A recent MSU grad is tackling a problem that frustrates people daily — tangled headphones. Jeremy Lindlbauer, MSU alumnus, along with Paul Schrems and Nick Turnbull, University of Michigan alumni, has founded TurtleCell. The mobile accessory company has patented an iPhone case with built in, retractable headphones, so that consumers never have to worry about untangling them again.
When Lindlbauer came on to the TurtleCell project Schrems and Turnbull had just concluded an unsuccessful Kickstarter, an online fundraising tool, campaign.
“Paul and Nick had the engineering side covered, but there was a gap on the sales and marketing side,” Lindlbauer said. “I’ve been working with them since then, and we’ve made huge strides in both the product development and marketing/branding.”
In order to make their product a success, Lindlbauer knew that they would need to partner with other companies. They secured a relationship with a large manufacturing and distribution expert out of Auburn Hills, which helped in terms of vetting manufacturers, fronting the large sums of cash required to tool up and move quickly, and delivering units to national retailers.
“My time at MSU helped me to develop the communication and people skills I utilize in my role at TurtleCell,” Lindlbauer said. “The business school focuses on group work and collaboration, which is key to sales, marketing and project management.”
Their business may be growing quickly, but the cofounders have no intention of leaving Michigan.
“We are where we are today thanks to collaborations with 16 Michigan-based companies,” Lindlbauer said. “Keeping TurtleCell in the Michigan economy is very important to us.”
One of these 16 companies is the MSU Innovation Center. Along with providing office space, Spartan Innovations funded TurtleCell’s trip to the 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show, which provided a huge audience of potential investors and consumers.
“Being given the opportunity to participate in CES was an invaluable experience,” Lindlbauer said. “We would have missed all of the opportunities that came from our exposure there had it not been for support from MSU.”
With a staff of six, the founders plus three interns, the TurtleCell operation is a lean one. While they will be growing to nine in the next month Lindlbauer feels their small staff allows the employees to stay focused on the product.
The company is currently accepting orders for the case, which is expected to ship in October. By ordering now, customers will receive a $10 discount. They also are in the process of developing a phone case for Samsung Galaxy devices as well as other smart phones that they hope to launch soon.
To learn more visit TurtleCell.com.