Going to the Movie Theater is SO back. 🍿
⏰ Midwest Minute
Movies are back. The 2026 summer box office has crossed $4B for the first time since before the pandemic and is within striking distance of the all-time record set in 2013, putting Hollywood on pace for its first $10B year since COVID. A lot of that is The Odyssey: Christopher Nolan's IMAX adaptation of Homer's 2,700-year-old epic is now the highest-grossing R-rated film in history at $1.46B worldwide and the Midwest is showing up for it. Celebration Cinema in Grand Rapids is one of only 25 theaters in the country with IMAX 70mm and fans have been driving from all over Michigan to get there, with Chicago's Cinemark Seven Bridges in Woodridge holding the only 70mm IMAX screen in the metro and Indianapolis’ Indiana History Museum holding down the state of Indiana. Then there's Michael: the MJ biopic just crossed $1B to become the highest-grossing biopic of all time, beating Oppenheimer. Everyone knows the Midwest connection—Michael Jackson was born and raised in Gary, Indiana.
Horror is also having its moment: Obsession, a $750,000 supernatural horror film, crossed $400M at the box office to beat both Blair Witch and Paranormal Activity as one of the most profitable films ever made on a small budget. Book adaptations are everywhere too, from Homer getting the full Nolan IMAX treatment to Colleen Hoover’s Verity and Suzanne Collin’s Hunger Games Prequel. Spiderman: Brand New Day and Coyote vs. Acme topped the charts this past weekend in the box office. The Midwest has always known a good summer movie night. Turns out the rest of the country is here for it too. Find all the latest funding announcement below.
Have any insights into the Midwest ecosystem or a funding announcement to share? Want to share your favorite movie of 2026 so far? Send us an email: [email protected]
📰 Notable News
Startup Funding
Hopscotch Primary Care - $53M Series D led by 8VC and Townhall Ventures | Chicago
PatientIQ - $30M Series C led by Hughes & Co | Chicago
Yardstik - $30M Series B led by Harbert Growth Partners | Minneapolis
Sonic Fire Tech - $15M round led by The O.H.I.O Fund | Cleveland
Payload - $9M Series A led by Fifth Third Bank | Cincinnati
Grounded - $5M Seed led by Also Capital and The 81 Collection | Detroit
Capitan Orthopedics - $4.1M Seed from Investors like Genesis Innovation Group | Grand Rapids, MI
Dirac Labs - $1.8M Pre-Seed led by TitletownTech | Madison
VC Funds
Other News
Have exciting news to share? If you're announcing a funding round, exit or other milestone, send your press release to [email protected] to be featured. While we can’t share everything, we love to feature great stories from across the region.
📆 Mark your Calendar
Need to fill your social calendar? We’ve scoured newsletters, scanned LinkedIn and found some of the latest tech + startup events in the region. Know of any upcoming events and want to share them in our next newsletter? Send us an email: [email protected]
