LG NOVA AWARDS TOP STARTUPS DEVELOPING TECH FOR A BETTER FUTURE AT THE 2023 INNOVATION FESTIVAL

Health Tech Startup with AI-enabled Technology to Assess Eye and Brain Health Takes Top Prize

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- Highlighting breakthrough startups, LG NOVA, LG Electronics' North American Innovation Center, announced the winners of the Startup Pitch Competition at its annual Innovation Festival in October 2023. The LG NOVA Innovation Festival is a unique event that brings together innovators to discuss, explore and build next-generation technological solutions for the advancement of people and the planet. 

The Innovation Festival provides an ideal setting for the recognition of new growing startups with the potential to make a positive impact for a better future. This year, twelve companies, chosen from more than 100 startups in the fields of digital health, cleantech & sustainability, future tech and innovation for impact competed for the top prize of $15,000. Digital Health category represents companies working on digital health software, services and technologies solutions that lead the industry toward transformative change in access, care and services for healthcare. The cleantech & sustainability category includes companies working on software and platform for efficient energy management, sustainability and ESG initiatives for better planet health. While future tech is focused on the convergence of new emerging tech such as AI, virtual and augmented reality, robotics, automation and other innovative technology. Within the Innovative for Impact category, judges are looking for a stand out technology application or business is mission driven to create a tangible impact on people or the planet. Judges for the competition included LG executives, investors and industry veterans.

The winners of this year's Startup Pitch Competition were:

• First Place: C. Light Technologies, a health tech company on a mission to create AI-enabled technology to assess eye and brain health and aid earlier detection and intervention for neurodegenerative diseases, neuroinflammatory diseases, brain injury and concussion, and retinal diseases. With eye-tracking tools, C. Light is looking to aid healthcare providers in delivering evidence-based, targeted care at the earliest stages possible.
• Second Place: SafeBeat makes software that goes beyond diagnostics to power cardiac therapeutics, all from a phone. SafeBeat software uses explainable AI to fully automate and streamline this process and even recommend patient-specific drug dosing for physician approval. The team is dedicated to using engineering to revolutionize healthcare, starting with needs they have directly identified in clinical practice.
• Third Place: Safire Technology Group develops advanced Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery technologies. The company's core technology, SAFe Impact Resistant Electrolyte (SAFIRE™), is the world's only patented and proprietary drop-in additive for any Li-ion battery cell that prevents fire and explosion through an instantaneous liquid-to-solid transformation upon kinetic impacts, such as electric vehicle crashes or ballistic events.
• Special Innovation for Impact Award: Key2Enable provides greater digital accessibility to people with disabilities. Its Key-X, a multifunctional Smart Keyboard, provides people with motor limitations to have full control of a computer and other digital devices, and together with their AI-powered inclusive educational platform aligned with curriculum and learning goals enables them to develop their motor and cognitive skills.

All winners received cash prizes and were recognized as top startups in the Startup Pitch Competition at the Innovation Festival. LG NOVA will be evaluating potential opportunities for collaboration with all of the 12 participants chosen in the Startup Pitch Competition for its Mission for the Future Program, now accepting submissions. Interested companies can apply now at www.lgnova.com/join-the-mission.

"We are very proud to support and celebrate these extraordinary startups that are contributing to positive change and a better future in our world," said Dr. Sokwoo Rhee, LG Electronics, senior vice president of innovation and head of LG NOVA. "The LG NOVA Innovation Festival continues to be a hub for groundbreaking innovations, and we look forward to witnessing the impact of these winning startups in the industry."

The LG NOVA Innovation Festival is a two-day event that brings together startups, entrepreneurs, investors, industry leaders and the broader innovation ecosystem for learning, discussions, interactive idea sharing and networking. This event celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit and is an annual gathering of innovators working on big ideas, such as next-generation technologies in digital health, immersive AI and metaverse, cleantech, sustainability, smart life solutions and other emerging areas.

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