Queue It Up

The used-car industry isn't synonymous with technological innovation, yet admitted techie Jacob Madden still plans to motor ahead with big plans.

A computer engineer with the bulk of his experience in robotics, Madden seeks to import the fast-growing mobile phone marketing field to the world of used cars. “It's a not a traditional techie area to sell a techie product,” says Madden. “But we see this as a tool to sell more vehicles.”

Madden, 30, will rely on that theory to grow CogPower Automotive Solutions into a niche player in the billion-dollar used-car industry. His method is through QR codes, an advanced version of the ubiquitous UPC barcodes placed on thousands of products. QR stands for quick response. It is a two-dimensional matrix of lines and patterns that direct users to Web pages with information.