In a “Made in Mississippi” feature article, “Myra Mirrors More Than a Gadget,” Callie Daniels Bryant of the Mississippi Business Journal tells the story of Myra Mirrors, a startup founded in Oxford, Mississippi, by Ole Miss students Pontus Andersson and Sam Bertolet.
Myra Mirrors makes “smart mirrors,” designed to use the reflective surface of a mirror as a platform for Web-enabled apps. Myra offers two different mirrors right now, a 10-inch makeup mirror and a 27-inch wall mirror.
The mirrors run the ReflektOS, an augmented reality operating system created by Myra Mirrors, that enables apps to run on the mirror’s surface. By default the mirror can offers news, weather, an agenda and reminders that you access (for instance) while getting ready in the morning. You can play videos and audio via the mirror’s interface as well.
Noting that the company is Mississippi born and bred, the article points out Innovate Mississippi‘s involvement in Myra Mirrors as the company got its start. “The startup company was supported by Innovate Mississippi, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to drive technology-based innovation and economic development for the state of Mississippi,” Bryant writes.
Myra Mirrors started its journey with Innovate Mississippi by participating in the New Venture Challenge, after which is began working directly with Innovate’s staff to build out the business plan and conduct market research.
“The founders were students who saw a void in the market and developed protectable solutions to meet the needs of consumers,” Tasha Bibb, director of entrepreneurial development at Innovate Mississippi, told the MBJ.
Bertolet, who is CEO of the venture, credits programs such as Innovate Mississippi’s entrepreneurial development program for fostering innovation in the state. Noting that there’s more computer science talent in California, for instance, Bertolet told the MBJ that changes in Mississippi such as the rise of coding academies and the potential to make big changes in Mississippi are rewarding reasons to grow a company here.
“If I go to California, there’s not a lot I can do to help on a political level but with Myra Mirrors having success I can put a lot of effort into working alongside companies like C Spire and the bigger tech giants to see what we can do for Mississippi,” he told the Mississippi Business Journal.
We at Innovate Mississippi congratulate Myra Mirrors on their success and thank the Mississippi Business Journal and Callie Daniels Bryant for a wonderful story about progress in the innovation ecosystem.
If you’re an entrepreneur and you’d like more information about our programs for entrepreneurs, you can fill out the intake form now or get in touch with us.
