Nine local finalists chosen for excellence in Innovation, Corporate Excellence and Entrepreneurship
COLUMBIA, Md. (April 15, 2014) – The Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) announced today that nine finalists have been selected in the organization’s fourth annual ICE Awards. The awards program, which recognizes Innovation, Corporate Excellence and Entrepreneurship, will reward outstanding businesses and individuals from TEDCO’s diverse portfolio of more than 300 seed and early-stage companies. Winners will be announced on Thursday, May 15 from 8:30 am – 11:30 am during the awards ceremony at the Sheraton Columbia Town Center Hotel in Columbia, Md.
“TEDCO’s portfolio companies encompass an incredibly diverse range of industries, technologies and innovations,” said Rob Rosenbaum, president and executive director of TEDCO. “We are pleased to announce this year’s ICE Awards finalists and congratulate them on their continued success in some of the fastest-growing and most competitive fields out there. Most importantly, we look forward to continuing to support leading Maryland innovators.”
Awards are made in three categories: Innovation, Corporate Excellence and Entrepreneurship.
Finalists in the Innovation category were chosen for creating a unique technology that addressed a specific need and gained follow-on funding. They are (in alphabetical order):
Diagnostic Biochips – Fast-response chemical sensing technology created by Diagnostic Biochips can be used to make medical devices and implants “smart” by providing information on biological activity.
Rehabtics – Rehabtics is an online rehabilitation system that uses gaming technology to enable patients to follow and conduct rehabilitation training in engaging virtual environments.
Woofound – Creator of Explore, an application that uses a “visual personality assessment” to recommend career paths based on users’ responses to a series of images.
Finalists in the Corporate Excellence category were chosen based on growth numbers in the areas of employees, revenue and investments; history as a TEDCO portfolio company; community involvement and company recognition. They are (in alphabetical order):
CSA Medical – Specializing in spray cryotherapy technologies, CSA Medical developed truFreeze®, which freezes and removes bodily tissues in general surgery with or without an endoscope.
i-Lighting – Providing LED lighting solutions that create secure, lasting and attractive environments both indoors and outdoors.
Looking Glass – Developers of information architecture, Looking Glass’s platforms enable users to asses and manage threat intelligence, monitor ecosystems and support decision-making.
Finalists in the Entrepreneurship category were chosen based on their distinct leadership skills, start-up success, personal recognition, vision creation and ability to build a management team. They are (in alphabetical order):
Casey Eitner, senior vice president, Noble Life Sciences – A contract research organization operated by scientists, Noble Life Sciences helps develop drugs, including in-vivo and in-vitro specialized models.
Greg Merril, CEO, Brain Sentry – Developers of an innovative helmet-mounted sensor that helps coaches identify athletes that should be assessed for a concussion.
Wayne Swann, managing partner and founder, CrispTek – Creators of Choice Batter®, a line of gluten-free low-oil absorbing edibles that use a special blend of rice flour to make tasty, allergy-friendly foods.
The ICE Awards ceremony on May 15 will include tech demos, networking opportunities, the awards presentation and remarks by representatives from 2013 ICE Award-winning companies.
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