As the first awards ceremony under the Inno brand, Albuquerque Business First held the 2022 Fire Awards in celebration of those paving the way for innovation in New Mexico.
The event was hosted at Explora on May 4. As the premier Inno event, the awards are intended to highlight the ingenuity helping to propel the New Mexico economy forward.
To see photos from the event, click the slideshow at the top of the page.
A call for nominations was made earlier this year and was open to later-stage tech pillars, growth-stage startups, accelerators, venture firms, meetup groups and nonprofits. After the nominations were received, Inno reporter Collin Krabbe and members of ABF reviewed the applications to select this year's class. Some of the qualities that were considered during the judging process included:
- New funding
- Adding headcount
- Social and community impact
- Product launches
- Company pivots/growth
- Stories of innovators reshaping the ecosystem
In late March, five Fire Award honorees were selected. The inaugural class included organizations that work with robotics to those creating stones made from human ash.
Along with the honorees, a Blazer Award winner was chosen. This honor was given to one of the five organizations that had a truly standout year in boosting the innovation field in New Mexico. City Mobile Group was selected as the inaugural Blazer Award winner.
Presenting sponsors for the 2022 Fire Awards were Mesa Del Sol, Comcast and Sandia Laboratory Federal Credit Union.
