launch, and scale their businesses.
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TECH REPORT 2025
TECH INITIATIVES
TECH INITIATIVES
Ecosystem
The Right Place Technology Council
The 65 member Technology Council helps build the tech ecosystem throughout Greater Grand Rapids through collaboration and support.
Technology Exchanges
The Tech Council hosted five Technology Exchange events in 2025. These Tech Council-member exclusive events foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and exposure to cutting edge technologies.
GVSU Expands Support for High-Tech Startups
Grand Valley State University received a $1.6 million grant to launch an emerging evergreen fund to support high-tech startups, early-stage businesses, and innovation at the GVSU Blue Dot, the university’s new tech hub in downtown Grand Rapids. The grant came from the newly created Michigan Innovation Fund.
MSU Research Foundation Expands Startup Competition
Michigan State University will leverage a $4 million grant to expand PitchMI across the state, including a regional spotlight on Greater Grand Rapids’ healthcare and life sciences industries. The expanded program will offer eight $250k prizes with an additional $1 million grand prize for Michigan-based startups.
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TECH REPORT 2025
TECH INITIATIVES
TECH INITIATIVES
Ecosystem
AWS Women of the Cloud
Amazon hosted their first Grand Rapids event, bringing national tech community programming to our market and highlighting our growing presence in cloud computing.
Bamboo
The new coworking and entrepreneurship center will take over three former UICA building in Grand Rapids. This is Bamboo’s fourth location and first in Greater Grand Rapids.
Go Beyond
This annual conference addresses the unique barriers women in the tech sector face throughout their careers. Now in its third year, Go Beyond sold
out in 2025 and has demonstrated 25% year-over-year attendance growth.
Talent
GVSU College of Computing & The Mitten Project Partnership
Grand Valley State University’s College of Computing partnered with The Mitten Project to launch new undergraduate and graduate program pathways specifically designed to support entrepreneurship and innovation, strengthening the talent pipeline from education to local startups.
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TECH REPORT 2025
TECH INITIATIVES
AUTHOR’S PAGE
Authors
John Wiegand Business Intelligence & Research Manager Andria Romkema Senior Vice President, Business Development
Jennifer Wangler
Vice President, Technology Director, Technology Council of West Michigan
Eric Heys
Marketing Coordinator
Contributors
Rafael Martinez Business Intelligence & Research Manager Brad Comment Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives
Katrina Panzlau
Marketing & Communications Director
Randy Thelen President & CEO
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TECH REPORT 2025
AUTHOR’S PAGE
25 Ottawa Ave SW, Suite 400 Grand Rapids, MI 49503 info@rightplace.org 616.771.0325
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