Internet : Innovation & Job News

The entrepreneurial duo that brought you flipfrog has launched its own custom application business, Ambr Detroit.

"We're a web start-up that uses web standards to create awesome things," says Anthony Montalbano, co-founder of Ambr Detroit.

Montalbano and Brian Ritter started the company three months ago, creating custom mobile and Internet applications for businesses. The pair left their day jobs (software developers for Domino's) a year ago to launch flipfrog, a mobile app that allows users to share their calendars. The friends are still working on growing flipfrog but are also looking to stretch their entrepreneurial legs a bit more with Ambr Detroit.

"We want to have the flexibility to do what we want," Montalbano says. "We want to be in control of what we're doing. We have very high web standards."

The pair are currently working virtually from their homes in Rochester and Ann Arbor for now. Montalbano says they are currently looking to set up their first office in Detroit. Ambr Detroit has been so busy from the get-go that they are seeking a software developer now and want to grow to a staff of as many as half a dozen within its first year of operation. The partners are also open to striking up partnerships with clients who have a promising idea for a mobile or web app.

"If a good idea comes along we will offer a reduced rate for equity," Montalbano says. "That has already happened once."

Source: Anthony Montalbano, co-founder of Ambr Detroit
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Camelot Ventures made an undisclosed investment in Want Technologies, a social media/e-commerce start-up in 2010. Since then the Farmington Hills-based company has made its software plug-in, the Want Button, a staple of more than 1,000 e-commerce websites.

"We knew there was a need within the e-commerce world for retailers to have a better way to engage their browsers and turn them into browsers," says Greg Links, vice president of business development for Want Technologies.

Want Technologies' the Want Button is a social media plug-in for e-commerce websites that is reminiscent of the Facebook's Like Button. Users can click on the Want Button next to a product they are interested in buying and have that page bookmarked to a universal wish list on their Facebook page.

Today the Want Button is on more than 1,000 e-commerce sites, including Edible Arrangements and Sharper Image. Links expects the Want Button to be on a minimum of 2,000 sites by the end of this year and be ubiquitous on e-commerce sites in the near future. Want Technologies has a staff of 15 employees and an intern working to make that happen.

Source: Greg Links, vice president of business development for Want Technologies
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Billhighway is starting to significantly scale its business, passing milestones and hiring dozens of new people in Troy.

The 13-year-old financial technology company hit its goal of processing $1.5 billion in transactions last year and is on track to surpass its goal of $3 billion in transactions in 2012.

"We have found that the business is scaling well," says Vince Thomas, founder & CEO of Billhighway. "There is a need to hire many people but not as many as we thought. We will probably add more people by the end of the year so we can keep pushing the pedal to the floor for our growth."

That has allowed the firm to hire 20 people so far this year, rounding out its staff to 60 people. It also has job openings for another 10 positions. Most of those new jobs are in software development, sales and marketing.

"We are hiring in a lot of different areas," Thomas says. "I don't see that stopping."

Billhighway's technology helps organizations allocate expenses for items such as dues or dinner costs or any other miscellaneous costs. The inspiration came from Thomas trying to divide bills between himself and his fellow roommates at Eastern Michigan University in the late 1990s. Much of its recent growth has come from doing more business with the non-profit sector.

"That has been working well for us," Thomas says. "We have stayed focused on that."

Source: Vince Thomas, founder & CEO of Billhighway
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Charlie Wollborg knows at least two things, and both are key components to his latest tech start-up, FavRiot.com.

"It gamifies the shopping experience," says Wollborg, chief troublemaker at FavRiot.com. "We know that casual games do really well and that no one pays attention during conference calls."

The Pontiac-based start-up is at its core, a hot-or-not game for consumer products. For instance, users are shown two pictures of different cars and asked to choose which one they prefer. The cars are what's for sale at a local automotive dealership and the service is sold to that dealership as a tool to get people to casually walk through its online dealership showroom.

"There are a lot of industries we are thinking about for this," Wollborg says. "Right now it's just automotive." He adds other popular consumer brands for things like alcohol or clothing could be added soon.

FavRiot.com and its team of five people got its start in May, launching out of a side project from Curve Detroit. The FavRiot.com website went live earlier this month.

Source: Charlie Wollborg, chief troublemaker at FavRiot.com
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Kaleidico may be headquartered in Flat Rock, but the digital marketing company has become much more Detroit-centric as of late, leveraging the emergence of start-ups in downtown Detroit to fuel its growth.

"We have found a lot of our growth in the revitalization of Detroit through its start-ups and larger companies," says Bill Rice, CEO of Kaleidico. That translates to a lot of work for the likes of Quicken Loans and its family of companies, many of which have set up shop in the M@dison Building.

Kaleidico is a full-service digital marketing agency. For instance, it helps its customers build online communities before they launch websites and other Internet ventures.

Kaleidico has hired five people in the last year, ranging from software developers to account executives. The 7-year-old company now has a staff of nine people and two interns. It expects to keep hiring as the likes of Quicken Loans and Quizzle continue to demand more of Kaleidico's services.

"We're aggressively in growth mode," Rice says. "We're taking on more clients."

Source: Bill Rice, CEO of Kaleidico
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

3Sixty Interactive is a business that is both growing and evolving.

The Fenton-based digital marketing agency got its start a decade ago as a website development firm. Today it employs five people as a digital marketing agency that is focused on overall online brand strategy and execution.

"We provide the support for writing an entire marketing strategy," says Dale Keipert, president of 3Sixty Interactive. "Then we execute it."

This newfound depth and breadth of its business model has allowed 3Sixty Interactive to grow. It has recently grown throughout the state and begun penetrating the Cleveland market. The company has also recently hired two people as an account executive and a digital marketing specialist.

"We're hoping to add another two people this year," Keipert says.

Source: Dale Keipert, president of 3Sixty Interactive
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Finding clothes as a tall person isn't the easiest thing to do, and it's often not as cheap as shopping for average-sized clothes. It's a staple of being tall that has inspired Justin Thompson to launch his own Internet start-up, Tall United.

"When people ask tall people where they get their clothing, that is a tough question for them to answer," says Thompson, who is 6 feet 8 inches tall.

Tall United is an online platform for retailers to sell clothing. Thompson is reaching out to both well-known and specialty retailers so the Royal Oak-based start-up can offer a variety of clothing for tall people at competitive prices.

"Ultimately we want to be a group-buying platform so retailers can recognize the power of our market and offer more clothing at lower prices," Thompson says.

The one-person start-up got its start last September and launched its website earlier this month.

Source: Justin Thompson, founder of Tall United
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Finding insurance is an endeavor most people don't enjoy undertaking, a problem RATEKICK is turning into a business.

The Bingham Farms-based start-up provides an Internet service that offers free, anonymous and impartial quotes for health, car, home and life insurance. "It saves you from calling all over the place giving your personal information over and over again," says Brian Hannigan, CEO of RATEKICK.

Hannigan used to sell insurance in Michigan and Florida and saw the frustration of people who gave their personal information again and again looking for a good deal on insurance. It is not a comfortable experience, but one Hannigan thought he could profit off of if he found a way that allowed people to avoid it. RATEKICK came soon after that.

The 4-year-old company got its start providing insurance quotes online in Michigan, California and Texas. It has since gone national, hiring three programmers and a chief of marketing in the last year. It now employs seven people, two independent contractors and is bringing on interns this summer.

Hannigan expects to keep adding people as the business grows this year. He is aiming to make RATEKICK a household name within the next year. "We're building a brand like Kayak," Hannigan says. "A year from now we want to be the place that people go to shop for insurance."

Source: Brian Hannigan, CEO of RATEKICK
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Livio Radio has been expanding its workforce, expanding it product portfolio, and taking in a new award to round out a nice year of growth.

The Ferndale-based start-up has recently received the prestigious Frost & Sullivan 2012 New Product Innovation Award for its Livio Connect API. Livio Connect's technology connects apps to cars, eliminating the need for constant support and one-on-one integration between consumers' smartphone apps and hardware devices.

"We have third-party validation for what we have been saying about our product for the last three years," says Jake Sigal, CEO & founder of Livio Radio.

The 4-year-old start-up got its start making Internet radios so people could listen to websites like Pandora without draining their computer battery. It has steadily expanded its product lineup to include Internet radios and similar products for automobiles. It even took in a venture capital investment from Beringea (Michigan's biggest VC) and Western Technology Investment last year.

Livio Radio's gross margins have increased over the last year, allowing it to hire three more people. The 15-person company has one opening for an engineer today. Helping make this growth possible is Livio Radio's expansion into software for its products, which it is also licensing out to other platforms.

"It's a new revenue stream for us," Sigal says. "We don't have to deal with assembly in China. All of our software is created in Ferndale."

Source: Jake Sigal, CEO & founder of Livio Radio
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Basso Design Group is gearing up to celebrate its 10th birthday later this year with some big goals.

The Troy-based integrated marketing firm plans to double in size over the next two years. That's after the company has already notched 30 percent revenue growth last year and hired three more people. It now employs a dozen people and a handful of interns and independent contractors.

"It's mostly through our referrals and word of mouth," says Gregory Basso, managing partner of Basso Design Group. "People have been getting the word out about us."

Basso expects to hire another half dozen people over the next two years to accommodate the firm's growth. It is also looking for a newer, bigger office to make room for its expected growth.

"We're kind of walled in here like sardines," Basso says.

Source: Gregory Basso, managing partner of Basso Design Group
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Brand Labs has a new look with a new website, a rebranding and larger staff in Rochester.

The 6-year-old ecommerce company now employs 35 people and the occasional intern after hiring five new people over the last year. The new hires include a couple of software developers and a director of project management.

"We are growing but we have reached a point where we have the right people in place," says Dane Downer, vice president & director of professional services for Brand Labs.

Brand Labs was founded by Downer and Kevin Harman as an Internet start-up spinning out of the Harman family's plastics business, Harman Corp. Today it helps firms create and maintain an ecommerce platform. It is rebranding and upgrading this year so it better reflects the company and its core values.

"It represents everybody in our company, from the overall look and feel of the site to the illustrations," Downer says.

Brand Labs is also gearing up to launch its Ecommerce Economic Defense Initiative later this month. The program will give away two service grants, which are each worth $25,000 in Brand Labs services. Participants will be able to submit essays and videos for a chance to win.

Source: Dane Downer, vice president & director of professional services for Brand Labs
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

To Charles Wood, selling a car always comes down to the questions a car buying asks. Wood has been selling cars since he was 18 in the early 1980s and is now heading up a start-up that streamlines the online car-buying experience called Green Flag Credit. The start-up is based on answering a few core, hot button, buying questions.

"People always had a set of questions," Wood says. "If we could answer them the chances of us selling a car go up dramatically."

Green Flag Credit is developing online digital marketing capabilities that build these buying questions into an auto dealer's website. Those questions range from "Can I get pre-approved" and "What's my payment?" The Grosse Pointe-based start-up has put together software than immediately answers those questions and feeds the sale lead to the dealership.

"People go all over the Internet searching for those answers," Wood says.

The 5-month-old start-up is working on a Beta version of its product with five dealers, which should conclude later this summer. It recently received a microloan from the Michigan Microloan Fund, which is is using to finish development of its software and expand its team of four people.

Source: Charles Wood, president of Green Flag Credit
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Aqaba Techbologies continues to ride the social media wave of growth, adding more clients and expanding its workforce in Sterling Heights.

The 8-year-old Internet marketing company now employs nine people after recently hiring a director of digital advertising. It also has a project management position open now. The company has been able to do this by expanding its client list to 200 businesses, creating a solid block of steady revenue for the firm.

A lot of this work is focused on making a business's web presence more accommodating to social media and mobile devices. "Social media is going to play a very big part of our growth," says Ramsey Sweis, president & founder of Aqaba Technologies. "Local search and marketing is going to play a very prominent role in 2014."

Over the last year, Aqaba Technologies revenue has risen by 28 percent and is up 30 percent so far this year. Sweis expects to hit 40-45 percent revenue growth by the end of the year. "That's our target," he says.

Source: Ramsey Sweis, president & founder of Aqaba Technologies
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Harrington Communications has watched both its client list and staff grow in tandem over the last year.

The Grosse Pointe-based marketing agency has added close to 20 new clients over the last year. In that same time it has hired two new people (a graphic designer and an account manager) and is looking to hire another graphic designer right now. The company currently employs six people and three independent contractors.

Spurring this growth has been Harrington Communications switch to more digital-oriented work. The company got its start seven years ago doing print design and general marketing work. It now has narrowed its client list to mainly professional service firms and is focusing on Internet marketing and digital design work, which now composes 50 percent of the firm's work.

"These are the two principal areas where we have grown or evolved," says Jay Harrington, CEO & co-owner of Harrington Communications.

Harrington Communications now specializes in branding, website design and development, email marketing and content creation for law, accounting, consulting and other professional services firms.

Source: Jay Harrington, CEO & co-owner of Harrington Communications
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

SmartFinds Internet Marketing has always been a business in evolution. The company has been one of the early proponents of technology and the Internet when it got its start in 1987. Now it is continuing to grow thanks to its geographic Internet marketing segment.

The Birmingham-based firm watched its revenue jump 100 percent over the last year, allowing it to make plans to add five jobs to its staff of 13 people over the next year. "We have some very large national and global companies coming on in the next quarter," says Melih Oztalay, CEO of SmartFinds Internet Marketing.

The bread and butter for SmartFinds Internet Marketing has always been facilitating Internet marketing and advertising. Its expansion into geographic Internet marketing is allowing it to eat more.

Geographic Internet Marketing helps businesses manage content listings like Yelp and other websites that are easily accessible from people with smart phones and other mobile devices. The idea is to help local firms manage and build their brands through this emerging market segment.

Source: Melih Oztalay, CEO of SmartFinds Internet Marketing
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.