Maryland Inno's 2023 Fire Award winners are growing their teams, making acquisitions, launching new products and above all, serving as leaders and innovators in their respective industries.
Now in its second year, the Fire Awards will recognize eight local firms setting the status quo ablaze and providing new technology and solutions to address critical challenges. The Fire Awards are the premier recognition program for Maryland Inno, the Baltimore Business Journal's tech-focused publication.
Scroll down to see a list of the eight Fire Award winners, grouped into categories based on industry. Check back on April 14, both in print and on our website, to read about how each firm is growing and innovating.
Also on April 14, Maryland Inno will unveil two "Blazer Winners" — or two companies that have gone above and beyond in their journey to grow and make an impact.
The winners will also be honored in person during a BBJ panel event in July. MarylandINNO Get Funded: Strategies to Attract Investors will take place July 18 at the Maryland Innovation Center in Columbia. Scroll down or click the link above for more details.
To find the winning companies, Maryland Inno sourced nominations from the public and drew on our editorial team's knowledge of the local business ecosystem. To be eligible, companies had to be located in Maryland. Nominations were also open to nonprofits, accelerators, venture firms and more.
Maryland Inno 2023 Fire Award Winners by category:
Software:
- GCOM Software, Government IT services and consulting company (Columbia)
- Huntress, Cybersecurity and IT services for small, and mid-size businesses (Ellicott City)
Medical technology:
- CraniUS, Medical device firm focused on diagnostics and treatments for brain disease (Baltimore City)
- HEPIUS Innovation Lab, Johns Hopkins research and medical equipment manufacturing lab focused on spinal cord injuries (Baltimore City)
Startup accelerator/coworking space:
- Hutch Studio, Startup accelerator program focused on underrepresented and minority entrepreneurs working in government digital services (Baltimore City)
- StarTUp at the Armory and StarTUp Accelerator, Coworking space and cohort-based fellowship for entrepreneurs (Towson)
Sustainability:
- Apkudo, Technology firm that uses robots to help businesses evaluate old or damaged electronic devices to determine whether they should be repaired, sold or recycled (Baltimore City)
- SunStone Credit, Financial services company that provides loan financing for companies to install solar panels on commercial buildings (Baltimore)
Want to see last year's winners? Here's a recap of the 2022 Fire Awards, including Q&As with the Blazer Winners.
