Smart Cities Council honored three start-up companies for their commitment to providing municipalities with effective solutions to manage urban growth during Smart Cities Week in Washington, D.C. last month. Placemeter won the Innovation Alley Connectivity Award, while StratIS and OperaSoft were both awarded the Environmental Impact Award.
"Smart Cities Week is North America's leading smart city conference. We wanted to use that popularity to shine a light on startups and smaller companies that are blazing new trails towards smart, sustainable cities with improved livability, workability and sustainability,” said Smart Cities Council Chairman Jesse Berst. “We can't spend our way out of our urban problems, but we can innovate our way to a better future."
Companies participating in the Innovation Alley Awards were judged by a committee including Cheryl Foil of Kiddar Capital and Jeremy Goldberg of the San Francisco Mayor's Office of Civic Innovation Startup In Residence program.
Placemeter received the Connectivity Award for most effectively enhancing connectivity between local governments and residents. The award marks a special milestone for Placemeter — it aligns with the release of Speed Distribution, a new feature that allows users to see how fast people, bikes and vehicles move through their city.
“We are honored to be recognized by a selective committee at the most important smart cities event in the United States,” says CEO and founder Alex Winter. “The award highlights the value of urban intelligence for all stakeholders in a city, from agencies to individuals.”
StratIS and OperaSoft were both awarded the Environmental Impact Award for their contributions towards reductions in carbon emissions.
StratIS, a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform, was selected for their proven success in changing how people manage energy usage.
“Our Team at StratIS is delighted to receive the Environmental Impact Award,” says CEO Felicite Moorman. “As the leading provider of access, energy and automation in commercial residential buildings, it’s the reduction of energy usage and carbon emissions that are “The Why” behind the dedication of our phenomenal engineers. This recognition is incredibly meaningful.”
OperaSoft also received the Environmental Impact Award for their SimpliCity solution’s in-vehicle terminal mobile application. The solution not only guides drivers turn by turn for the most efficient routes to reduce carbon emissions, but also manages the rate that the materials are distributed during operational events. Whether for summer or winter, SimpliCity enables cities to save thousands on materials and time spent while also lowering the cost of annual road repairs.
OperaSoft’s General Manager Jean-Pierre Habib was proud to accept the award on behalf of the entire company which “has always placed the environment at the forefront of our initiatives.” He followed up by noting that “one of our main goals in transforming a municipality into a Smart City is to help them reduce their costs and in-turn their environmental footprint to not only transform a city, but to do it responsibly.”
