MyFab5 pivots to combine online rankings with Instagram

MyFab5 got its start as a new way for people to review eateries and stores online. Now it’s pivoting to become an additional feature on Instagram. "We're not trying to be Instagram," says Omeid Seirafi-Pour, co-founder & CEO of MyFab5. "We’re trying to be an added layer on Instagram." MyFab5 allows its users to take pictures of their meals at restaurants and then rank their experience. The Ann Arbor-based startup has developed technology that allows users to rank their top five businesses in certain genres in local areas, their top five picks for Chinese restaurants in Ann Arbor, or five favorite places to grab a burrito. "We have found that foodies love the pictures on Instagram and love our ranking system," Seirafi-Pour says. The startup launched its ranking system last August and is currently being employed in major cities across the U.S. The startup has facilitated 18,000 rankings across the country so far. "We're seeing the most activity in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Chicago, Portland, New York and Austin,"  Seirafi-Pour says. MyFab5 is currently made up of a team of four full-time employees and two part-timers. It also has a small group of marketing interns helping grow its Instagram following to 30,000 members. Source: Omeid Seirafi-Pour, co-founder & CEO of MyFab5 Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.