Winners Named in 2019 Sacramento Region Innovation Awards

Stoel Rives LLP, Moss Adams LLP and the Sacramento Business Journal host awards program recognizing innovation from emerging to established Capital Region organizations

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Region Innovation Awards program is proud to announce the winners of the fourth annual contest, revealed Nov. 7, 2019, during a ceremony hosted by organizers Stoel Rives LLP, Moss Adams LLP and the Sacramento Business Journal. Seven winners and 11 finalists were recognized during the awards reception, held at the historic Crest Theatre in downtown Sacramento.

The awards program recognizes regional innovation across seven categories, honoring the people and organizations from the Sacramento area* that advance new products, services and processes. The 2019 winners are:

Advanced Manufacturing

• Post Drivers & Jackhammers – US Hammer, Inc.

Food & Agribusiness

• Vite Ramen – Vite Kitchens

Government & Civic

• Japa Smart Parking – Japa, Inc.

Medical & Health – BioPharma

• Small Molecule Drug Discovery and Development – EicOsis

Medical & Health – MedTech

• Precision Balance PaaS – PROTXX, Inc.

Software

• Intelligent Network Automation – Gluware, Inc.

Sustainability

• Hank AI Virtual Building Engineer – Hank

Recognizing its commitment to supporting the Sacramento area’s innovation economy, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) has been named Innovator of the Year. SMUD began serving Sacramento in 1946 and today is the nation’s sixth-largest community-owned electric utility. It is recognized nationally and internationally for its innovative energy efficiency programs and renewable power technologies.

“SMUD’s commitment to the Mobility Center, the Powerhouse Science Center, HackerLab, CleanStart and other organizations working to develop an innovation economy in the region, as well as its initiatives to address climate change, demonstrate that SMUD embodies the region’s spirit of innovation in thought leadership and environmental stewardship,” said Christopher L. Russell, a Stoel Rives partner and chair of the Sacramento Region Innovation Awards.

Past recipients of the top award include Wide Open Walls, Sacramento’s arts and mural festival; Golden 1 Center, home of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings; and the University of California, Davis — all were acknowledged for making broad and profound impacts on the regional innovation community.

Nearly 70 nominations were evaluated by a selection committee consisting of local leaders from civic, business, academic and technology sectors. In addition to the winners, the following finalists also were recognized during the program:

Advanced Manufacturing

• PARC + Configurator & Infinite Panel – Clark Pacific

Food & Agribusiness

• Plant-Based Protein Formula to Enhance Meat – The Better Meat Co.

Government & Civics

• Alchemist Microenterprise Academy – Alchemist CDC
• Former Illegal Grow Houses Rehab Program – Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento and the City of Sacramento

Medical & Health – BioPharma

• Cell-in-Gel Technology for High-Content Cardiotoxicity Screening – CardioProbe Inc.

Medical & Health – MedTech

• Cryo8 Hip Orthosis Brace – Ortho8
• EXPLORER Total-Body PET Scanner – UC Davis

Software

• Price Image Optimization for Retail – Engage3
• Remote Virtual Reality Monitoring System – Augmntr, Inc.

Sustainability

• Electric Vehicle Battery Storage – RePurpose Energy
• Facet – Sustainable Technologies, LLC

The Sacramento Region Innovation Awards program was founded by Stoel Rives LLP and is facilitated by the firm’s attorneys and professional staff. Moss Adams LLP validates the voting process and the Sacramento Business Journal events division provides promotional and management services. Additional 2019 event sponsors included Five Star Bank, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), City of Elk Grove, Greater Sacramento Economic Council, and Sacramento State.

*The innovation must be created or a primary portion of the work on the innovation must have been performed by a Sacramento-region entity. Sacramento-region is defined as Butte, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Solano, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties.

About the Innovation Awards: Stoel Rives has celebrated innovative companies and their accomplishments since hosting the first Innovation Awards in Salt Lake City in 2002. Each consecutive year, the law firm has honored groundbreaking advancements from emerging to established businesses. In its commitment to foster the innovation ecosystem across its footprint, Stoel Rives has since expanded its Innovation Awards program to Boise, Idaho (2006) and Sacramento, California (2016). In 2017, the firm partnered with the Puget Sound Business Journal as a presenting sponsor of the publication’s inaugural innovation awards program in Seattle, Washington.

About Moss Adams LLP: With more than 2,600 professionals across 20-plus locations in the West and beyond, Moss Adams and its affiliates provide insight and expertise with specialized accounting, consulting, and wealth management services to help organizations and individuals gain traction, manage risk, and seize opportunity. For more information, visit Moss Adams LLP.

About the Sacramento Business Journal: The Sacramento Business Journal provides coverage on the latest in Sacramento business news, digitally and in print, and is an industry leader in our region for delivering breaking news to the business community. In addition, the Business Journal hosts a number of events each year to provide content relating to current news in a variety of industries. For more information, visit www.sacramentobusinessjournal.com.