NTT DATA to Host 9th International Innovation Contest for Technology Startups

PALO ALTO & BOSTON -- NTT DATA announced the launch of its 9th Open Innovation Contest. Since 2014, the company has hosted the competition to invite startups from around the world to submit ideas for businesses that overcome specific technology and societal challenges. Regional contests will be held in 20 cities across 18 countries worldwide, with each contest winner earning a place at the grand finale in Tokyo, Japan on March 13-14, 2019. The overall contest winner will receive in-kind contributions – a dedicated team, including consultants and accelerators from NTT DATA, who will work with the winners for three months on business development to help make their idea a reality. For more information on the contest please visit this link.

ProAxion Unveils TACTIX Predictive Maintenance System to Maximize Industrial Uptime, Overall Equipment Effectiveness

Innovative Startup Leverages Industrial Internet of Things to Help Create More Products in Shorter Amount of Time with Fewer Defects, Unplanned Machinery Stops

RALEIGH, N.C. -- ProAxion© (www.proaxion.io), developing practical applications for technology by starting with the business need, is pleased to unveil its innovative TACTIX™ 24x7 predictive maintenance system.

TACTIX maximizes industrial uptime by drastically reducing the cost and simplifying the process of measuring, transmitting, and analyzing vibration and temperature data for remote monitoring of rotating machines.

“At its core, TACTIX helps manufacturers create more products in a shorter amount of time with fewer defects and unplanned machinery stops,” explained Justin Rothwell, CEO and co-founder of ProAxion.

Combined with total predictive maintenance techniques, TACTIX enables companies of any size (even small manufacturing operations under $1MM) to maximize up-time by decreasing equipment down-time, increase employee morale, decrease accidents, and reduce manufacturing costs while improving overall productivity and the quality of items produced.

While some sensor systems require additional hardware to integrate with a local network and require significant time and expertise to setup, the ProAxion TACTIX system is "plug & play" and does not require any customer integration, with setup to monitoring live data in literally just minutes.

Many vibration sensor systems produce raw vibration data which must be integrated with software to process and filter the data for meaningful analysis. Considering the cost of additional software analysis tools, and more importantly, the expertise required to set up and tune for meaningful alerts, the ProAxion TACTIX system produces instant value as all of this is built-in and live on installation.

There are other 3-axis sensors on the market, plus 2-axis and 1-axis. A key benefit with 3-axis sensors is that you can measure vibration from all directions with one sensor. 2-axis and 1-axis require multiple sensors to get the same level of data, and therefore drive up the cost of deployment. ProAxion's TACTIX sensor measures 3-axis vibration.

TACTIX was specifically designed for the manufacturing environment. All materials, metals and plastics, were chosen to handle a wide range of chemical exposures and typical manufacturing cleaning methods (IP68).

ProAxion is actively developing products like TACTIX for the demanding environments of the industrial world using the latest in wireless sensor, cloud-based analytics and mobile communications technology. The company leverages extensive knowledge and expertise in predictive maintenance (PdM), using non-intrusive continuous monitoring to assess a machine asset's condition. PdM can be "route-based" with scheduled measurement by operations staff OR accomplished via installed sensors, which is also known as Condition Monitoring. The Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) is being driven by new developments in sensor and wireless technology.

ProAxion was recently selected as a Top Ten Startup at the 2017 North Carolina Technology Association’s NC Tech Awards, recognizing companies and individuals who have characterized excellence, innovation and leadership.

For more information visit www.proaxion.io or call 877-288-3177.

About ProaxionProAxion’s innovative products bring the benefits of data-driven operations and maintenance to the millions of machines that keep our society running and are helping to define the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). While that is useful jargon, we are dedicated to developing practical applications for technology by starting with the business need; not the other way around. Visit www.proaxion.io for more information.

Automotive Engineering Veteran Joins Award-Winning Composites Manufacturer; CFO Garners Industry Recognition

ROMEO, Mich. -- Award-winning Romeo RIM (www.romeorim.com), the world’s innovative leader in custom reaction injection molding and composite solutions, continues to strengthen its talented team of manufacturing professionals with the addition of automotive industry veteran Ian Smith. Additionally, the company’s Chief Financial Officer Michelle Bourdage was named one of three finalists for 2017 CFO of the Year by Plastics News.

“How Can I Do PR?” Mini Webinar Available for Entrepreneurs, Startups and Small Business Owners

Discounts, Signups Extended for Innovative Public Relations Do-it-Yourself Online PR Program

CARY, N.C. -- Innovative Public Relations (www.innovativeprnc.com) has published the free instructional video “How Can I Do PR?” taken from a webinar for the course PR101 - Foundations launching this month. The video and webinar are part of an online training program to give entrepreneurs and small business owners an unfair advantage over competitors by implementing an effective professional public relations (PR) program. The video outlines core elements of a do-it-yourself PR plan to leap-frog competitors in a crowded marketplace and attract eager investors, pre-qualified customers and talented employees. The PR101 - Foundations course details how public relations is the most cost-effective form of outreach with the highest return on investment for startups and established businesses alike to get their products and services in front of target audiences.

3 Keys for Entrepreneurs in Public

by David Menzies

For entrepreneurs, especially for those bootstrapping their startups, getting a huge return on investment for every effort is essential to success. Most new business owners keep this in mind for the vast majority of their business operations.

But what about maximizing your R.O.I. for being in public?

Your public persona is your brand, and how you promote and manage your brand can make or break you with important stakeholders like prospects, customers, investors, employees, strategic partners and others. Each and every time you step out of the office and head into a public setting, you are representing your business.

With this visibility brings opportunities.

Council for Entrepreneurial Development Welcomes New Directors

DURHAM, N.C. -- The Council for Entrepreneurial Development (CED), the largest and longest-running entrepreneurial network in the nation, today announced its 2017-2018 Board of Directors. The Board will support CED’s mission to propel emerging North Carolina companies into highly successful businesses. In order to strengthen and grow North Carolina’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, CED provides resources and services to help high-growth, high-impact companies gain traction and scale.


The Board unanimously elected Stephen Fraser, co-founder of Spoonflower, as its Chair. Fraser will take over for Richard West, CEO of Baebies, Inc., who served as Board Chair last year.

*NEW! Bury the competition under a landslide of publicity you create yourself with online PR courses from Innovative Public Relations. PR101 starts July 10 -- enrollment is now open, click here for details*

STARTUP TECHWIRE WEEKLY UPDATE - JUNE 18, 2017

Startup TechWire reports on business, innovation, and education for America's vibrant startup community, in addition to covering interesting tech from around the world. Advertising and sponsorship opportunities are available; contact Editor/Publisher David Menzies at startuptechwire@gmail.com or call (919) 274-6862 for information.

South Carolina Entrepreneurial Program Adds Companies
SCRA fosters South Carolina's Innovation Economy by supporting entrepreneurs, enabling academic research and its commercialization, and connecting industry to innovators.
http://www.startuptechwire.com/2017/06/south-carolina-entrepreneurial-program.html

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NEW! Bury the competition under a landslide of positive publicity for your business that you generate yourself. Learn how with PR101, starting July 10 -- for more info visit >> http://www.innovativeprnc.com/product/pr101-foundations/
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FUTURES NYC Startup Accelerator Launches
Focused on emerging technology in the live events industry, FUTURES will provide workspace, access to clients, mentorship, and tailored workshops to participating startups, curating a community of like-minded entrepreneurs.
http://www.startuptechwire.com/2017/06/futures-nyc-startup-accelerator-launches.html

Able Device COO listed among 2017 Women of M2M
COO & Co-founder, Leigh Ann Ryals, has been named among Connected World magazine’s 2017 Women of M2M (WoM2M).
http://www.startuptechwire.com/2017/06/able-device-coo-listed-among-2017-women.html

Cisco Investments Joins Actility $75 Million Series D Funding Round
The funding will enable Actility to roll out industrial IoT solutions with its partners for key verticals such as logistics and supply chain, smart buildings and energy and utilities; to accelerate its global growth; and to make strategic investments to enhance its technology portfolio.
http://www.startuptechwire.com/2017/06/cisco-investments-joins-actility-75.html

Insurtech Startup Announces $8 Million Funding Round, Led by IA Capital
The company also announced the launch of a first-of-its-kind Smartphone Protection product, which marks the sixth insurance category SURE offers consumers nationwide.
http://www.startuptechwire.com/2017/06/insurtech-startup-announces-8-million.html


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