SALT LAKE CITY – Twenty-nine innovations have been selected as finalists or honorable mention recipients in the ninth annual Utah Innovation Awards, presented by Stoel Rives LLP and the Utah Technology Council. This statewide program, the first of its kind and sponsored by Utah Business magazine, Webb Audio Visual Communication, and Stage 12, is designed to recognize innovations and the Utah companies that created them. Winners will be announced, and finalists and honorable mention recipients will be honored at a special Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, May 3, 2011 at the Little America Hotel. Registration is available online at www.stoel.com/utahinnovation.

A committee of 70 experts from Utah’s private industry, government and academic communities voted on winners and finalists in each of the program’s nine categories: Clean Technology and Energy; Computer Hardware/Electrical Devices; Consumer Software; Enterprise Software and Business-to-Business Solutions; Life Science, Mechanical Systems/Chemicals/Manufacturing; Medical Devices; Natural Products, and Outdoor and Consumer Products. The Selection Committee votes were tallied by the accounting firm Grant Thornton.

In addition to identifying finalists, the Selection Committee also identified innovations worthy of honorable mention (note: there are no restriction to the number of honorable mention recipients recognized in each category). Below is a complete list of the finalists and honorable mention recipients listed alphabetically by innovation name for each category:

Clean Technology and Energy

• CO2 Catalytic Converter by Solid Carbon Products LLC
• Portable Solar Power Full-System Kits by GOAL ZERO
• SensiMat by SensiSolar
• Computer Hardware/Electrical Devices
• PRI in the Sky by Telecom Recovery
• Pronto4 Robotics Appliqué Kit by Kairos Autonomi, Inc.
• Sentinel by Xandem Technology

Honorable Mention

• "WIT" Wireless Sensors System by Monnit Corporation

Consumer Software and Internet

• Net Nanny for Android by ContentWatch, Inc.
• Net Nanny for iOS by ContentWatch, Inc.
• Skullcandy Virtual Room by Rain
• Validated Citizen Feedback by Icount, Inc.

Honorable Mentions

• On the Spot Renewal System by Utah.gov
• The Utah Department of Public Safety Media Portal by Utah.gov

Enterprise Software and Web-Enabled B-2-B Solutions

• Liqwid Ads by LeftsnRights, Inc.
• TeamHome by AtTask
• Zumogo by ProPay, Inc.

Honorable Mention

• Lendio: Making Small Business Loans Simple

Life Science

• Domain Surgical System by Domain Surgical
• Smart Tube- Optically Guided Feeding Tube by Veritract
• The Vutara SR-200 Microscope by Vutara, Inc.

Honorable Mention

• The Element by Fillauer and Espiritu Design

Mechanical Systems/Chemicals/Manufacturing

• High Capacity Wireless Power Transfer by Utah State University Research Foundation’s Energy Dynamics Laboratory
• Monorail Transportation System by Hilltrac, Inc.
• ZAGGmate by ZAGG Inc.

Natural Products

• ageLOC™ Vitality by Nu Skin Enterprises
• Teton Botanicals – Award winning skin care products

Outdoor and Consumer Products

• Inertia X Frame by Klymit
• KILO Backpacking Tent by Easton Mountain Products

Honorable Mention

• Orabrush - Tongue Cleaner by Orabrush, Inc.

The May 3 awards event begins at 11:00 am with finalists showcasing their innovations. The Luncheon will begin at noon and feature a keynote address by Clark Gilbert, president and CEO of Deseret News and Deseret Digital Media. Earlier this year, Gilbert was named as recipient of the Borrell Associates' Innovator of the Year Award for local online media. For UTC members, individual seats are $40.00, for non-UTC members, individual seats are $60.00, and a table of ten is $400. To register, visit www.stoel.com/utahinnovation by Thursday, April 28, 2011.

The program is supported by the Association of Corporate Growth, Manufacturing Extension Partnership, USTAR, Utah Manufacturers Association, Wayne Brown Institute, and the Women Technology Council. More details about the awards program are available at www.stoel.com/utahinnovation.

About Stoel Rives LLP
Stoel Rives is a business law firm providing counseling and litigation services to a wide range of clients throughout the United States. The firm has nearly 400 attorneys operating out of 11 offices in seven states. Stoel Rives is regarded as a leader in corporate, intellectual property, litigation , energy, natural resources, and environmental law. For more information, visit www.stoel.com.

About Utah Technology Council
The Utah Technology Council is the essential resource for Utah’s 4,000 science and technology companies seeking to develop management talent, improve Utah’s business environment and raise investment capital. Members can connect and share insights with industry peers, government and academic leaders, professional service providers and venture capital firms. Visit www.utahtechcouncil.org or call 801.568-3500.