
Celebrating 32 Years!
Most Innovative New Product (MIP) Awards, Entrepreneur Hall of Fame, and more
For over 30 years, Connect has celebrated innovation in the tech and lifescie industries with our annual Awards Dinner.
From major companies like Qualcomm, SDG&E, and General Atomics to startups such as Measurabl, Aira, and StemoniX — the most innovative products are given top honors to highlight their impact.
The 2019 Innovation Awards
Most Innovative New Product (MIP) Awards
The MIP Awards honors groundbreaking new products launched within the past two years. Winners will be announced at the Awards Dinner on December 5th. Previous winners include Brain Corp, ViaCyte, Aira, Cubic Corp., Fuse Integration, Nextivity, and more.
CONNECT MIP Event 2018_Highlights
Experience CONNECT's 2018 Most Innovative New Product Awards all over again with our highlight reel!

CATEGORIES:
Big Data | CleanTech | Defense | Life Sciences & HealthTech | Medical Device | Smart City & Transportation | Software
Big Data
These three companies are leveraging extremely large data sets to expand our capabilities in storage, computing, security, and more.
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.
The MemCPU SaaS product from MemComputing solves today’s most complex optimization problems in a fraction of the time required by best in class solutions. Problems that take hours or days today are solved in minutes or seconds by MemComputing.
Suavei has developed and deployed the only self-calibrating threat management solution available for wirelessly connected devices or, Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices. Suavei’s solution enables businesses to rapidly find, assess, and fix security vulnerabilities in critical network infrastructure connected over wireless and wireline networks. Suavei’s tool is fully automated, highly scalable, and 100% SaaS.
CleanTech
These companies are accelerating clean energy innovation for the benefit of the economy and environment.
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.
GroGuru enables a permanent installation model for soil sensors using breakthrough Wireless Underground System (WUGS) technology, which dramatically reduces total cost of ownership, improves scalability, and gives farmers year-round data that is critical for strategic irrigation management.
Uprise Energy has developed the world’s first commercially sized mobile wind turbine. The Uprise Energy Mobile Power Station is a 10kW portable wind turbine that delivers low cost, clean energy, when and where it is needed.
Defense
From the air to the ground, these finalists are making advancements that will support our military and help keep civilians safe.
The MTP is the first portable computing system like it in the world. CP Technologies’ new MTP rugged portable trifold computers are module, high performance computers designed for use in challenging real-world military, industrial and commercial applications. No other portable computer can handle high stress environments with as much processing power and portability as the MTP.
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.
KI-103 from Innoflight is a satellite encryption/decryption unit that allows for U.S. Government data to be securely communicated from a satellite to the ground station, and vice versa. Innoflight’s KI-103 product is the first unit in its class to be developed by a small business—and certified by the NSA—for the purpose of secure space-to-ground communications.
Life Sciences & Healthtech
Pushing the boundaries of life sciences, biotech, and healthtech is what San Diego is known for and these companies are leading the way.
The Genome Sensor is the world’s first DNA Search Engine that can find genetic mutations in as little as fifteen minutes.
Leo Lens Technology (LLT) is focused on using its platform printing technology to commercialize a drug-eluting, comfort-enhancing contact lens to treat millions of patients worldwide. The idea is simple – use a contact lens to deliver drugs topically to patients instead of eye drops.
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
In the ongoing quest for better ways to treat and diagnose medical conditions, these companies are making major breakthroughs in technology.
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.
NeuraLace Medical is a medical device company whose bold mission is to disrupt the chronic pain epidemic. Axon Therapy from NeuraLace Medical is the first non-invasive, non-opioid, robotically assisted, clinically demonstrated application of magnetic therapy for chronic peripheral neuropathic pain, that provides immediate and sustained pain relief for patients.
NuVasive’s LessRay® is a hospital operating room (OR) smart imaging platform that’s shown to reduce radiation exposure by >75% and enhance OR workflow. The platform integrates with traditional, mobile C-arm imaging systems used to obtain X-ray (fluoroscopic) images during surgery while reducing the amount of radiation emission associated with taking low-dose fluoroscopic images.
Smart City & Transportation
The Monolithic D-Band Antenna for Ultra High Bandwidth Data Transmission (D-Band) antenna from CUBIC enables wireless, ultra-high data rate networks in urban environments.
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.
Airspace Technologies builds an industry-first, automated solution through with their proprietary software application. The platform is the only technology that provides stakeholders automatic quoting, routing, and real-time notifications. The platform is built on an ecosystem of applications to keep all stakeholders up to date.
Software
GoSite’s platform provides a variety of software solutions to small businesses. The tools are designed to help a small businesses market themselves, manage their business, and ultimately get paid by their customers.
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.
Yembo is building artificial intelligence technology that streamlines the shopping process for the 40M Americans who relocate each year. Yembo’s computer vision technology transforms the stressful, time consuming, and fragmented relocation experience into an interactive process that takes only a few minutes.

Congratulations to the 2019 Inductee!
David Hale
Chairman of the Board and CEO of Hale BioPharma Ventures
David Hale is Chairman and CEO of Hale BioPharma Ventures, LLC a private company focused on the formation and development of biotechnology, specialty pharma, diagnostic and medical device companies. He also serves as Chairman of two public companies Biocept, Inc., a cancer diagnostic company and Conatus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a liver disease company. He served as Chairman of Santarus, Inc., prior to its sale to Salix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in 2014, SkinMedica, Inc. prior to its sale to Allergan in 2012, Micromet, Inc. prior to its sale to Amgen Inc. in 2012 and Somaxon Pharmaceuticals prior to its sale to Pernix in 2013. Mr. Hale is a serial entrepreneur who has been involved in the formation and development of a number of biomedical companies.


Tech

Taner Halicioglu
Founder & Manager, Keshif Ventures
Founder of Halıcıoğlu Data Science Institute, University of California
Life Sciences

Dr. Carol Gallagher
Partner, New Enterprise Associates


Dr. Mary Walshok
Dean at UCSD Extension
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