Technology businesses continue to grow throughout the Baltimore area.
Several area companies were honored with the seventh annual Maryland Incubator Company of the Year Awards, organized by the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, the Maryland Technology Development Corp., RSM McGladrey Inc. and Saul Ewing LLP.
The ceremony, held last month, recognized six current and graduate companies of the state?s incubators and one Hall of Fame inductee, said Renee Winsky, executive director of TEDCO.
“We want to showcase the success of our incubator companies,” Winsky said. “We have hundreds of companies in the incubator process, and this gives us an opportunity to showcase their success.”
Baltimore?s BioFortis Inc. was named the Technology Transfer Company of the Year. The private company provides biomedical research software and services to the life sciences sector, including academic medical centers, government labs and nonprofit institutes.
BioFortis? flagship product is Labmatrix, a Web-based application allowing management of clinical data and providing tools for scientists to manage study results. The product has helped BioFortis succeed in the research management field.
“Labmatrix supports the research that is making personalized medicine a reality,” Dr. Ethel Rubin, chief scientific officer for BioFortis, said in a statement after receiving the award. “Labmatrix speeds the discovery process and provides a flexible but powerful querying framework.”
Baltimore?s Millennial Media Inc., which provides advertising solutions for mobile devices to advertisers, publishers and mobile operators, was also recognized as the New Incubator Company of the Year.
Digene Corp., a Gaithersburg company providing diagnostic tests to target women?s cancers and infectious diseases, was inducted into the Maryland incubator “Hall of Fame.” The company joined last year?s first Hall of Fame entrant, Martek Bioscienes Corp. of Columbia.
“These awards recognize companies that further the evolution of Maryland?s life science, information and innovative technology community,” Brian S. Meritt, a managing director with RSM McGladrey, said in a statement.
TEDCO has stayed active with area technology start-up businesses. The group?s Maryland Technology Transfer Fund last week transferred nearly $520,000 to seven state technology companies. To date, 71 companies have received money from the transfer fund.
“TEDCO and Maryland?s incubators all have the same goal,” Winsky said, “which is to help start-up businesses grow and be successful.”
2007 Incubator Company Awards
» Life Science Company of the Year
Lentigen Corp., Catonsville
» Information Technology Company of the Year
LiveHealthier, Rockville
» Technology Service Company of the Year
Sycamore.US Inc., Frederick
» New Incubator Company of the Year
Millennial Media Inc., Baltimore
» Technology Transfer Company of the Year
BioFortis Inc., Columbia
» Graduate Company of the Year
BDMetrics Inc., Baltimore
» Hall of Fame
Digene Corp., Gaithersburg
