14 local innovators will showcase products and services in California

The Maryland Department of Commerce is leading a delegation of local startup companies next month to the Startup Grind Global Conference in Silicon Valley, California. Held on April 12-13, the conference is expected to attract 15,000 virtual and in-person attendees, including entrepreneurs, startups, emerging and high growth companies, investors, and major national and international brands. The department attended this conference for the first time in 2020.

“Startup Grind provides the perfect opportunity for our local businesses to show off their innovations and advancements in a variety of industries,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Mike Gill. “Maryland’s entrepreneurial spirit is thriving with our numerous research parks, incubators, and innovative technology professionals across the state. Attending this conference will show thousands of individuals what Maryland has to offer to the global startup community and its investors.”

The 14 Maryland companies participating in the delegation are:

• Airgility, Inc., an unmanned aerial systems company located in College Park;
• CarrTech LLC, a Frederick medical device company with a patented novel filter for injectable medications;
• Cide Kic, Inc., a Sparks startup providing a project management platform for the hospitality industry;
• EcoMap Technologies, a Baltimore-based business working to digitize ecosystems through online platforms;
• KEIPhone, a Silver Spring startup looking to empower women through smartphone technology;
• Linshom, an Ellicott City company focused on eliminating morbidity due to unrecognized respiratory compromise in healthcare;
• MindStand Technologies, a bwtech@UMBC company which has a specialized artificial intelligence technology to identify hate speech and harassment on online platforms;
• Relavo, Inc, a Baltimore startup changing the way that kidney failure patients receive dialysis by making home-care safer and more accessible;
• Resensys LLC, the College Park maker of an award-winning low power wireless sensor network technology used to monitor infrastructure systems;
• Revolution Cooking, LLC, a Potomac startup focused on revolutionizing the global small kitchen appliance market;
• Sicura, a cybersecurity business based in Baltimore that is bridging the gap between security and engineering teams;
• SixMap, Inc., a Pasadena cyber company working to make network-based attacks a thing of the past;
• Sonavi Labs, a Baltimore medical device and software company transforming the way respiratory diseases and infections are detected and managed;
• Vheda Health, a Columbia-based healthcare technology company working to empower medicaid enrollees.

“As a proud Baltimore startup, we’re excited to represent our state’s talented tech and innovation community, showcasing the power of products homegrown in the country’s fourth largest metro economy,” said Lisa Umberger, CEO of Sicura, a DevSecOps platform. “Our team includes born and raised Marylanders and transplants, UMD and UMBC graduates, from the city and farmland, women engineers and cyber nerds. We’re heading to Silicon Valley to show why no one should count out Maryland.”

“We are extremely proud to be headquartered in Maryland, which has become a hub for equitech businesses focused on developing technologies that increase access and equity across society. Our company provides free smartphones and data to the 70% of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa that is currently unconnected, and generates revenue through lockscreen advertising,” said Lauren Hendricks, CEO and co-founder of KEIPhone. “We are proud to represent the state of Maryland at Startup Grind, as we move to close the digital divide. This presents an opportunity to exchange ideas and lessons learned with a global community of start-ups and their supporters.”

Companies were required to be based in Maryland with less than 50 employees, with an innovative product and demonstrated track record of success. Those in tech-focused industries, with the potential to scale nationally or globally, were also preferred. Participants were selected by a panel including industry specialists from the Maryland Department of Commerce, representatives from the Maryland Business Innovation Association (MBIA), leaders of the local Startup Grind chapters, as well as an early-stage investor.

To follow along for updates during the conference, check out @MDBiz on Twitter.

About Maryland Commerce

The Maryland Department of Commerce stimulates private investment and creates jobs by attracting new businesses, encouraging the expansion and retention of existing companies, and providing financial assistance to Maryland companies. The Department promotes the State’s many economic advantages and markets local products and services at home and abroad to spur economic development and international investment, trade and tourism. Because they are major economic generators, the Department also supports the arts, film production, sports and other special events. For more information, visit commerce.maryland.gov.