Twenty years ago, America Online dial-up was still the most popular ISP; a new browser called Google had just come out of Beta to take on Netscape and Internet Explorer; fewer than 31 percent of Americans owned a mobile phone; and the impending doom of Y2K was a serious existential threat to many businesses.

Even though Indiana was home to a number of highly successful tech companies starting as early as 20 years before the turn of the century, the ecosystem began the first of several notable growth periods in the year 1999 — the same year the Mira Awards debuted.

Independent judging panels selected 109 companies, organizations and individuals to advance as nominees; winners to be be announced Saturday, April 13, at the JW Marriott — Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.  (February 12, 2019) — TechPoint, the nonprofit, industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s technology ecosystem, announced the nominees for its 20th annual Mira Awards presented by Angie’s List and Salesforce. The Mira Awards gala—the biggest tech awards event in the state—celebrates the people, products, companies, and places chosen as ‘The Best of Tech in Indiana’. Last year a sell-out crowd of 1,300 people attended the black-tie affair.

Indiana’s tech ecosystem is on the rise. According to the TEConomy study commissioned by CICP, Clusters & Disruptors: Envisioning Central Indiana’s Economic Future in a Time of Change, IT companies generated by far the fastest employment growth from 2010-2016 (67%). Further, in 2017, LinkedIn and Zillow ranked Indianapolis No. 1 in America’s Sweet Spots: Cities where Job Opportunity and Housing Affordability Intersect.

The growth is evident among Mira Awards nominees. Only a handful of the 2019 nominees existed as companies 20 years ago, and 82 percent were founded in just the past 10 years. Similar to the rapid adoption of the iPhone starting a decade ago and streaming services today, tech businesses in Indiana have grown from a few pioneers to a fast growing, vibrant industry that is a key driver of job growth and a critical part of the state’s economic success story.

“There is little doubt that tech will continue to be an area of significant growth for Indiana, as we see local tech companies growing, out-of-state companies opening offices here, and large enterprises from other industries becoming increasingly tech enabled,” said Mike Langellier, CEO of TechPoint. “This is a special year, as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Mira Awards, and we look forward to recognizing the people, companies, and places that are Indiana’s current and future success stories.”

Nominees were selected by 48 independent subject matter experts who evaluated and ranked the applications. Later this month, nominees will present their cases to judging panels, after which the judges will select the winners following deliberations.

The official 2019 TechPoint Mira Award nominees are:

New Tech Product of the Year – (Highly innovative and ground-breaking tech products that burst onto the scene and took it by storm in just the last year)

  • 120WaterAudit
  • AfterSchool HQ
  • Baker Hill NextGen
  • FlexePark
  • Greenlight Guru
  • hc1.com
  • Pattern89
  • Perceivant, Guided Learning Platform
  • SIMBA Chain
  • Springbuk
  • Viral Launch

Tech Service of the Year – (The year’s best solution, including delivery of technology products and professional services to solve a particular problem)

  • Ascend Indiana
  • Carbonite
  • DemandJump
  • Greenlight Guru
  • Mobile reCell
  • Peoplocity
  • PFL
  • Pondurance
  • Raytheon, Topography Optimization
  • Synovia Solutions
  • WorkHere

Innovation of the Year – (A brand new way of doing things that revolutionizes, advances, or creates new tech industries and fields)

  • 3Oe Scientific
  • Anvl Workforce
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana; Counterpart; Crafted
  • Codelicious
  • Cummins
  • Equian
  • FreightRover
  • Innovative Neurological Devices
  • Raytheon, Troposcatter
  • ScholarTrack, Indiana Commission for Higher Education
  • Sharpen Technologies
  • The Bee Corp

Rising Entrepreneur Award – (A class of young, passionate and creative leaders thriving in Indiana’s growing tech community)

  • Everett Berry, Founder and CEO, Perceive
  • Nick Birch, Co-founder and CEO, PropelUp
  • Casey Gauss, CEO, Viral Launch
  • Scott Massey, Co-Founder and CEO, Heliponix
  • Jeremy Miller, VP of Marketing, STARTedUP
  • Aaron Pierce, CEO, Pierce Aerospace
  • Ashley G. Scott, Founder & CEO of CurlyInCollege
  • Hunter Stone, Technical Project Manager, Codelicious; Co-Founder, STARTedUP
  • Nick Tippmann, VP of Marketing, Greenlight Guru
  • Nick Turner, Founder & CEO, DeliverEnd
  • Wesley Virt, COO & Founder, Explore Interactive

Tech Educator of the Year – (Those patient individuals adopting, demonstrating, and encouraging the use of technology in classrooms across Indiana)

  • Ariel Crawley, Ivy Works Director, Ivy Tech Community College
  • Andy Harris, Senior Lecturer, IUPUI Science
  • Kalvin Jones, Founder, Code Black Indy
  • Pete Just, CTO, Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township
  • Nextech.org
  • Jennifer Palilonis, Professor and Director of the Center for EMDD at Ball State University
  • Justin Smith, Business & IT Teacher, Pike High School
  • Kirsten Smith, Associate Director, Center for Information and Communication Sciences, Ball State University
  • Student Connections: WhichWay® Financial Literacy Team
  • Gloria Childress Townsend, Ph.D., Computer Science Department Chair, DePauw University
  • Collin Yust, 3rd Grade Teacher, Lowell Elementary, MSD Warren Township

Investor of the Year – (The venture firms or angel investors who bring money plus outstanding connections, advice and attention to Indiana companies)

  • Allos Ventures
  • Elevate Ventures
  • Indiana University Philanthropic Venture Fund
  • Revolution’s “Rise of the Rest” Fund
  • VisionTech-Partners

Community Champion of the Year – (Individuals who have gone above and beyond to support the advancement of Indiana’s tech community, even though they may not even work in the industry)

  • Katie Birge, Executive Director, Launch Indy at Union 525
  • Scott Fadness, Mayor of Fishers
  • Indiana Management Performance Hub
  • Chelsea Linder, Director of gBeta
  • John McDonald, CEO, ClearObject
  • Six Feet Up

Rising Tech City Award – (Cities, towns, regions or communities in Indiana, celebrating the projects and people behind them who have championed the location’s advancement with particular emphasis on tech friendliness)

  • City of Fishers
  • City of Indianapolis
  • City of South Bend – Digital Inclusion Working Group
  • Fort Ben / City of Lawrence
  • The Mill, on behalf of Bloomington, Ind.

Exceptional Employer Award – (Tech companies that are doing an exceptional job of hiring and developing talent, cultivating workspaces and workplace culture, and deliberately increasing diversity)

  • Angie’s List
  • BLASTmedia
  • Envisage Technologies
  • GEICO
  • Kronos Incorporated
  • Renaissance Electronic Services
  • Roche Diagnostics
  • Salesforce
  • SEP
  • TCC
  • Viral Launch

New Tech Startup of the Year – (Startups with great potential that demonstrate the creative, strategic and innovative entrepreneurial spirit of Indiana’s technology industry)

  • Anvl
  • DeliverEnd
  • Encamp
  • Lucidia iT
  • Prime Movement Healthcare
  • Quillo
  • Selfless.ly
  • Socio Labs
  • Synapse Sitters
  • Woven

Scale-up of the Year – (High-growth, innovation-driven companies that provide technology products or services, are gaining traction and could be Indiana’s next big success stories)

  • 120WaterAudit
  • Copper Mountain Technologies
  • DemandJump
  • Jobvite
  • Kinney Group
  • Lev
  • OneCause
  • OurHealth
  • Passageways
  • PERQ
  • Probo Medical
  • Scale Computing
  • Viral Launch

Large Enterprise of the Year – (Companies with exceptional innovation and market position that are helping Indiana to become a recognized technology leader, putting Indiana on the map in the technology world)

  • Cummins
  • KAR Auction Services
  • Sallie Mae

In addition to the 12 adjudicated categories, a special industry recognition award — the TechPoint Trailblazer Award — is announced prior to the Mira Awards gala in April, which is selected by the TechPoint board of directors and executive committee.

Winners will be announced at a black-tie awards ceremony and gala featuring a reception and three-course seated dinner on Saturday, April 13, at the JW Marriott — Indianapolis. Early-bird and “Under 30” tickets go on sale March 1, at www.techpoint.org/mira. Nominees and sponsors of the Mira Awards are able to purchase tickets before the general public starting today.

Sponsorship opportunities that include group tickets, are also available by contacting Lauren Petersen at lauren@techpoint.org. We encourage securing tickets and sponsorships early, as the gala has sold out weeks in advance the past several years.

ABOUT TECHPOINT:

TechPoint is the nonprofit, industry-led growth initiative for Indiana’s technology companies and overall tech ecosystem. The team is focused on attracting talent, accelerating scale-up companies, activating the community, and amplifying stories of success. For more information, please visit www.techpoint.org.

EDITOR’S NOTE: TechPoint and Mira Awards-related logos, badges, images, videos and photos are available for use by awards program participants only. All other uses are upon request.