GeekWire Awards: Breakthrough tech for healthcare and data centers highlights Innovation of the Year
From the research lab to the healthcare clinic and all the way above ground – the Pacific Northwest continues to produce game-changing innovations.
2026 GeekWire Awards Innovation of the Year Finalists – Alpenglow Biosciences; Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; RevealDx; Starcloud; and VerAvanti – brings together companies and organizations that think outside the box to develop cutting-edge technologies that help power data centers, modernize healthcare, and more.
Now in its 18th year, the GeekWire Awards is the premier event to recognize the top leaders, companies and achievements in Pacific Northwest tech, bringing together hundreds of people to celebrate innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. It takes place on May 7 at Showbox SoDo in Seattle.
Microsoft’s Majorana 1, a new quantum processor based on the state of matter, won the Innovation of the Year honor last year.
This section is presented by Astound Business Solutions.
Read on for information about the Innovation of the Year finalists, selected by a panel of independent judges from public submissions. You can help choose a winner:Cast your vote hereor in the embedded form below. Voting continues until April 10.
Seattle-based Alpenglow Bioscienceswhich came out of the University of Washington in 2018, developed tools to quickly create multidimensional images from biological tissue samples and analyze the results. The company recently announced a partnership with PathNet, a leading US pathology laboratory, to help commercialize the use of the first 3D microscope technology in clinical settings.
Alpenglow is led by CEO and founder Dr. Nick Reder, who helped launch the company to solve problems he encountered as a pathology resident at the UW.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, known as PNNL, the 60-year-old institution is managed by the US Department of Energy and conducts research in areas including energy, chemistry, data analytics and other fields of science and technology. More than 210 companies have their roots in the laboratory, and 3,213 patents have been issued for research that originated at PNNL.
Some of the latest work from the lab includes quantum computing research; the use of new AI models for scientific discovery; the integration of robotics and laboratory experiments; and small fish monitoring technology.
RevealDx is a Seattle-based startup that develops software aimed at improving the way health professionals diagnose lung cancer. The company’s product uses machine learning techniques to assess whether lung nodules found on chest CT scans are cancerous – one of the most invasive procedures. RevealDx recently received FDA approval for its RevealAI-Lung imaging software.
The company is led by CEO Chris Wood, who founded Seattle-based health technology company Clario Medical Imaging and is CTO at Intelerad Medical Systems.
Starcloud build space-based data centers, powered by massive solar panel grids that provide alternative data centers on Earth amid increased energy demand from the AI boom. The Redmond, Wash.-based company, formerly known as Lumen Orbit, graduated from Y Combinator in 2024. NVIDIA demonstrated the Starcloud data center at the start of Jensen Huang’s keynote speech at the chip giant’s recent GTC conference.
Starcloud is led by CEO and founder Philip Johnston, a former partner at McKinsey & Co. who also founded an e-commerce business called Opontia.
VerAvantia medical technology company based in Bothell, Wash. founded in 2013, develops miniature imaging scopes that can be used for cardiac diagnosis, neurosurgery, and peripheral artery work. The company raised $31.5 million last year and later announced a $5 million investment from a family-owned Middle Eastern medical equipment distributor.
VerAvanti is led by CEO Gerald McMorrow, who previously helped launch Verathon, another medical device company that sold in 2009 for $300 million.
Astound Business Solutions is the presenting sponsor of the 2026 GeekWire Awards. Thanks also to gold sponsors Amazon Sustainability, Baird, BECU, JLL, First Tech and Wilson Sonsini, and silver sponsors Prime Team Partners.
The event will feature a VIP reception, dinner and fun social gatherings. Tickets are going fast. A limited number of partial table sponsorships and full sponsorships are available. Contact events@geekwire.com to place your team today.
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