Mcity

What Mcity does

Mcity is a public-private research partnership operated by the University of Michigan that serves as a makerspace for mobility innovation. Founded in 2014 and headquartered at a 32-acre purpose-built test facility on U-M's North Campus in Ann Arbor, Mcity supports connected and automated vehicle (CAV) development for automotive OEMs (General Motors, Toyota, Subaru), technology firms (Qualcomm, Verizon, Deloitte), insurance providers (State Farm), startups, government agencies, and academic researchers. The organization serves approximately 25 industry members and engages 150+ U-M faculty and students across 86+ funded research projects since inception.

The core product is the Mcity Test Facility — 16 acres of roads simulating urban and suburban driving — supported by an integrated technology stack: Mcity OS (cloud-based facility control), the open-source Mcity Digital Twin, TeraSim traffic simulator, MSight AI-driven roadside perception platform, the Mcity Data Engine (AI training infrastructure), and a patent-pending augmented reality testing system that enables physical vehicles to interact with virtually connected vehicles in real time. A Remote Access Platform extends the facility globally via cloud-hosted simulation on AWS. Mcity OS is also licensed to external test facilities, with American Center for Mobility as the first licensee.

Mcity generates revenue through three streams: tiered annual membership fees (Lead $50K-$100K, Accelerate $15K-$30K, Startup $5K-$10K), facility usage fees (track time, vehicle rentals, technician and driver services at differentiated member vs. non-member rates), and government grants (NSF, USDOT, FHWA, DOE, MDOT) that have cumulatively funded tens of millions in research. The organization does not have independent venture capitalization and is governed by the Regents of the University of Michigan. In 2025, Mcity expanded into air mobility via the M-air initiative covering UAS, advanced air mobility, and eVTOL research.

Name

Mcity

Legal name

The Regents of the University of Michigan

Website

https://mcity.umich.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Mcity is a University of Michigan public-private partnership operating a 32-acre proving ground and integrated AI tooling stack for connected and automated vehicle development, serving automotive OEMs, technology firms, startups, government agencies, and academic researchers across ground and air mobility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Autonomous Vehicle Testing and Mobility Research Services

NAICS

Computer Facilities Management Services (541513), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Domain-Specific Training Data Solutions (e.g., medical, AV, geospatial) (HDAAALAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

AI/ML Solution Integration & MLOps Enablement (BPAEAAAJ), Mission-Critical & Public Safety Private Networks (MCX/LMR Interop) (HDAIAGAH)

Keywords

• Autonomous vehicle testing
• Connected vehicle research
• Mobility simulation software
• Test facility services
• Transportation data analytics

Headquarters

HQ city

Ann Arbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Tiered membership model with Lead ($50,000-$100,000/year), Accelerate ($15,000-$30,000/year), and Startup ($5,000-$10,000/year) tiers based on company revenue size. Membership automatically renews unless cancelled.
2. Facility Usage Fees: Mcity Test Facility booking fees for track time, vehicle rentals, technician support, driver services, and facility tours. Rates vary by membership level with member rates significantly lower than non-member rates.
3. Government Grants: Mcity receives funding from government agencies including NSF grants ($5.1M Mcity 2.0 grant), U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, and Michigan state agencies for specific research projects and infrastructure development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Mcity operates the world's first purpose-built proving ground for testing connected and automated vehicles on a 32-acre facility at the University of Michigan's North Campus, complemented by a cloud-based augmented-reality Remote Access Platform, the Mcity OS control system, an open-source Mcity Digital Twin, the TeraSim traffic simulator, the MSight roadside AI platform, and the Mcity Data Engine for AI training. Services are delivered via tiered membership (Lead, Accelerate, Startup), pay-as-you-go facility bookings, and open-source software downloads for researchers, industry, and government.

Product overview

Mcity is a public-private partnership at the University of Michigan that operates as a mobility makerspace offering an integrated suite of testing, simulation, and data products for connected and automated vehicle development. The core offering is the Mcity Test Facility, a 32-acre purpose-built proving ground for AV testing. This is supported by the Mcity Remote Access Platform (cloud-based CAV testbed), Mcity OS (cloud-based operating system for test facility control), and the Mcity Digital Twin (open-source virtual representation of the test facility). Mcity's AI-powered offerings include the Data Engine for AI training and the MSight platform for real-time roadside intelligence. TeraSim provides open-source traffic simulation. The M-air initiative extends Mcity's capabilities to air mobility and UAS testing. Together, these products enable comprehensive AV development from virtual simulation through on-track testing to real-world deployment research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• M-air: A public-private partnership initiative to advance air mobility, including UAS, advanced air mobility (AAM), and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles.

Products and services

• Mcity Test Facility A 32-acre purpose-built outdoor proving ground on U-M's North Campus with 16 acres of roads and traffic infrastructure simulating urban and suburban driving conditions for testing connected and automated vehicles under controlled, realistic conditions. Available via booking to members and non-members.
• Mcity Remote Access Platform Cloud-based augmented-reality CAV testbed funded by NSF that allows academic and industry researchers nationwide to remotely test and refine autonomous vehicle motion planning algorithms in simulated and mixed-reality environments using TeraSim and AWS cloud hosting.
• Mcity OS Cloud-based operating system providing point-and-click control over all features of the Mcity Test Facility, running on any internet-enabled device to create and execute complex, repeatable test scenarios. Available for licensing at other test facilities.
• Mcity Digital Twin First open-source digital twin for mobility systems testing, developed with NSF support, providing a faster, safer, less expensive way to test autonomous and connected vehicle software. Available as open source on GitHub.
• TeraSim Open-source traffic simulator that introduces pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers while generating safety-critical events like potential collisions using traffic behavioral models calibrated with real-world data. Hosted on AWS with REST API.
• MSight Real-time AI-driven roadside intelligence platform that integrates multi-sensor perception, edge compute, V2X messaging, and cloud analytics, enabling scalable safety applications and near-miss understanding.
• Mcity Data Engine AI-powered cloud-based platform providing access to compute clusters for AI training in mobility applications, efficiently collecting, processing, and labeling transportation data, and interfacing with Mcity data and models to build AI-powered solutions.
• Mcity Data Garage Searchable dataset catalog aggregating metadata about datasets produced by Mcity, its industry members, and U-M faculty and staff, accessible via the Mcity Welcome Center.
• M-air Public-private partnership initiative to advance air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), establishing Michigan as a leader in the low-altitude economy including drone delivery, urban air mobility, and eVTOL vehicles.
• Mcity Membership Program Tiered membership program (Lead, Accelerate, Startup) granting priority facility access, reduced rates, research collaboration, and talent connection for industry members based on revenue size.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,000+ hours of testing and engagement logged since January 2017
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability10 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• DeloittecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead member providing consulting and strategic partnership for mobility innovation research and development.
• General MotorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead member collaborating on autonomous vehicle research and testing capabilities at Mcity.
• QualcommcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead member contributing to connected and automated vehicle technology research.
• State FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead member researching autonomous vehicle safety implications and insurance considerations.
• VerizoncoreTechnology or IntegrationLead member providing 5G connectivity and edge computing expertise for connected vehicle testing.
• HumaneticssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccelerate member providing active safety testing capabilities and expertise.
• RoboSensesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccelerate member expanding LiDAR and sensor perception capabilities at Mcity test facility.
• SICKsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationAccelerate member providing sensor technology integration for testing capabilities.
• VI-gradesecondaryTechnology or IntegrationAccelerate member providing driving simulators for virtual testing and validation.
• CapoomminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStartup member providing technology solutions for mobility innovation.
• Parallel DomainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStartup member developing high-fidelity digital twins using PD Replica technology for AV simulation.
• MITREsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization collaborating on autonomous systems research.
• NoblisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization contributing to mobility research initiatives.
• University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcity is part of UMTRI, which has conducted over 1,000 multidisciplinary research projects and collected over 70 terabytes of data.
• U.S. Department of TransportationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership conducting federally funded research in motor vehicle safety and efficiency, including Ann Arbor Connected Environment projects.
• U.S. Department of EnergysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAwarded $2.7 million grant in 2015 for connected and automated vehicle energy savings research.
• Michigan Department of TransportationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorked closely on design and funding of Mcity Test Facility; ongoing collaboration on connected vehicle test beds.
• Michigan Economic Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in state mobility ecosystem initiatives including Michigander Scholars program and Office of Future Mobility and Electrification.
• City of Ann ArborcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost for connected vehicle test environment and A2GO autonomous shuttle service deployment.
• Center for Connected and Automated Transportation (CCAT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional university transportation center funded by U.S. DOT, located within UMTRI with shared leadership.
• American Center for MobilitysecondaryTechnology or IntegrationFirst facility to license Mcity OS technology; complementary testing facility at Willow Run site.
• M-air Founding MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNine new members including ResilienX, AG3 Labs, Airspace Link, General Robotics, imec, Michigan National Guard, Pierce Aerospace, SAE International, Wayne County Airport Authority joining to advance low-altitude economy and UAS research.
• Applied Research Institute (ARI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of agreement to advance applied UAS research, strengthen industry collaboration, and support responsible growth of low-altitude economy through regional asset and expertise connection.
• ResilienXcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerM-air founding member bringing open data integration capabilities needed for autonomous drone solutions development.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• AVL:
• NVIDIA (DRIVE Sim / Omniverse): Provides Omniverse-based AV simulation and digital twin infrastructure that Mcity has integrated but also competes against at the platform level — a broad incumbent whose DRIVE Sim and Isaac Sim ecosystems dominate AV simulation compute.

Direct peers

• American Center for Mobility: Operating a complementary large-scale AV proving ground at the Willow Run site in Ypsilanti, Michigan, ACM is the most direct comparator to Mcity — both are purpose-built AV test facilities in Southeast Michigan and ACM is also the first external licensee of Mcity OS.
• Applied Intuition: Provides simulation and infrastructure tooling for autonomous vehicle development, including synthetic data, scenario generation, and validation platforms — competing directly with Mcity Digital Twin, TeraSim, and Data Engine offerings for AV developer mindshare.
• dSPACE: Supplies simulation, hardware-in-the-loop, and validation solutions for automotive and AV development globally — a long-established direct peer to Mcity's testing, simulation, and data platform capabilities for OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers.
• Cognata: Offers AI-powered AV simulation and digital twin platforms with realistic 3D environments and traffic models, overlapping directly with Mcity Digital Twin, TeraSim, and remote-access simulation services for AV algorithm validation.
• Parallel Domain: Generative AI and digital twin platform for AV simulation that produced the pixel-accurate Mcity PD Replica — closely partnered but also a peer competing for the same AV developer simulation budget.
• IPG Automotive: Supplier of driving simulators (CarMaker, TruckMaker) used across the AV/ADAS industry; comparable to VI-grade (an Mcity member) and a direct competitor in the vehicle dynamics and virtual testing market.

Emerging players

• CARLA (open-source): Open-source AV simulator that Mcity itself has contributed HD maps and dynamic environments to via the VOICES platform; CARLA represents the open-source competitive substrate that could constrain Mcity's paid simulation pricing power.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/mcity
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCfJr7b987wY32I6QtIW0g2g
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/um-mcity/posts/?feedView=all
• Xx.com/UMichMcity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors12 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mcity