Six early-stage companies, including two life science companies, were announced winners Wednesday in the Arizona Commerce Authority’s Spring 2014 Arizona Innovation Challenge.
Every spring and fall, the ACA awards $1.5 million to the most qualified, innovative startups and early-stage companies in its business plan competition. Winners receive up to $250,000 to build their business, with the goal of advancing innovation and technology commercialization opportunities in Arizona.
“It’s exhilarating to see so many bright minds compete to bring technological advancements to the market, while taking advantage of our state’s supportive entrepreneurial climate,” shared ACA President and CEO Sandra Watson in a prepared statement. “Their innovations help to support our economy and contribute to our long-term vitality and quality of life.” ACA President and CEO Sandra Watson said this round of the Innovation Challenge shows why Arizona continues to be recognized as a “hub of innovation and technology.”
The six winning companies are:
- Amber Alert GPS, (formerly Alert GPS Holdings Corp. from Utah) a Scottsdale-based company that offers two-way cellular phone calling, continuous global positioning system tracking and customizable alerts via email, texts and an app to keep families safe and connected anywhere in the world.
- EndoVantage LLC, a Paradise Valley-based company that provides computer simulations of medical device deployments into blood vessels and predictions of blood flow changes, enabling pre-surgery planning that improves treatment quality and decreases cost.
- LawLytics, a Tucson-based proprietary software-as-a-service suite that allows lawyers to maximize their online marketing dollars.
- Picmonic, a Tempe-based company that offers an interactive online audio-visual learning system that delivers scientific memory techniques through unforgettable art, audio instructions and textual overviews, brought together with cohesive stories.
- Triton Microtechnologies, an Oro Valley-based manufacturer of a technology that enables customers to integrate electronic circuits into glass and allows them to scale from single quantities to millions of parts.
- World View Enterprises Inc., a Tucson-based provider of trips to near space using balloon technology for tourism, research and industry.
The winners were selected from 135 applications, with 25 semifinalists named in Mayand 10 finalists named June 16.