7 minute read
Lighting the Way Forward
Lighting the Way Forward
By Emily Daniels
In the world of startups, many ideas begin as mere sparks and ignite into something much bigger. For MagneTec, a student-led company that emerged from Mississippi State University’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Outreach, or E-Center, that spark came from a problem three students encountered in their daily lives.
MagneTec, a startup founded by Dylan Suddarth, Ben Brooks and Jay Stiles, has captured the attention of mechanics, race car enthusiasts and even sewing hobbyists with a product that solves a simple yet significant problem: working in poorly lit environments.
Their device, MagneBrite, offers a unique solution – it is a portable, adaptable LED light that can be affixed to various surfaces, giving users both hands-free lighting and unparalleled flexibility. It is the kind of straightforward idea that answers a real-world problem, and it has caught fire within MSU’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
The story of MagneTec began with Suddarth, an undergraduate mechanical engineering student who later transitioned to industrial and systems engineering and was driven by his dream of merging a love for design with the practical business knowledge of an MBA.
“I was taking a special topics course, Intellectual Property and Patent Design, and was tasked with coming up with an idea that would solve a problem, which would be my project for the year,” recalls Suddarth, now the startup’s Chief Executive Officer. “I remembered a problem I had over winter break working on a Mazda RX-8 engine. I was reaching down into it, but my hand was too big and kept blocking the light every time, so I couldn’t see what I was doing. I knew there had to be a solution, and I thought of a multi-angle flashlight that would fit on the bottom of your wrist.”
His idea gained traction, and he teamed up with Brooks, a fellow student and now Chief Operating Officer, and Stiles, the company’s Chief Technology Officer, to transform MagneTec from a concept into a fully operational company.
After searching and realizing there was not already a product that could do exactly what they needed, the trio saw an opportunity to make it themselves.
The team quickly got to work prototyping their product, using resources from the E-Center like the 3D printers at the Idea Shop.
“We have our own printer now,” Suddarth says with a smile, “But in the beginning, we were using the University’s resources. They really set us up for success.”
Suddarth shares that entrepreneurship has been a lifelong dream for all three of them, and with the E-Center’s assistance, their dream is becoming a reality. Their drive was matched by the support and structure of the E-Center, which helped the team overcome the dreaded “analysis paralysis” and push through each stage of development.
Brooks, who also works in the E-Center as a Student Client Specialist, was pivotal in guiding the company through the stages of MSU’s VentureCatalyst program, which prepares student startups to pitch their ideas to investors.
Stiles is particularly excited about the technical aspects of the product.
“We knew the light needed to be durable, portable and versatile, so designing something that could fit those needs without being too bulky or expensive was a real challenge,” he explains. “We’ve been experimenting with different materials and manufacturing processes to make it as lightweight as possible but still robust enough for heavy use.”
MagneTec has started selling its product. In the 2024 Startup Summit competition at MSU, the team won $7,250, which they have channeled toward a patent attorney, manufacturing, marketing and even the company’s software infrastructure.
“We’re becoming a more legit company by the day,” says Suddarth, with the kind of quiet confidence that comes from seeing one’s idea take tangible shape.
The team decided to pursue the automotive market first as part of a deliberate strategy. Starting with this “beachhead” market allows the MagneBrite developers to refine their product, gather feedback and scale thoughtfully.
“Right now, we’re focusing on the automotive market because we understand it, and it’s where the idea started,” Brooks says, noting the product’s potential is much broader. “Someone came up to us at a pitch competition and said, ‘I could give this to my nail tech.’ It really could be used for anything – night fishing, sewing, woodworking.”
The team is also expanding its product line, adding more advanced versions of their lighting system. While the current MagneBrite sells for around $25, Suddarth says they’re gearing up to launch a “Pro” version in 2025, which will entail an unprecedented design that allows for much greater versatility and utility.
Despite its growth, the startup is still in its early stages. The company’s first real test will be showcasing the entrepreneurs’ product at an upcoming car show, where they hope to sell their lights directly to customers and gather feedback for future iterations.
After the car show, the team plans to attend a professional racing event, where they will talk to race mechanics working with top-tier brands like Lexus, Honda and Porsche.
“That’s going to be huge for us,” Brooks says. “We want to see what the professionals think, the people who do this for a living.”
Stiles adds that feedback from the market has been essential for refining the product.
“We’re working with a lot of real-time data, adjusting features based on what customers say,” he says. “The next step will be adding different attachments to make the lights even more versatile, whether it’s a hat clip, a headband, a backpack clip or a belt clip for mechanics.”
For MagneTec, the future is about more than just selling lights. The trio envisions expanding the company’s product line to offer multiple attachments for different uses and even developing bundled packages.
“We’ll let the market tell us what to do,” Suddarth says.
The team is also eyeing larger partnerships and contracts, particularly with big car companies.
“That’s the dream,” says Brooks. “But we need enough capital to get there.”
While that dream may still be on the horizon, MagneTec is already blazing a trail for MSU student entrepreneurs.
“It’s risky, but it’s incredibly rewarding,” Suddarth says. “There’s something deeply fulfilling about building something from the ground up with your best friends. It’s not just about landing a stable job. It’s about doing something that no one else has done.”
Stiles echoes this sentiment, remarking, “We’re not just learning about business or engineering – we’re actually applying it in real-time. It’s one thing to read about startups, but to actually run one teaches you lessons that go way beyond the classroom.”
At the heart of MagneTec’s success is the structure provided by the E-Center. The program gave the students more than just resources. It gave them a roadmap.
“The checklist, the guidance, the connections we’ve made – it’s all been so crucial to where we are now,” Brooks says. “For anyone considering entrepreneurship, whether they have an idea or not, the question isn’t whether you should try. The real question is, why not?”
As MagneTec prepares for its next steps, the future looks bright for this young startup, proving that with the right support and a great idea, students can light the way forward.
