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Successful startup Software company gains million-dollar investment in less than year
7/2/2006
Moshi can link cars, homes and business activity to cell phones
By PATRICK REVERE Business editor
Garrick Pohl is chalking up another victory for the little guy. For the sake of the area's economic health, he hopes it's not the last time.
Pohl's Zeeland company, Crayon Interface, was founded less than a year ago with friend and former Johnson Controls co-worker Budd Bentley. The pair, who now have three employees, have secured $1 million from investors.
"The message I would like to convey is that a small local firm can gain some footing here and get the type of support it needs to attract talent and successfully develop and market a valuable product," Pohl said. "I want to see it happen more often."
Crayon Interface on Tuesday inked the deal with Venture Capital Investors, which has partners in Memphis, Tenn., and Atlanta.
In the fall, the company's new product, CellSTART, will be sold at businesses that install remote car starters. CellSTART software allows a user to control the locks, security alarm, temperature controls and entertainment systems in a vehicle from his cell phone.
"The phone is now the mini computer in our hand and it's on an extensive wireless network," Pohl said. "Anything you want to do in terms of interfacing with your home or vehicle or business is achievable now."
In other words, if a person walks a half mile from their parking space to the beach they can start their car and get the air conditioning running before they begin the return walk. If a husband locks his keys in his car in Detroit, his wife can open it for him from Hamilton, or Mobile, Ala., for that matter.
Andrew Knight, 21, of Park Township, spent more than $500 to install a top-of-the-line remote starter. It has a range of a quarter-mile, but others with ranges down to 50 feet can be purchased for $150.
"I can imagine that if you worked in a large building and wanted to get your car started, it may be difficult if you're too far away or if there's a steel wall or something like that obstructing the signal," Knight said.
"Outside of the practical uses, if someone's offering a cool technology and it's not too expensive, people will buy it. People want gadgets."
Knight raised a concern about the security aspects of having someone steal your cell phone, but agreed that could happen to car keys just as easily. He said he'd rather not carry around his large key fob, which is what he uses to control his remote starter now.
Pohl said the software and all its controls are protected by a personal identification number similar to the one used to protect e-mails and voice mails. And encryption technologies are quickly advancing, he said.
Kevin Virta, the company's vice president of business development, said he believes CellSTART will jump out of the gate in America, and hopefully follow similarly in Europe and Asia.
"Because most everyone has a cell phone these days and Americans have an enduring love affair with the automobile, using your cell phone to monitor and control your vehicles is the next step in the evolution of vehicle security and convenience systems," he said.
In the coming months, Crayon Interface, which operates out of 201 W. Washington Ave., will roll out new products that allow cell users to control all the same systems at their homes. It also will allow business people to track packages and get updates on financial transactions.
The software that allows all this to happen is called Moshi, which Crayon Interface developed in conjunction with NuSoft, a Grand Rapids software firm.
"I think that they're going to experience success with the business because the technologies they're taking forth are solutions that have come of age with the tempo and pace of life that we all experience," said Keith Brophy, president of business development for NuSoft. "People are very interested in harnessing technology to make our time more productive. We see a terrific market.
Brophy said two years ago people scoffed when he extolled the benefits of retrieving e-mail from a cell phone. Now when there's a backup at the 12th hole, more people than not are using the break in action to catch up on office notes.
"It's what allows us to enjoy a great day on the links in the first place," Brophy said.
Brophy said NuSoft collaborates with about 1,000 other technology companies each year, and at least 10 percent of those are start-ups. In his experience, Crayon Interface is the only one to get $1 million in funding from a single source.
"This is an extraordinary way to get that amount of funding," Brophy said. "It provides a clear picture of how well they've positioned themselves with a great product at the right time.
"It's often the dream of two-person start-ups and it hardly ever happens to get that type of backup," he said. "This is definitely a sign of a new business era in West Michigan. It's encouraging to see this type of innovation and such interest from outside our area."
Kyle Dalman, manager of the car-audio department at Circuit City, 12635 Felch St., spends all his time at work installing remote starters, as well as audio and security systems. He said the department's busiest time for remote starters is the fall and winter, and that audio and alarm installations pick up in the warmer months.
"During a three month period we install probably about 250 remote starters," he said.
Contact Patrick Revere at patrick.revere@hollandsentinel.com or (616) 546-4280.
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