CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 13, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hundreds from the Greater Boston tech ecosystem filled District Hall last night to see standing-room-only demos and talk with founding teams from more than 35 startups, as the MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge (MITEF) once again hosted its annual Startup Spotlight.
The event – a barometer of what’s new and what’s coming next – showcased early stage companies pushing the envelope in markets ranging from artificial intelligence, food science and robotics to animal care, video, mobile application development, financial services, transportation and packaging.
Once the dust had settled and attendees had cast their votes, winners were named in three categories:
- Company I Want to Have a Beer With: Horsepower Technologies, rehabilitative orthotic for horses
- Future Unicorn: BoxoLogic, robotic instant right-sized packaging
- Most Likely to Develop a Cult Following: Woobo, kid-friendly smart launchpad
Additionally, some of the evening’s sponsoring companies presented the following awards:
- Withum Audit Tax Advisory - Company Most Likely to Change the World for the Better: Trexo Robotics, wearable robotics for children with disabilities
- Silicon Valley Bank - Company I’d Like to Share a Glass of Wine With: LUMO, self-cleaning pet grooming tool
- Latham & Watkins - Company Most Likely to Inspire Investor FOMO: Horsepower Technologies, rehabilitative orthotic for horses
- Hamilton Brook Smith Reynolds - Company Most Likely to Need Legal Help (tongue-in-cheek) : ParkWise, intelligent street parking
“We live in one of the world’s greatest innovation ecosystems, with access to world-class players who can help entrepreneurs transform their visions for new technologies, products and services into realities,” said Katja Wald, Executive Director, MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge. “It’s hard work to get a company up and running, though. Startups need opportunities to show off what they’re working on. They need events where they can make connections with potential customers, investors, advisors, partners and employees – and one another – in a fun and relaxing atmosphere. Our Startup Spotlight delivers exactly that. We congratulate the top vote-getters as well as every startup that participated. They’re all winners in our eyes.”
Underscoring the breadth and depth of innovators that the annual event attracts, startups to earn top honors in prior years include Blink, Ecovent Systems, Harvest Automation, Ministry of Supply, Panther Therapeutics, Pillar Technologies, Ridgewing Guitars, Voatz, and Wasabi.
The 2018 Startup Spotlight was made possible by sponsorships from The Canadian Technology Accelerator, Sembler, Withum Audit Tax Advisory, Arrow Electronics, Hamilton Brook Smith Reynolds, Latham & Watkins LLP, and Nova Scotia Business Inc.
About the MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge
The MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge is the founding chapter and one of 27 worldwide chapters comprising the MIT Enterprise Forum, Inc. Offering more than 40 programs and events annually that inspire innovation, MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge initiatives facilitate critical one-on-one mentoring while providing team services that increase the skills and expertise necessary for entrepreneurs to succeed.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b7d1bfc8-f11b-4ced-b5ea-da7c93c31503