ATLANTA (March 14, 2013) – The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), the state’s leading association dedicated to the promotion and economic advancement of Georgia’s technology industry, today announced NextInput as one of its Top 10 Innovative Technology Companies in Georgia. TAG will recognize this prestigious group at the 2013 Georgia Technology Summit (GTS) on March 20, 2013, at the Cobb Galleria Centre.
The “Top 10” most innovative technology companies are chosen from among TAG’s “Top 40″ 2013 list and were chosen based on a number of criteria, including: degree of innovation; scope and financial impact of innovation; likelihood of success; and promotion of Georgia’s innovative efforts nationally and internationally.
“The 2013 Top 10 finalists are an elite group of innovators who represent the very best of the best from Georgia’s Technology community,” said Tino Mantella, president & CEO of TAG. “The 2013 Top 10 finalists are shining examples of what makes our State such a hotbed for technology and we applaud them for standing out as leaders in Georgia’s technology community.”
This year’s Top 10 Companies were selected from among over 90 applications submitted by companies from across Georgia. Companies selected to be in the Top 10 will be given the opportunity to present at the annual Georgia Technology Summit before a crowd of more than 1,000 of the state’s technology leaders.
“Our ninth year of the Top 40/Top 10 was an overwhelming success, based on the number of truly innovative companies that participated in the competition,” said Dennis Zakas, a partner and founder of Zakas & Leonard, LLP, Chair of Group Office Buys, LLC, and chairperson of the Top 40/Top 10 Selection Committee. “The Top 40 winners demonstrate the depth and breadth of Georgia’s technology community.”
NextInput markets a novel force-sensitive touch technology called ForceTouch®. ForceTouch powers touch interfaces like smartphone touchscreens, laptop touchpads, and automotive touch zones. As suggested by its name, ForceTouch can sense force or pressure of a touch event, a third dimension of touch input that augments the standard two dimensional (X, Y) coordinate system of earlier touch technologies. The NextInput team, based in the Advanced Technology Development Center at Georgia Tech, is commercializing ForceTouch with world-class brands in the mobile, laptop, and automotive sectors.
“We could not be prouder of this recognition by the Georgia technology community – it is a strong validation of NextInput’s technology and business plan,” says NextInput CEO Don Metzger. “The efforts and support of the Technology Association of Georgia and the larger technology community in Georgia and Atlanta are a large part of why NextInput has become the success it has.”
The 2013 Georgia Technology Summit is expected to bring together C-level executives, entrepreneurs, technology professionals and academia to celebrate and recognize Georgia’s technology community. In addition to presentations from some of the top technology influencers in the nation, the newest member of the Technology Hall of Fame of Georgia will be inducted.
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About The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG)
The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) is the leading technology industry association in the state, serving more than 18,500 members and hosting over 200 events each year. TAG serves as an umbrella organization for 32 industry societies, each of which provides rich content for TAG constituents. TAG’s mission is to educate, promote, influence and unite Georgia’s technology community to foster an innovative and connected marketplace that stimulates and enhances a tech-based economy. The association provides members with access to networking and educational programs; recognizes and promotes Georgia’s technology leaders and companies; and advocates for legislative action that enhances the state’s economic climate for technology. Additionally, the TAG Education Collaborative (TAG’s charitable arm) focuses on helping science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education initiatives thrive. For more information visit the TAG website at www.tagonline.org or TAG’s community website at www.TAGthink.com. To learn about the TAG-Ed Collaborative visit http://www.tagedonline.org/.
About NextInput
NextInput develops next generation input technology – force-sensitive touch technology for smartphones, tablets, laptops, automotive touch zones, and virtually any other electronic device. NextInput, an Advanced Technology Development Company with strong ties to Georgia Tech, offers a complete touch solution called ForceTouch® to electronics manufacturers – proprietary sensors, firmware, and drivers for popular operating systems like Android.
For more information about NextInput, visit www.NextInput.com.