“Congratulations to the finalists and all the companies that advanced in the InvestMaryland Challenge. To stand out from the field of 260 applicants is an achievement in itself and a testament to the strength of the companies competing for the top prizes,” said Dominick Murray, DBED Secretary. “For two years in a row, Maryland has been named the #1 state in the country for innovation and entrepreneurship and companies like those competing in this Challenge are the reason why. They are the future leaders of Maryland’s Innovation Economy and we are proud to support them as they grow and create jobs.”

Now in its second year, the InvestMaryland Challenge drew 260 applicants, including 29 companies from 11 other states and Washington D.C. The field was narrowed over two rounds of judging by more than 80 investors, successful entrepreneurs, business executives and other members of the Maryland startup community. In early March, panels of judges interviewed 41 semifinalists — 14 in IT, 10 in Life Sciences, 11 in General Industry and six in Cybersecurity — and selected the 12 finalists from that pool. IT, Life Sciences and Cybersecurity were open to only Maryland companies. The General category was open to out-of-state companies as well as Maryland companies.

IT Finalists:

• DinnerTime, Lutherville
• ClickMedix, Gaithersburg
• Pulse8, Annapolis

Life Sciences Finalists:

• Harpoon Medical, Stevensville
• Brain Sentry, Bethesda
• Vasoptic Medical, Columbia

General Finalists:

• Healthify, New York, NY
• Foodem.com, Baltimore
• Staq, Baltimore

Cybersecurity Finalists:

• Light Point Security, Baltimore
• Luminal, Frederick
• ZeroFox, Baltimore

Read more at http://mdbiznews.choosemaryland.org/2014/03/25/12-finalists-named-in-investmaryland-challenge/