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FireChat Selected as Finalist for SXSW Innovation Award
[January 28, 2015]

FireChat Selected as Finalist for SXSW Innovation Award


SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Open Garden today announced that its app, FireChat, has been selected as a finalist for the prestigious SXSW Innovation Awards. FireChat, the first off-the-grid messaging app, beat out hundreds of submissions for the coveted spot as a finalist in the "Innovation in Connecting People" category. The winning entry in each of the categories will be revealed at the 18th Annual SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, March 17 in Austin, TX.

Open Garden is a San Francisco-based startup dedicated to connecting the next 5 billion mobile devices through peer-to-peer technology.

Previously called the Interactive Awards, the SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards showcase the evolving and broadening scope of the digital industry by reflecting the increasingly multifaceted and diverse ecosystem of platforms, software, apps and devices. Many companies submitted materials in August for this award and FireChat was selected among hundreds of companies in 14 different categories.

"People around the world use FireChat as the best way to connect and communicate, especially in areas where Internet access and cellular phone coverage are an issue," said Micha Benoliel, cofounder and CEO of Open Garden. "We're thrilled to be selected as an Innovation Award finalist and we appreciate the recognition from this team of judges."  

For more information about SXSW Interactive's Innovation Awards and to view the compete list of finalists, visit this web site.



FireChat is a free application for Android and iOS devices. It is available here.

About Open Garden
Open Garden Inc. is a San Francisco based startup dedicated to connecting billions of mobile devices with peer-to-peer connections. Open Garden is the publisher of FireChat, the first messaging app that works off-the-grid. Launched in March 2014, FireChat has reached the top 10 amongst social networking apps in 124 countries around the world.


About SXSW Interactive
The 22nd annual SXSW Interactive Festival returns to Austin from Friday, March 13 through Tuesday, March 17. An incubator of cutting-edge technologies and digital creativity, the 2015 event features five days of compelling presentations and panels from the brightest minds in emerging technology, scores of exciting networking events hosted by industry leaders and an unbeatable lineup of special programs showcasing the best new websites, video games and startup ideas the community has to offer. From hands-on training to big-picture analysis of the future, SXSW Interactive has become the place to preview the technology of tomorrow today. Join us in March 2015 for the sessions, the networking, the evening events, the 18th Annual SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards, SXSW Accelerator, the SXSW Gaming Expo, the SXSW Trade Show, SXSW Create, the Digital Creative Job Market, cross-industry conversations with attendees from SXSW Film and SXSW Music, and, most of all, the unforgettable inspirational experiences that only SXSW can deliver.

Contact
Nicole Brunet
[email protected]  

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To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/firechat-selected-as-finalist-for-sxsw-innovation-award-300026865.html

SOURCE Open Garden Inc.


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