About 20Fathoms
Where ideas take root, innovators thrive, and businesses grow.
Welcome to the hub of Northwest Michigan’s tech community
Our mission is to accelerate the growth of tech startups, entrepreneurs, and scalable businesses in Northwest Michigan. We do this by delivering essential startup services, providing a community workspace, and connecting entrepreneurs with crucial resources that facilitate business growth.
20Fathoms is a membership organization for entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, tech professionals, and other innovators who find a home here. Ours is a supportive community with an eye for cultivating innovation and ideas, and fostering business growth.
Building Traverse City’s tech startup ecosystem
The push to create a thriving tech ecosystem in Traverse City is already paying off. By bridging local startup business programs and capital partners, 20Fathoms and local entrepreneurs are seeing results: 350+ jobs created or sustained, $248.8 million raised in startup and growth capital, 200+ companies served.
What we do
We provide services that remove barriers for our members and position them to thrive and their businesses to grow.
Growing Traverse City’s tech hub
In 2018, 20Fathoms was founded on two interlocking goals: to provide a home for the region’s entrepreneur and tech professionals and to help strengthen Traverse City’s economy and quality of life.
Traverse City is a picturesque and growing Great Lakes beach town, but the local economy was becoming increasingly reliant on seasonal tourism and the service sector. By nurturing and elevating Traverse City’s tech and startup community, 20Fathoms is enhancing a sector of the economy that creates high-paying, family-sustaining jobs for professionals looking to enjoy a small-town, nature-focused lifestyle while still growing in their career and business.
The story behind our name
We love where we live and our name is inspired by the natural resources that surround us in Northern Michigan. The 20Fathoms office overlooks beautiful Grand Traverse Bay which is clear to a depth of… you guessed it… 20 fathoms (or 120 feet).
“Fathom” can also mean gaining an understanding of a difficult problem on the path to solving it. And in Old English, “fathom” meant “outstretched arms” which is how it became a unit of measurement.
Our name is a nod to our location on Grand Traverse Bay, our membership of problem-solving innovators, and our welcoming community of entrepreneurs and tech professionals.