JumpStart invests $400,000 in Wireless Environment

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Bangalore: JumpStart, the Northeast Ohio venture development organization that accelerates the growth of innovative early-stage businesses and ideas, has announced an investment commitment of $400,000 in Wireless Environment, an Elyria based company developing and patenting technologies for use in a wide range of lighting products that use light emitting diodes (LEDs). LEDs are more environmentally friendly than incandescent, fluorescent and halogen technologies, and offer longer lifetimes while consuming less power. Working with both wired and battery powered applications, the company is building their intellectual property around alternative power sources, which can be relied on in power outages, and wireless user controls for a wide range of operations, including dimming, on / off timing, and motion sensing. Wireless Environment has already filed two patents, with plans to file an additional 10 to 15 over the next two years. "LEDs are rapidly emerging as the lighting technology of the future and Wireless is developing power and control features that bring added value to the consumer," said JumpStart Entrepreneur-in-Residence Jerry Frantz. The company, led by David Levine, president, and Michael Recker, chief technology officer, is currently marketing and selling its two initial products: a battery-powered motion sensing LED spot light and an LED stair light that emits a faint light that brightens with motion. In addition to the JumpStart investment, which will be used to further develop patents and prototypes, Wireless Environment has also received a grant from the Innovation Fund of the Lorain County Community College Foundation and a product development loan from Cuyahoga County.