The finalists for the Innovation of the Year category in the 2024 GeekWire Awards include Protect AI, Teal Communications, Hiya, the Allen Institute for AI, WhyLabs, and ReadAI. These companies are at the forefront of artificial intelligence, telecom advances, and technologies designed to enhance transparency and safety in emerging technologies.
The Allen Institute for AI is a finalist for its Open Language Model, or OLMo, which aims to improve understanding of generative AI, increase transparency, and enhance energy efficiency. Hiya is recognized for its caller ID, call blocking, and spam protection technologies, which have been crucial in combating fraud and scams, especially with the rise of robocalls and generative AI. Teal Communications’ eSIM technology, which allows devices to connect to any data network globally, has seen significant revenue growth in industries like robotics, drones, agriculture, and smart cities.
Protect AI specializes in securing AI and machine learning systems by analyzing threats and helping developers build secure AI systems. ReadAI analyzes and summarizes communications using AI, providing automated project management and executive assistance. The company has recently expanded its services to include AI-generated recaps of email conversations. WhyLabs, the AI observability company, launched LangKit to monitor and manage large language models in real-time, addressing biases, security vulnerabilities, and maintaining responsible AI practices.
The 2023 winner of the Innovation of the Year award was Ghostwriter AI, developed by entrepreneur Patrick Husting. The GeekWire Awards aim to recognize top innovators and companies in the Pacific Northwest technology scene, with finalists selected based on community nominations and input from judges. The winners will be announced at the live event on May 9 at Showbox SoDo in Seattle, with limited table sponsorships available for attendance.
Community voting for the awards will continue until April 12, with the winners determined by a combination of community votes and judge feedback. Sponsorship opportunities for the event are also available for those interested in supporting the GeekWire Awards. Special thanks to Astound Business Solutions for being the presenting sponsor of the 2024 GeekWire Awards.
