David Fry buys Aysling Digital Media Solutions

Wednesday, January 12, 2011 | Source: Concentrate
David Fry's re-entry into the web-development entrepreneurial scene is one part serendipity, one part intentional and another part in the cards, considering Ann Arbor's entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Fry built up Internet firm Fry over the last decade before selling it to Micros Systems in 2008. He now serves as the CTO of Fry Communications and is active with other local startups, such as Current Motors Co. (Ann Arbor) and gloStream (Southfield). And he's rolling back into the start-up game by acquiring Aysling Digital Media Solutions through Fry Communications.

This is where the serendipity comes in. Fry was looking for a top digital content company to buy, and Aysling happened to be based in Ann Arbor. "It was a lucky, happy occurrence," Fry says. He plans to grow the 20-person firm's staff by 25-40 percent over the next year.

The intentional part is staying active in Ann Arbor's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Aysling will allow him to be an active executive again, building up another company locally. "I firmly believe that you stay with the girl that took you to the dance," Fry says.

The in-the-cards part comes from Fry's belief that it was inevitable before this happened. The entrepreneurial talent pool in Ann Arbor runs deep and continues to grow; he points to local angel investment meetings for Ann Arbor Angels as an example. "Those are very crowded meetings," Fry says. "There are probably 30-40 people in that room. There is a lot of talent in Ann Arbor."

Source: David Fry, CTO of Fry Communications
Writer: Jon Zemke

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