DBusiness Daily Update: Detroit’s ButterCMS Acquired by Boston Tech Portfolio Company, and More
Our compilation of the latest news from companies in the Detroit and Michigan area, as well as announcements from government agencies. To share a business or nonprofit story, please send us a message.
Detroit-based ButterCMS is acquired by Boston Tech Portfolio Company
ButterCMS, a Detroit-based provider of headless CMS software tools and solutions for developers, has been acquired by Boston’s Tiugo Technologies (Tiugo), a PSG portfolio company that offers a portfolio of market-leading API-first developer platforms for content creation and digital content offers cooperation markets.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Butter provides headless, API-first content management solutions for digital native businesses, mid-sized businesses and SMBs. Founded in 2017, Butter’s platform enables clients to design, manage, review and publish marketing content on websites and online apps. Features include flexible content modeling, real-time content updates, media libraries, multi-site and environment management, collaboration capabilities, and a core suite of developer tools.
“As the digital revolution accelerates, it’s critical to ensure businesses have simple and efficient ways to publish and manage digital content across websites, apps and digital experiences,” said Jake Lumetta, CEO of ButterCMS. “With this in mind, we have developed our product ecosystem to address these specific needs and through our continuous product innovation, we strive to offer our diverse, digitally forward-thinking customer base the solutions they need. We aim to continue to serve our customers in even more powerful ways in partnership with Tiugo and with the support of PSG.”
Tiugo Technologies is a portfolio company of PSG, leveraging PSG’s investment and operating experience to build a business with leading developer platform brands. Additional acquisitions are expected in 2023, which will strengthen Tiugo’s brand roster and exposure to the software developer market.
“We are very pleased to welcome Butter to the Tiugo organization,” said Mark Hatton, PSG Senior Advisor and CEO of Tiugo. “We believe there is a significant market for tools that help developers accelerate digital innovation. Our goal is for Tiugo to develop a suite of market-leading developer platforms focused on content creation and digital collaboration to help them scale successfully and effectively. Butter is delivering enterprise-class headless CMS capabilities to our Launchpad, and we look forward to expanding our offering through future impactful acquisitions.”
Flagstar and New York Bank merge under Flagstar Banner
Following the recent completion of the merger between New York Community Bank and Flagstar Bank, the joint leadership team announced plans to rebrand the combined company under one name – Flagstar.
While the name will be familiar, the associated brand, logo and purposeful mission is intended to transform the way customers think about NYCB and Flagstar and communicate the energy they will deliver as one.
The divisional banking concept has worked well for New York Community Bank while operating primarily in the New York City metro area, but now that it has acquired Flagstar, it is the 24th largest bank in the country with a national presence in multiple businesses.
That’s why, the company explains, the combined bank is moving forward with a fully refreshed Flagstar brand concept – a concept that “can create a more impactful, one-on-one connection with customers and directly impact their financial and personal well-being.”
There will be no immediate changes and NYCB and Flagstar will operate under their existing brands for now.
Aramco sponsors the 10thth Anniversary $10 holiday admission
With support from Aramco Americas, Michigan Science Center (Mi-Sci) is launching a special community access program celebrating its 10th anniversary. The initiative begins with a community celebration on December 26th with reduced admission of $10 per person for all.
Thereafter, concessionary admission of $10 will be available to Detroit residents and select underserved communities through January 6th.
Throughout 2023, Aramco will support other similar Mi-Sci 10th Anniversary initiatives, falling under the name Powers of 10. These activities are designed to benefit Detroit residents, K-12 teachers and students, and select underserved communities in the area:
- Mi-Sci is offering all K-12 grade teachers $10 admission.
- Mi-Sci is providing a free entry ticket to the Museum of Youth to all students enrolled in Mi-Sci’s Aramco Traveling Science programs, which are offered at locations across the state.
- In June 2023, Mi-Sci will launch a community membership program that is free to all Detroit libraries and partner social service organizations.
“The Powers of 10 is a mathematical concept that focuses on the exponential potential of the number 10 and the use of scientific notation to represent it,” said Christian Greer, president and CEO of the Michigan Science Center. “It is not always easy or affordable for some communities and schools to visit us. But thanks to Aramco’s generous support of MiSci’s 10th anniversary in 2023, we will be able to put even more people at the heart of science.”
Aramco is active in the greater Detroit area with its Aramco Research Center-Detroit in Novi and develops innovative transport solutions. It is also a founding member of ACI’s Farmington Hills Center of Excellence for non-metallic building materials.
“We are a company dedicated to R&D and technology,” said Nabeel I. AlAfaleg, President and CEO of Aramco Americas. “Supporting Michigan Science Center’s efforts to welcome more people to its museum in 2023 to celebrate its 10th anniversary aligns with our community programs to engage young people in science and innovation.”
Last summer, Aramco Americas helped bring back Mi-Sci’s popular Aramco Traveling Science Program, which will run through May 2023 with geographic availability throughout the Lower and Upper Peninsulas. From June 2021 through May 2022, the program ministered to 46,445 people at 104 events in schools, libraries, summer child care and after-school programs, and other community groups in Michigan and Ohio.
Anyone interested in supporting the Michigan Science Center can drop by here.
Menorah in the D Celebration is set to light up downtown Detroit on December 18th
The 12th annual Menorah in the D, a communal celebration of Hanukkah at Campus Martius, will be held on December 18 at 5 p.m.
As in 2021, this year’s event will be hybrid, featuring both live and streamed components. The in-person event begins at 5:00 p.m. and the live stream begins at 5:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on Chabad Lubavitch of Michigan’s Facebook and website.
In addition to the lighting of the menorah, the event includes a fire show, walk-through entertainment, photo ops with Dreidel Man and Smile Man, arts and crafts, children’s games and treats, complimentary snacks and hot beverages, and Chef Cari’s kosher food truck.
More information can be found here.
In related news: The Zekelman Holocaust Center in Farmington Hills is waiving admission to the museum for the remainder of 2022, offering the public an opportunity to visit and — through the experiences and knowledge gained during their visit — develop tools to raise awareness sharpen, educate, empower and stand up against hatred, anti-Semitism and genocide.
In addition to free entry, the center will be offering additional tours and talks with survivors December 27-30 according to the following schedule:
- 10:30 AM, Instructor-led tour
- Noon, Survival Talk
- 13:00 Docent-led tour
The temporary exhibition “To Paint is to Live: The Artwork of Erich Lichtblau-Leskly” has been extended until April 30, 2023. This offers further opportunities to experience select works by the artist, which were kept secret and rescued by his wife Elsa. Collected and alongside restored pieces from the artist’s life in Israel after the war, the exhibition gives an insight into Lichtblau-Leskly’s experiences in the concentration camp.
