One of ChaTech’s strategic priorities is to shine a spotlight on the innovative and potentially disruptive technologies that are being developed right in our backyard. These technologies, however, don’t pop up overnight. They require intense, long hours; investment of one’s own time and resources when success is not certain; excitement, vision, and loneliness in the face of taking risks. The Early Innovator Award (EIA) recognizes these innovators in their early stages. The EIA acknowledges the effort it takes to sustain focus in the face of these challenges. It honors an emerging technology-based company with a prototype product, a new process, or early-stage software application with the potential for a significant competitive advantage or groundbreaking disruption in its field.

The EIA has been awarded to some of Chattanooga’s most innovative businesses. They include Branch Technology, Feetz, Tricycle Inc., Variable, Collider, Security Centres International, and Culture Audio.

2019 Early Innovator Award Winners:

EirSystems and eLabs Repairs

Congrats to the two 2019 Winners:

EirSystems has created an electronic prescription platform called Prescription. Abuse. Greatly. Reduced. Prescriptions or P.A.G.R. Prescriptions.  Using blockchain technology, it provides a web portal allowing healthcare officials to write prescriptions, track the movement of all prescriptions, and perform medicine reconciliation all in one secure, easy-to-use web interface.  The technology incorporates relevant patient and medication safety information for the prescribers.   The platform will assist in identifying and addressing problems such as opioid abuse.

eLabs Repairs specializes in installing and repairing digital fabrication equipment, including CNC routers, 3D printers, laser cutters and other electronics equipment. The company has developed “eLab Rx”, a plug-in device and subscription service that enables owners of digital fabrication equipment to diagnose and repair their own equipment on demand using easy-to-follow video and step-by-step instructions that are simple enough for a sixth grade student to use.  eLab Repairs is committed to “Serving Students First” and has provided over 200 service hours repairing digital fabrication equipment throughout the Hamilton County School system.

and the 2019 Finalists:

Hollywog is a medical device company.  It’s latest innovation, the WiTouch Pro TENS, is a smart phone enabled transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) system that utilizes Bluetooth technology and a custom mobile application.  The system allows users to wirelessly customize and control back pain treatments using a number of different programs.  Significantly, the Witouch Pro TENS provides users with affordable and drug-free relief from back pain.

Skytec combines several innovations in their Unmanned Aerial Mapping Systems.  They prototyped and use a hybrid gas-electric unmanned aerial system (drone).  It is used for remote sensing, laser scanning and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technologies that provide high resolution mapping, images and other data to their clients. Skytec has developed data delivery software for data capture, analysis and information delivery services—all with a commitment to safety, innovation, and achieving their clients’ objectives.