Meet the local innovative companies that are heating up Central Florida's startup scene.
Orlando Business Journal and Orlando Inno are proud to present the inaugural Fire Award honorees. The awards celebrate the innovators, people and organizations in the region making the biggest impact on the local technology, startup and entrepreneurial ecosystems.
These companies from metro Orlando, the Space Coast and Volusia County enjoyed banner years in 2021. That may mean they secured funding, launched new products, and created jobs or innovative approaches to solving problems — or even all of the above.
The honorees were selected in five categories: Fresh Faces (less than 5 years in business), On the Come-Up (5-6 years), Not Just Lucky (7 years), Established Players (8-10 years) and Ecosystem Veterans (11-plus years). Each nominee was scored based on revenue growth, job creation, fundraising, innovative new products and other factors. The highest scores in their respective categories were named this year’s "Blazers."
Read about this year's 25 honorees, what they accomplished in 2021 and the big goals they have for 2022 in OBJ's April 29-May 5, 2022, weekly edition. And be sure to visit online for their full individual profiles in the weeks to follow.
2022 honorees
Fresh Faces
Blazer: OneRail
- Aqfer Inc.
- Beep Inc.
- Space Perspective Inc.
- Virtual Dining Concepts LLC
- Yac Inc.
On the Come-Up
Blazer: ThreatLocker Inc.
- BrandXR Inc.
- ecoSPEARS Inc.
- HypGames Inc.
- Obvio Health USA Inc.
Not Just Lucky
Blazer: Everest Ice & Water Systems
- Fortress Information Security LLC
- Fountainhead
- Yaupon Brothers American Tea
Established Players
Blazer: Limbitless Solutions Inc.
- Kore.ai Inc.
- Sonobi Inc.
- Violet Defense LLC
Ecosystem Veterans
Blazer: Accel Research Sites
- Anuvia Plant Nutrients Corp.
- AVT Simulation
- Digitec Interactive LLC
- Echo Interaction Group Inc.
- Engineering & Computer Simulations Inc.
By the numbers
Here's a closer look at some stats about the winning companies:
- 106%: Average 2021 YOY revenue growth
- 1,034: Combined no. of Central Florida employees
- 894: Total no. of hires honorees projected for 2022
- 28%: Percent who said recruitment is the Central Florida innovation ecosystem’s biggest obstacle to growth
Source: 2022 honorees
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