Eight San Diego companies selected as recipients of annual award. Connect co-founder David Hale inducted into Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.
SAN DIEGO (December 6, 2019) – Connect with San Diego Venture Group (“Connect”), last night announced the winners of its Most Innovative New Product Awards. The prestigious competition, hosted annually by Connect, is a signature event that recognizes innovators and their latest groundbreaking products.
“All of the finalists showcased at the Innovation Awards are pushing the boundaries of their industries. Our region is known for developing cutting-edge innovation, and we’re privileged to be a small part of it” said Connect CEO Mike Krenn. “We love working with these entrepreneurs in our community. There are so many more amazing companies than just last night’s winners – from small startups to large companies. We are super excited with what lies ahead for Connect and how we plan to support the growth and success of these companies and our ecosystem. Investors take note!”
The 2019 Most Innovative Product Award winners faced a rigorous judging process that evaluated companies of all sizes across multiple categories before being selected as finalists. Twenty-one finalists pitched their products live in front of an expert judging panel in October, from which the eight winners were selected.
Listed below, in their respective categories, are the eight 2019 Most Innovative New Product Award winners.
Big Data
GigaIO – FabreX from GigaIO is a fundamentally new network architecture for data center systems that integrate computing, storage and memory into a single-system fabric throughout the rack or cluster, using industry standard PCI Express technology.
Cleantech
Aquacycl – The BioElectrochemical Treatment Technology (BETT) from Aquacycl is the only plug-and-play technology for decentralized wastewater treatment that produces electricity (no methane), eliminates sludge, and enables water reuse with minimal operating expense.
Defense
Cubic – Cubic’s Secure Live Virtual Constructive (LVC) Advanced Training Environment (SLATE) is a system of systems that adds simulated aircraft and threats to the live aircraft and threats in US fighter displays (F-15, F-35, etc.) to increase the enemy density during training missions – impossible to do before SLATE.
Life Sciences & Healthtech (Two winners tied in this category)
Cardea – The Genome Sensor is the world’s first DNA Search Engine that can find genetic mutations in as little as fifteen minutes.
LunaPBC – LunaDNA from LunaPBC works directly with individuals for private, transparent, and fair health data sharing, fixing historical limitations of poor representation, fragmented information, and imbalance in value.
Medical Device
IRRAS – IRRAflow is a breakthrough medical device that can change how the most severe stroke patients are treated. IRRAflow from IRRAS combines brain pressure measurement and necessary fluid drainage that reduces swelling with automated irrigation that enhances drainage of deadly collected blood.
Smart City & Transportation
Platform Science – Developed alongside drivers, fleet managers and back office staff, Platform Science is an enterprise Internet of Things (IoT) open platform for fleet management. It connects the vehicles, devices and apps that make transportation smart by leveraging today’s most innovative technology.
Software
Seismic – Seismic HomePage is a situationally aware homepage that spotlights relevant information for each individual seller and recommends next steps based on what is likely to help them engage their unique set of buyers.
To be eligible for the 2019 Most Innovative New Product Awards, the product must have been first introduced after January 1, 2017, never been a finalist for this award before, and generated revenue from sales (except free mobile apps and companies submitting certain products for the Life Sciences & Healthtech category).
The winners were announced last night, December 5th, at the 32nd annual Innovation Awards event at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine.
“The Innovation Awards are a celebration of the diverse talent and amazing community here in San Diego,” said Connect President Dr. Silvia Mah. “At Connect, we are proud to be champions of entrepreneurship and innovation, and look forward to seeing how all of our finalists and winners continue to make major impacts in their fields.”
The evening’s celebration also featured the official induction of David Hale, chairman and CEO of Hale BioPharma Ventures, into the Connect Entrepreneur Hall of Fame. In addition, Connect honored three other renowned San Diego luminaries: Dr. Mary Walshok, with the William W. Otterson Award for Advancing Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Taner Halicioglu with the Duane Roth Distinguished Contribution Award for Technology and Dr. Carol Gallagher with the Duane Roth Distinguished Contribution Award for Life Sciences.