Former ReCellular execs launch new start-up, stkr.it

A new start-up based in Ann Arbor, stkr.it, is helping people move memories trapped in old mobile technology to a format where they can be preserved for posterity.

For instance, if a series of text messages about getting a new job have sentimental value, stkr.it allows them to be moved from the original phone and preserved when the old cell phone is replaced.

"I found that young people were were saving their old cell phones that had old text message conversations," says Mike Newman, president of stkr.it. "They were meaningful and valuable. They didn't want to loose them."

Mike Newman and his father, Chuck Newman, were previously executives with ReCellular, a Dexter-based cell phone recycler. ReCellular has been the largest recycler of cell phones for many years and often worked to find ways to get people to recycle old cell phones. Sentimental attachment to the information inside cell phones was one of the larger barriers to overcome.

Mike Newman moved to New York City two years ago with his wife who took a job in finance. He started stkr.it not long after. Chuck Newman was one of the first investors and convinced Mike Newman (who splits time between New York and Ann Arbor) to move it back to Ann Arbor.

"We had a strong desire to make this a Michigan company," Mike Newman says.

Today, stkr.it is a little more than 1-year-old, employs five people (mostly in Ann Arbor) and is looking to add interns. It is expanding its product offerings to letting users move videos created on smart phones to greeting cards to create a personal touch.

"With our technology you can add a video or a voice message," Mike Newman says. "That way it's much more personal and meaningful."

Source: Mike Newman, president of stkr.it
Writer: Jon Zemke

Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.