Ann Arbor-based Monarch Antenna, Inc. has found Michigan to be a great place to launch and grow. “We thought that this technology might not be something that Michigan would understand,” said CEO Randy Dence. “While it certainly took a greater effort to build and spread the message, we found that Michigan gets it.”
Monarch helps improve wireless connection reliability. The company’s signature antenna adapts to the environment and provides numerous benefits for smartphone and tablet users, as well as wireless carrier companies. “Smartphone users will see an increase in reception, fewer dropped calls, fewer dead zones, longer battery life and faster data downloads,” said Dence. “Phone carrier companies could save billions of dollars by avoiding the installation of more cell towers if they had just a kilometer more range.”
Dence noted that while Michigan’s growth capital community isn’t as large as San Diego or Silicon Valley, it is open to new technology ideas. “Michigan is receptive to new ideas and new technologies without letting location being a deterrent to something new,” he said. “The community, the state and the Midwest will embrace new technologies, but you have to go out and spread the word.”
Monarch has valued its participation at the Michigan Growth Capital Symposium. “We’ve gotten great exposure and feedback, and we’ve made a lot of contacts through the Symposium,” said Dence. “The 10-minute presentation format is a challenge for technology companies, but I think that forces the presenters to focus and craft their main messages.”