By: Deborah Johnson Wood
On April 12, the Edward Lowe Foundation will award Crayon Interface, Inc. with the honor of being one of the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch. Nominees must be second-stage companies, with 6 to 99 full-time employees, generating $750,000 to $50 million in annual revenue or working capital from investors or grants.
Crayon Interface, located at 14 West 8th in Holland, is the developer of Moshi, a software interface system that allows users to control certain electronic devices with their cell phone.
On April 15, Wisconsin-based Hawking Technology will launch their Home Remote Wireless Home Automation System using Moshi technology. Downloading the software is similar to downloading a ringtone.
"With this product, users can control the lighting and temperature of their home or office via cell phone from anywhere in the world, and see videos that allow them to monitor what's going on," said Crayon CEO Garrick Pohl. ""We've tested it with phones in Europe, Asia, Puerto Rico, and other places around the world."
Add-on modules provide water, fire, and motion detection, or control appliances and electronic window shades. Accessories, like door and window sensors, alert customers if the doors or windows are opened.
In 2006, the company secured $1 million dollars in out-of-state investments to commercialize its technology. Pohl said they expect to grow the company from its current seven employees to about twelve before year's end, adding positions for software developers, customer service, and business development.
Source: Garrick Pohl, Crayon Interface, Inc.; Jason Spaulding, Lakeshore Advantage
Deborah Johnson Wood is the Development News Editor for Rapid Growth. She can be reached at [email protected].
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