The Sacramento region is stepping up its game as a place that produces innovations.
Innovative local companies like PowerSchool, Origin Materials and GoodLeap have valuations in the hundreds of millions of dollars. UC Davis is working to make the region more of an innovator in health technology and biotech with the development of Aggie Square. And SMUD is working to make the region a center for sustainable technology with initiatives like the California Mobility Center.
The development of companies capable of disrupting their industries and growing quickly is key to making Sacramento a more prosperous place, as they could help diversify the region's economy and make it less dependent on state government and real estate.
And knowing about those companies earlier in their development potentially presents a business opportunity — or avoidance of risk if you're in an industry about to be disrupted.
That's why the Business Journal will be presenting the Sacramento Region Innovation Awards next month. This event and awards program seeks to identify the most important and disruptive potential innovations being developed in the region.
The program, which in past years was arranged by law firm Stoel Rives LLP, employs a panel of judges from leading technology and innovation organizations in the region, with specialized knowledge about innovative industries including pharmaceuticals, advanced manufacturing, information technology and sustainability.
We'll present the winners of the Innovation Awards and the categories in which they're being honored at an event on Nov. 18 and in a special publication in that week's edition of the Business Journal.
The innovators who will be recognized include:
- Accenture for its Accenture Virtual Experience Solution, a virtual-reality-enabled training platform for human services workers that was developed in Sacramento.
- The Better Meat Co. for its plant-based meat additives.
- Cordico Inc., which has developed a wellness app for law enforcement, firefighters and other first responders.
- CREtelligent for its Radius Platform, which automates due diligence for commercial real estate transactions.
- Delix Therapeutics, a developer of psychiatric drugs using some of the science behind psychedelics.
- Humanly.io, which is developing artificial intelligence for employee recruiting.
- Matrubials Inc., a developer of therapies from milk to treat bacterial infections.
- MyFloraDNA Inc., which is developing genetic tests for crops to help growers farm more sustainably.
- PowerSchool, a developer of cloud-based software for K-12 education.
- Sacramento Municipal Utility District for its StorageShares program, which allows customers to invest in off-site, utility-scale battery storage of energy.
- tab32, which developed a technology platform to manage dental practices.
- TechnipFMC Schilling Robotics for its Gemini product used for remote, underwater work tasks.
- Tesio Pharmaceuticals, a developer of an alternative to steroids to treat osteoarthritis.
- TriTool Inc. for its Tri Tool 300STS, which companies including Intel Corp. and SpaceX have used to quickly prepare pipe and tubing applications.
- VasoBio Inc., which is developing new technology for vascular grafts.
- Wind Harvest International Inc., a developer of technology to harness lower-level wind for renewable energy.
