Columbia

Nine local finalists chosen for excellence in Innovation, Corporate Excellence and Entrepreneurship    

COLUMBIA, Md. (April 13, 2015) – The Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO) announced today that nine finalists have been selected in the organization’s fifth annual ICE Awards. The awards program, which acknowledges Innovation, Corporate excellence and Entrepreneurship, will recognize 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 21 from 8:30 am – 11:00 am during the awards ceremony at the Sheraton Columbia Town Center Hotel in Columbia, Md.

“TEDCO is honored to work with hundreds of diverse portfolio companies, which represent a variety of industries, technologies and advancements,” said Rob Rosenbaum, president and executive director of TEDCO. “The ICE Awards give us an opportunity to highlight some of the most dynamic companies and entrepreneurs in Maryland’s innovation community, and celebrate their success.”

Awards will be made in three categories: InnovationCorporate 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):

      • Analytical Informatics – Provides the infrastructure for an ecosystem of software-based tools that address clinical, business, communication, and research problems.
      • Avhana Health – Integrating directly into Electronic Medical Records, Avhana’s checklist software helps healthcare providers personalize care, adhere to standards and receive quality-incentive bonuses.
      • Vheda Health – – a digital health company reducing hospitalization for high cost chronic patients engaging individuals with a personalized mobile interventions

Finalists in the Corporate excellencecategory 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):

      • Citelighter – A research and writing platform that helps students, teachers and administrators navigate writing assignments efficiently and provide useful feedback.
      • Lookingglass – Developers of information architecture, Lookingglass’s platforms enable users to assess and manage threat intelligence, monitor ecosystems and support decision-making.
      • Nexercise – Creator of Sworkit, a mobile app available on iOS and Android that provides customized workouts in as little as 5 minutes that can be done anywhere.

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):

    • Jessica Gartner, founder and CEO, Allovue – Developer of web-based data system Balance, that lets schools and school districts track and analyze the impact of school spending on educational outcomes.
    • Eddy C. Agbo, chairman and CEO, Fyodor Biotechnologies – A socially-responsible company focused on the research, development and manufacture of innovative diagnostic and biopharmaceutical products.
    • Tom Popomaronis, founder and CEO, OpiaTalk –  Helping retailers turn browsers into buyers with their social shopping widget that releases “disappearing promos”.

The ICE Awards ceremony on May 21 will include tech demos from 20+ TEDCO portfolio companies, networking opportunities, the awards presentation and remarks by representatives from 2014 ICE Award-winning companies.

If you’re interested in attending TEDCO’s ICE Awards, please RSVP here. Media and the general public are invited to attend, but RSVPs are required. To arrange for a press pass, contact Fulya Gursel at (410) 715-4178.

About TEDCO

TEDCO, the Maryland Technology Development Corporation, enhances economic empowerment growth through the fostering of an inclusive entrepreneurial innovation ecosystem. TEDCO identifies, invests in, and helps grow technology and life science-based companies in Maryland. Learn more at www.tedcomd.com.

Media Contact
Tammi Thomas, Chief Development & Marketing Officer, TEDCO, tthomas@tedcomd.com