TMCnet News

Fast-growing Indy tech companies share honors [The Indianapolis Star :: ]
[May 04, 2014]

Fast-growing Indy tech companies share honors [The Indianapolis Star :: ]


(Indianapolis Star (IN) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) May 04--TechPoint honored 21 Indiana tech companies and innovators Saturday night in an industry that's playing an increasingly important role in Indiana's economy.

In 2012, a Kauffman Foundation study reported that only five other metro areas in the nation have produced more high-growth companies per capita than the Indianapolis area. Since 2007, a dozen technical companies in the region with 3,700 employees in all have gone through acquisitions or initial public offerings that total $4.5 billion.



The industry continues to grow, as evidenced by the 170 applications TechPoint, Indiana's technology initiative, received for the 15th annual Mira Awards held at the JW Marriott -- a 40 percent increase from the previous year.

"Half of the applicants this year didn't even exist five years ago and few have been around more than a decade," said Mike Langellier, TechPoint's president and chief executive.


He said the caliber and growth rate of companies "continues to be impressive and the growth of these companies in revenue and jobs year over year not only shows the strength in the sector but also the ability to develop these types of tech companies in Indiana." Here's a closer look at a few of the Mira winners in some key categories: Interactive Intelligence Group --Award: Tech Company of the Year.

--Business plan: Interactive Intelligence provides software and technology for call centers to help lower costs, increase productivity and improve customer service. Operating globally, the company has more than 6,000 customers. The publicly-traded company (Nasdaq: ININ) added 183 jobs in 2013, grew its revenue by 34 percent and stock price by 100 percent. On Thursday, it announced it will expand its Northwestside headquarters, adding up to 430 employees by 2016. Interactive Intelligence also won the Tech Company of the Year award in 2012.

--Founded by: Donald E. Brown in 1994.

--Location: 7602 Woodland Drive.

--Employees: 1,900.

--Selling point: Langellier said Interactive Intelligence is growing at a faster rate than competing companies within its industry. "Given the size of the company today, for them to grow revenue and grow their stock price, that's significant. We're not talking about a little company." Social Net Watcher --Award: Education Tech Award.

--Business plan: The cloud-based software company scans students' social media posts on Facebook and Twitter for specific data pertaining to cyberbullying, suicide and violence and relays the information to school officials. Social Net Watcher relies on a scanning algorithm that searches for inflammatory phrases.

--Founded by: Bruce A. Canal in 2011.

--Location: 2680 E. Main St., Suite 212, Plainfield.

--Employees: 5.

--Selling point: North Putnam Middle School credited the technology with saving a suicidal student's life, according to information the company provided to TechPoint. "Cyberbullying," Langellier said, "is becoming a bigger and bigger problem and this technology empowers the schools to help safeguard the kids, regardless of whether they are inside or outside the building." Ticketracker --Award: Emerging Tech Company of the Year.

--Business plan: The company offers software that provides secure online credit payments for parents to make for any school-related fees, registrations and events. Ticketracker represents schools in all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico.

--Founded by: Chad Wolfe in 2005.

--Location: 223 W. 9th St., Anderson.

--Employees: 24.

--Selling point: Ticketracker's system ensures secure online payments that are more convenient for parents while allowing schools to eliminate the administrative headache of collecting and tracking a multitude of cash, check and credit transactions.

LumenCache --Award: Tech Innovation of the Year.

--Business plan: LumenCache replaces the AC power distribution system in buildings with more energy-efficient technology. The company --adds a power-distribution panel that is more appropriate for low-power needs and the digital capabilities of electronic devices, including LED lights.

--Founded by: Derek Cowburn in 2011.

--Location: 13402 Chrisfield Lane, McCordsville.

--Employees: 2.

--Selling point: LumenCache's system will help companies adapt to a changing marketplace with renewable and more efficient-energy options. The panel, Langellier said, will allow customers to more directly control their energy consumption.

Call Star reporter Chris Sikich at (317) 444-6036. Follow him @ChrisSikich.

The Mira Awards --Health Tech Award -- PolicyStat, a Carmel-based company that helps health-care organizations digitally manage their policies and procedures.

--Marketing Tech Award -- PERQ, an Indianapolis-based marketing and promotions company, helps businesses attract customers through incentives, promotions and games.

--Mobile Tech Award and Tech Startup of the Year -- DoubleMap, an Indianapolis-based company, provides an online bus-tracking application.

--Tech Educator of the Year -- Jonathan Blake Huer, director of emerging technologies, Ball State University. An award-winning app developer, he recently released his first book, "Be Employed When You Graduate." --Tech Sales and Marketing Award -- Teradata Corp., an Indianapolis-based provider of marketing and analytic applications and consulting services.

--Tech Services Award (Information Technology to Support the Business) -- A development team developed Indiana University's "app store" for 130,000 students, faculty and staff across eight campuses in the state.

--Tech Services Award (Information Technology to Support Go to Market) -- Indianapolis-based The Schneider Corp. provides technology to local governments and their constituents related to surveying, geographic information systems, engineering, utility location, 3D laser scanning and mobile mapping.

--TechPoint Rising Star -- Chris Palmer, founder and chief executive of BoxFox, which provides overstock retail tracking software.

--TechPoint Rising Star Top 5 -- Denver Hutt, executive director, The Speak Easy, an Indianapolis based startup hub.

--TechPoint Rising Star Top 5 -- Jesse Kurth, director of client services, TinderBox, an Indianapolis-based firm that provides proposal management software to businesses.

--TechPoint Rising Star Top 5 -- Matt Hunckler, founder and chief executive of VERGE, which offers resources to startups.

--TechPoint Rising Star Top 5 -- Max Yoder, co founder of Lesson.ly, an Indianapolis-based company that helps educators plan lessons.

--Trailblazer in Technology Award -- Bobby Schnabel, dean of the Indiana University School of Informatics and Computing. The university has tripled undergraduate enrollment in his department to 2,000 students and doubled graduate enrollment to 1,200 students, since he became dean in 2007.

--TechPoint Foundation for Youth Bridge Builder Award -- Robert L. Kizer, president and chief executive of Starfish Initiative, a college-access mentoring program.

--Tech Startup of the Year Honorable Mention -- Bluebridge Digital, a group that helps organizations such as universities, churches and tourism destinations create mobile apps.

--Tech Startup of the Year Honorable Mention -- SteadyServ Technologies, a Carmel-based company that has created an app to track the amount of beer remaining in kegs at restaurants and bars.

--Education Tech Award Honorable Mention-- Standard for Success, a Cloverdale-based company that created an online staff evaluation and management program for teachers and administrators.

Source: TechPoint ___ (c)2014 The Indianapolis Star Visit The Indianapolis Star at www.IndyStar.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]