Jim Vitek has a theory about smart phone users. He believes they will opt in for advertising if they receive high-end content for free.
He believe in it so much that he launched his own start-up,
AppKey, out of Ann Arbor's Tech Brewery to take advantage of the market opportunity. The start-up has created a new advertising channel to fix return on investment for advertisers. One year into the experiment and AppKey boast 8,000 users.
"We have validated that the original concept works with paying customers," Vitek says. "We are evolving so we can shift into second gear."
AppKey runs on a team of three people and the occasional intern. That team is currently working to ramp up the number and size of its advertisers and user base. Vitek expects to hit more than 1 million users within a year. He also expects to grow his staff from the company's office in the Tech Brewery.
"I was always very impressed with the diversity of talent in the tech brewery," Vitek says. "It also has an entrepreneurial attitude that is consistent with my ambitions."
Source: Jim Vitek, founder & CEO of AppKey
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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