Blueflite
From idea to impact—Blueflite is soaring thanks to Michigan’s support
Blueflite is a cargo drone OEM headquartered in Brighton, Michigan. Through the Make It in Michigan Prototyping Grant Program, it fast-tracked development of its advanced drone platform for last-mile delivery. Now, Blueflite is helping shape the future of mobility logistics.
“We make a drone that plays in the group two class, so up to 55 pounds or 25 kilograms. The drone is manufactured from a carbon fiber airframe and then about 70% of the additional parts are 3D printed out of nylon,” said Blueflite co-founder and CTO James McClearen. “It's a tilt rotor, so the aircraft stays very stable in the air. The pilots program the drone where to go. The drone follows this path and then the cargo is delivered where it needs to go.”
“We see the use of drones only continuing to grow,” said Charlie Tyson, technology activation director for the Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification. “There's a number of different applications that drones are currently used for, whether it's search and rescue, emergency response, or moving medical supplies. We see the Make It in Michigan Prototype Grant as a big opportunity to help companies like Blueflite prototype, design, engineer, and produce their products right here in Michigan.”
The prototype grant was created in partnership with Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Tech University, the state's leading clean tech accelerator. “We're seeing an emergence of drone technology for both commercial and defense applications, [and] there aren't many drone manufacturers that are building the products here in North America,” said Tyson. “If we can support one like Blueflite to do so here in Michigan, it's a great win-win all around.”
Grant Applications Open to July 14, 2025
The State of Michigan has launched the next round of the Make It in Michigan Mobility Prototyping Grant Program, a key initiative aimed at strengthening the state’s leadership in mobility, electrification, autonomous systems, and advanced manufacturing innovation. Led by the Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) and the Michigan Office of Defense and Aerospace Innovation (ODAI), in partnership with Centrepolis Accelerator at Lawrence Technological University, the program offers grant awards of up to $100,000 per company, with a total funding pool of $2 million dedicated for product development of mobility technology.
Application Details:
- Application Period: May 28, 2025 – July 14, 2025
- Eligibility: Companies with technologies at Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 4 through 9
- Focus Areas: Autonomous systems, critical mobility components addressing domestic supply chain gaps, and other breakthrough mobility innovations
- Preference: Applicants committed to developing, piloting, and manufacturing their technologies in Michigan
Click on the button below to learn more and apply to the Make It in Michigan Mobility Prototyping Grant Program. Application deadline is July 14, 2025.