RPM Ventures Portfolio Company Mobius Honored as One of "Michigan 50 Companies to Watch"
Ann Arbor, Mich. - May 14, 2006 - RPM Ventures announced today that Mobius Microsystems, a portfolio company managed under RPM Ventures' predecessor fund, Waypoint Venture Partners, has been recognized as one of the "Michigan 50 Companies to Watch," through an awards program sponsored by the Edward Lowe Foundation.
Mobius Microsystems, in which Waypoint Ventures initially invested in October of 2003, received the honor at a ceremony during the second annual "Michigan Celebrates Small Business" event, April 19 in East Lansing, Mich. At the event, Mobius was also recognized as winner of the Innovation of the Year Award, a separate award honoring a product or service that earned revenue for the first time during the previous year.
"We are thrilled, but not surprised, that Mobius has been recognized as one of the 'Michigan 50 Companies to Watch'," said RPM Ventures Managing Director Tony Grover. "Since investing in the company at its seed stage, we've seen it grow tremendously and believe it has the potential to become a huge semiconductor company based on its proprietary university-created intellectual property."
Mobius Microsystems is an innovator in RF and mixed signal designs. Its patented Radio Frequency Temperature Compensated Harmonic Oscillator (RF-TCHO) is the industry's first highly accurate, High Speed Universal Serial Bus (HS-USB 2.0) compliant, frequency reference entirely implemented in a CMOS process. The company is applying its disruptive technologies to eliminate crystals and crystal oscillators from electronic systems to simplify system designs, shorten component lead-times and improve device reliability for consumer electronics manufacturers.
"Michigan 50 Companies to Watch is a unique awards program designed to shine the spotlight on second-stage companies," says Edward Lowe Foundation Executive Director Mark Lange. The Edward Lowe Foundation is a not-for-profit operating foundation based in Michigan. Its mission is to "champion the entrepreneurial spirit" by helping second-stage entrepreneurs learn from each other.
"Startup companies and large corporations often garner attention for their achievements," says Lange. "But growing second-stage enterprises work mostly behind the scenes, even though they generate the bulk of new, sustainable jobs and are a powerful economic force underpinning the high quality of life most Americans enjoy."
Companies nominated to be members of the "Michigan 50 Companies to Watch" list must be second-stage companies, defined as employing six to 99 full-time-equivalent employees and generating $750,000 to $50 million in annual revenue or working capital in place from investors or grants. In addition, the companies must be privately held and headquartered in Michigan.
Winners were selected by representatives of the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center, the Small Business Association of Michigan, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the U.S. Small Business Administration-Michigan, the Michigan Certified Development Corporation and the Edward Lowe Foundation, based in part on the winners demonstrated intent and capacity to grow based on employee or sales growth; exceptional entrepreneurial leadership; sustainable competitive advantage; and other notable factors that showcase the company's success.
About RPM Ventures
Founded in 2000, Ann Arbor, Mich.-based RPM Ventures, previously Waypoint Ventures, provides capital and guidance to entrepreneurs starting and building innovative technology companies. The firm has a reputation as a national specialist for its unique insight and access to the automotive and manufacturing industries, and as a regional generalist helping to create companies based on novel technologies from Midwest research centers. For more information, please visit www.rpmvc.com.
About Mobius
Founded in April 2004, Mobius Microsystems is an innovator in RF and mixed signal designs. Its patented Radio Frequency Temperature Compensated Harmonic Oscillator (RF-TCHO) is the industry's first highly accurate, High Speed Universal Serial Bus (HS-USB 2.0) compliant, frequency reference entirely implemented in a CMOS process. The company is applying its disruptive technologies to eliminate crystals and crystal oscillators from electronic systems to simplify system design, shorten component lead-times and improve device reliability for consumer electronics manufacturers. For more information, visit www.mobiusmicro.com.
