LOVELAND Technologies got its start as sort of a happy-go-lucky group of friends leveraging software, crowd funding and art to launch a start-up. Today the 3-year-old company is expanding its client list, adding to its staff and focusing its business plan.
"We're trying to get smarter about how we make money," says Jerry Paffendorf, co-founder of
LOVELAND Technologies.
The start-up's signature piece work is
WhyDontWeOwnThis.com, a website that maps property ownership in Detroit. It got its start mapping out the thousands of tax foreclosed properties in Wayne County in 2011. Today it includes maps of government-owned land and is getting ready to launch a new version with more detailed views of all of the properties in the city and that helps people prepare for the tax foreclosure auction and prevent tax foreclosure.
"Now we're trying to make WhyDontWeOwnThis.com year round," Paffendorf says.
LOVELAND Technologies has also taken on more custom software projects, which has allowed it to add another staffer to its four-member team. The firm is also looking at launching a $100,000 fundraiser later this winter that will allow users to buy shares in the company in exchange for access to its newest tools.
"We're at the stage now where everything is functional, it just needs polishing," Paffendorf says.
LOVELAND Technologies has also moved from its Corktown office space to the Department of Alternatives in downtown Detroit. The new collaborative space at the corner of Washington Boulevard and Clifford Street is focused on providing office space for startups making a positive impact on the city.
Source: Jerry Paffendorf, co-founder of LOVELAND Technologies
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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