The InnoVision Awards program announced on Sept. 25 its finalists for this year’s awards recognizing innovation in South Carolina.

The awards began in 1999 with the mission to highlight, promote and foster innovation in the Upstate, said Amy Robichaud, board chair of the InnoVision Awards. Around 10 years ago, the awards expanded to cover all of South Carolina.

The categories for the awards, Robichaud said, are meant to encompass businesses of all sizes and stages, community organizations and educational institutions. New to this year’s categories were ones recognizing innovation around confronting COVID-19 that included technology research, technology application and community service. 

“We thought that we would possibly get some entries related to COVID-19 this year, but it was a very special circumstance,” said Robichaud. “A lot of companies and organizations were being extremely innovative, pivoting, responding to community needs … we thought that it would be a good thing to highlight that with a special category to showcase and celebrate the innovators in South Carolina who really stepped up to the challenge during this crisis.”

In the weeks leading up to the winners being announced at a Nov. 17, ceremony, each Tuesday at 4 p.m. InnoVision will host a series of online gatherings to celebrate the finalists. Those began Sept. 29 and will run until Oct. 20. You can sign up for the virtual events at innovisionawards.org. 

Technology Development Award sponsored by Fluor

Aravis Biotech – Greenville, SC

Blinktbi – Charleston, SC

Techtronic Industries Power Equipment – Anderson, SC

Community Service Award

Know2 – Gaffney, SC

StartME Spartanburg – Spartanburg, SC

Union County Library System – Union, SC

Technology Integration Award sponsored by Immedion

Agulus Inc. – Greenville, SC

Clemson University’s Composite Center – Greenville, SC

Delta Bravo Artificial Intelligence – Rock Hill, SC

Sustainability Award

Clemson University’s Foam Recycling Center

Sonoco Products Company – Hartsville, SC

tForm, Inc. – Williamston, SC

Small Business Award

Oversight, Inc. – Greenville, SC

Stand Yourself Up LLC – Anderson, SC

Verifyii Intelligent Identification – Greenville, SC

Education Award sponsored by Techtronic Industries Power Equipment

IT-oLogy – Columbia, SC

Spartanburg Community College – Spartanburg, SC

VR Mondi – Clemson, SC

COVID-19 Response – Technology Deployment  

Blue Eye Soft Corp – Greer, SC

Hoowaki LLC – Greenville, SC

LANCR Health Technologies

COVID-19 Response – Technology Research

Clemson Autonomous Systems Team (Clemson University Mechanical Engineering) – Clemson, SC

Negative Pressure Chamber Project (Clemson University Bioengineering) – Clemson, SC

Covid Microbead Screening Project (Clemson University Chemistry) – Clemson, SC

Covid Biomarker Detection Test Project (Clemson University Bioengineering) – Clemson, SC

COVID-19 Response – Community Service

SaveMAPS – Clemson, SC

United Way of the Piedmont – Spartanburg, SC

Clemson University’s Watt Family Innovation Center – Clemson, SC

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