MagneBrite, a Mississippi State University StartUp invention, is an innovative flashlight designed to solve a common problem faced by anyone working with their hands: inadequate lighting.
Created by computer-aided design expert and MSU alumnus Jay Stiles alongside MSU Master of Business Administration candidates Ben Brooks, electrical engineer, and Dylan Suddarth, industrial engineer, MagneBrite aims to address the limitations of traditional light sources. MagneBrite now operates under the LLC company MagneTec, also created by the group.
When asked what inspired this invention, Brooks, MagneTec’s COO, recalls a pivotal moment while repairing a car engine with Suddarth and Stills, who are now the CEO and chief technology officer of MagneTec, respectively.
“No matter what light we were using, when Dylan would reach his hand into a deep crevice of the engine bay to reach a clutch line, the light would always be blocked,” Brooks said.
This recurring problem sparked the idea for a new type of light source — one that would not be obstructed by hands or tools. The team soon realized that they had the technical skills necessary to create a solution.
Drawing on their engineering backgrounds, they began developing prototypes. Their early prototypes, which incorporated magnetic attachments and wearable designs, laid the groundwork for a light source that could be worn on the wrist, repositioned on magnetic surfaces or attached to various tools and mounts.
Suddarth’s classes on intellectual property and patent design provided the framework for refining the product and pitching the idea. Their first major milestone was competing at the 2023 MSU Startup Summit, where MagneBrite won second place in the New Product Division and the People’s Choice Award.
The prize money funded further prototyping and helped the team establish essential business infrastructure, including registering MagneTec as an LLC and opening a corporate bank account.
By 2024, MagneBrite had evolved into a refined, manufacturable design. The team returned to the Startup Summit with a more polished product, sweeping awards: first place in the New Product Division, the grand finale and multiple People’s Choice Awards. These wins provided a cash infusion that allowed them to scale production.
Suddarth lamented about what got the group started.
“It really all boils down to us finding a problem that we wanted solved, solving it for ourselves,” Suddarth said, “and then talking to people who have similar problems to incorporate their needs into our design.”
As MagneBrite grows and expands, the team hopes to create more products that will meet the needs of other markets, such as home repairs, electronics repair, outdoorsmen, the medical field, electricians and general hobbyists.
The team is passionate about combining engineering with entrepreneurship, seeing the potential for MagneBrite to become a must-have tool in numerous fields.
With this collaborative mission, Brooks has been integral to the company’s development. Brooks credits his love for invention and entrepreneurship for driving his involvement.
“When I chose engineering, I wanted to use it as a means to create. I never wanted to be held down by the monotony that is typically associated with engineering,” Brooks said.
Brooks’s participation in the MBA Venture Pathway program at his university gave him the entrepreneurial foundation to pair technical expertise with business acumen.
Similarly, Suddarth has also always been interested in inventing and entrepreneurship, and this experience has allowed him to turn that interest into a potential career.
“While everything that goes into entrepreneurship can be very intimidating, I forced myself out of my comfort zone to take the first step simply for the experience,” Suddarth said, “but have found the process to be perpetually rewarding and motivating to get more and more involved with taking my future into my own hands.”
And for anyone considering pursuing entrepreneurship themselves, Suddarth had a word of encouragement.
“For anyone who may be interested in entrepreneurship, whether you have an idea or not, I highly suggest taking the first steps. The worst-case scenario is that you learn more about yourself and the world around you, and the best-case scenario is that you get to live your dreams,” Suddarth said.
