The company is leaving the Spark incubator and moving into new offices.
TurtleCell, a Michigan University startup, is leaving the Spark incubator and moving into a new office in the Kerrytown district of Ann Arbor. The new office will give the company, which builds cases for iPhone 5 and 5S with in-built, retractable headphones, the necessary space to grow.
The company closed a $250,000 funding round only weeks ago and expects to grow from a current six employees to nine by the end of July and triple its size by the end of the year. TurtleCell is particularly in need of engineers, product designers, creative marketers with technical skills and project managers.
The company’s iPhone cases allow the user to extract headphones with a pull, and retract them back in with a push of a button. The 3.5-foot cord hides away inside a 7-millimeter-thick case, with the ear buds docked at the top. TurtleCell has launched a pre-order for its product, selling it for a discounted $39.95 – $10 off the full retail price. Products are expected to ship in October.
Ann Arbor Spark is an incubator in the Michigan city, with both locations in close proximity to Michigan University campuses. The incubator was co-founded by Kenneth Nisbet – listed on the GUV VIP List 2014 – in 2004.
Paul Krutko, president and CEO of Ann Arbor Spark, said: “TurtleCell is a prime example of how, when offered the right ecosystem and support, young talent will choose to stay in the Ann Arbor region, and create jobs here. This young company shows that this region has the elements in place to nurture a business from its earliest days to it bringing a game-changing technology to market. It is amazing to have seen TurtleCell start up, graduate from the university setting, tap in to local and statewide resources and achieve success, all from the Spark Central incubator.”
