Chamber hosts thought leadership discussions on The Future of the Austin Brand and Tech Community

AUSTIN, Texas, May 11, 2016 — The Austin Chamber, through its Innovate Austin initiative, and South by Southwest Interactive announced 12 breakthrough local companies as the 2016 Austin A-List of the Hottest Startups. The announcement was made and companies honored during an awards ceremony at ACL Live at the Moody Theater.

Nearly 200 companies were nominated and considered this year. A panel of independent judges evaluated businesses in three investment stage categories: emerging, growth and scale.

“The A-List reinforces our efforts to attract funding, talent, and companies which enhances our diverse tech and innovation community,” said Michele Skelding, SVP of Global Technology and Innovation, Austin Chamber. “We are delighted to recognize an exceptional portfolio of Austin's most innovative, scalable startup companies. Innovators are a key part of our strong economic ecosystem and will continue to drive the future of Austin. Now more than ever, Austin needs to support creativity and innovation; it is instrumental in ensuring our legacy continues.”

Now in its sixth year, the A-List continues to increase visibility and recognition of Austin’s most promising, cutting-edge innovators and high-growth startups to help recruit additional venture capital investment and top talent to Austin. Since its founding, past winners have reached nearly $1 billion ($987.84M) in funding and exit proceeds to date, and 19 A-List companies have seen successful exits via acquisition or initial public offering.

“The Austin tech ecosystem continues to grow in quality and quantity — and this growth is again reflected by the 2016 Austin A List winners,” said Hugh Forrest, Director, South by Southwest Interactive. “There is a large overlap in the innovation that we showcase at SXSW and the innovation that is showcased via the Austin A-List competition. We are very proud to again be involved in this wonderful celebration of the Central Texas startup scene.”

For more information about the Austin A-List, capital trends in Central Texas, and Austin’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, please visit http://innovation.austinchamber.com.

Below are companies on the 2016 A-List:

Emerging (Early/Seed Stage) - Received funding of less than $1M or Revenue under $1M:

Embark Veterinary - leverages the newest DNA, tech, and biotech technologies to provide owners and veterinarians the best support and facilitates individualized pet care products and services.

Factom - brings honesty and transparency to data systems using the block chain. With their tools, you can publish a mathematical proof for any event or record.

IdealSpot - a commercial real estate application that matches tenants to their ideal locations and building owners and managers to their ideal tenants by applying machine-learning, predictive algorithms to real-time market data.

re:3D - Gigabot, re:3D’s flagship technology, enables industrial strength, large format 3D printing at an affordable price point.

Growth (Mid-Stage) - Received funding between $1M-$10M or Revenue $1M-$20M:

ESO Solutions - builds software that helps healthcare and public safety professionals improve community health through the power of data.

Firefly Space Systems – a satellite launch company that provides low-cost, high performance space launch capability for the under-served small satellite market, where secondary payload launches are often the only option.

NSS Labs – a world leading security product testing laboratory, offering in-depth security product test reports, research, and analyst services.

OJO Labs - a world class team of engineers, data scientists, product gurus, and proven entrepreneurs who are building an artificial intelligence technology that replicates, adapts, and scales human conversations.

The Zebra - a car insurance comparison marketplace and digital agency. With just a zip code and car model, drivers can shop quotes in real time from over 200 insurance companies, learn about coverage options, and secure policies.

TrendKite - helps PR professionals build a timely, highly accurate picture of their brands' media coverage with ease.

Scale (Later Stage) - Received funding above $10M or Revenue $20M+:

Civitas Learning - provides a scalable analytics infrastructure for colleges and universities to transform disconnected data into actionable insights that help every student succeed.

Modernize - connects homeowners with the best pros specializing in four areas of exterior home improvements: solar panel installations, roofing repair and installation, window replacement and HVAC solutions.

About the Austin Chamber

The mission of the Austin Chamber of Commerce is to provide leadership that facilitates the creation of a prosperous regional economy and effective advocacy for its more than 3,000 members. For more information about the Austin Chamber of Commerce visit AustinChamber.com.

About SXSW Interactive

An incubator of cutting-edge technologies and digital creativity, the SXSW features five days of compelling presentations from the brightest minds in emerging technology, scores of exciting networking events hosted by industry leaders and an unbeatable line-up of special programs showcasing the best new apps, hardware, video games and startup ideas the community has to offer. From hands-on training to big-picture analysis of the future, SXSW Interactive has become the place to experience a preview of what is unfolding in the world of technology. Visit http://sxsw.com/interactive.

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Media Inquiries:

Mike Berman, SVP of Communications and Strategy
Austin Chamber

O: 512.322.5646

mberman@austinchamber.com