Luna Tech Designs digitizes cities, enters travel, tourism markets

Luna Tech Designs got its start three years ago, digitizing downtown Plymouth into a Google Earth-style world where people could experience the city center online as if they were walking through it themselves.

Today the start-up is utilizing partnerships outside of its backyard to augment its staff to three employees and six independent contractors. It plans to hire a few more people this spring to keep up with work in new markets, such as Charlotte, N.C., and Branson, Mo.

"Now we're moving into other areas, like travel and tourism, creating technology for hotels and way-finding systems," says Doug Willett, president of Luna Tech Designs.

Luna Tech Designs began to hit its stride when it formed a partnership with multi-touch system developer Innovative Computers. The Belleville-based firm was working with Luna Tech Designs to digitize Central Michigan University's campus for Google Earth. The firm hopes to create at least four more similar partnerships.

"It's about creating relationships with other entities in other markets," Willett says. "We're not going to set up brick-and-mortar operations in Charlotte. We're going to find a partner down there."

Source: Doug Willett, president of Luna Tech Designs
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
Enjoy this story? Sign up for free solutions-based reporting in your inbox each week.