Monarch Antenna to launch 'smart' antenna tech

Wednesday, December 8, 2010 | Source: Concentrate

There isn't much technology they can't make smart these days. The latest example is Monarch Antenna, a company that is marketing a 'smarter' antenna.

The Ann Arbor-based company is commercializing technology spun out of the University of Michigan for military, industrial and consumer electronics markets. The technology alters the electronic properties of an antenna so it can maximize signal quality.

Monarch Antenna is three years old and has received a variety of seed capital infusions to develop the prototypes of its technology, including one from Automation Alley. The company is in the process of hiring a CEO and expects to commercialize its technology by next summer. Its current prototype is being installed on sensors that monitor wear and tear on a bridge on I-94.

In the mean time, Monarch Antenna's team of five people is gearing up for the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition, where it is a semifinalist. Its founders like their odds of scoring the $500,000 top prize, considering the wide reach of their technology.

"We have a good chance," says Tayfun Ozdemir, CTO for Monarch Antenna. "It's a unique product that cuts across many industries. As far as market potential is concerned, it's big. That prize money would allow us to penetrate those markets."

Source: Tayfun Ozdemir, CTO for Monarch Antenna
Writer: Jon Zemke

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