May 15, 2008

Aspen Avionics Chosen as a Winner in the Red Herring 100 list of the Best Startups in North America for 2008

Joel Dreyfuss

San Jose, CA

A web site that helps doctors answer medical questions as they consult with patients. A maker of telephone handsets that tie together cellular and wide-area networks.  A social network on mobile phones that lets users rate each other. A site that gives parents access to a national sex offender database.

Those were some of the companies selected for the Red Herring 100 list of the best startups in North America for 2008. The winners were announced earlier this week at Red Herring annual North America 100 conference in San Jose, California.

Among the winners was San Mateo, California, startup Epocrates, whose site promises to add to the wisdom of medical doctors. Epocrates has signed up 500,000 health professionals to its suite of mobile- and web-based applications. Another was Mountain View, California, company Divitas Networks,  which sees a bright future in voice messaging over Wi-fi networks, helping companies cut their telecom bills.

Maybe only a bunch of savvy Australian entrepreneurs would have picked Funkysexycool as the name for their mobile social network, but after finding followers in Australia and Europe, the team relocated to New York City to spread their mobile rating system. And TrueScoop hopes to allay the fears that parents have of people who might prey on their children by giving them the ability to search their backgrounds.

A few, like Meebo–which unifies four instant-messaging systems via the web; and Brightcove, which manages online video–are already fairly well known. But many of the companies selected this year are still in their early stages.

The Red Herring 100 winners and another 100 finalists were chosen by the editors of Red Herring from more than 800 applications by companies based in the U.S. and Canada. They were selected on the basis of technology innovation, quality of management, breadth of partners and customers, and depth of financial backing.

The complete list follows:

Accordent technologies	Software
Acquia	Software
Adify	Internet/Services
Aggregate Knowledge	Internet/Services
Agito Networks	Communications
Alert Logic	Computing
Amalfi Semiconductor	Communications
AppRiver	Internet/Services
Approva	Software
Aspen Avionics	Other
AtTask	Software
Aveksa	Security/Defense
Baynote	Software
BDMetrics	Internet/Services
BitGravity	Internet/Services
BlueCat Networks	Other
Boston-Power	Cleantech/Energy
Brightcove	Internet/Services
Canopy Financial	Internet/Services
Cenzic	Security/Defense
Clearwell Systems	Software
ConforMIS	Other
Copan Systems	Computing
Coupons Inc.	Other
Cswitch	Communications
DiVitas Networks	Communications
EdgeCast Networks	Internet/Services
elQNetworks	Security/Defense
EnviroTower	Cleantech/Energy
Epocrates	Software
ePrize	Entertainment/Media
Exponential Interactive	Internet/Services
ExpoTV	Internet/Services
FortiusOne	Internet/Services
FunkySexyCool	Computing
Gear6	Computing
Glam Media	Entertainment/Media
GreenVolts	Cleantech/Energy
GuardianEdge Technologies	Security/Defense
Guardium	Security/Defense
IDELIX Software	Internet/Services
Inspire	Internet/Services
Jobfox	Internet/Services
KickApps	Internet/Services
KORE Telematics	Communications
Lancope	Computing
Live Gamer	Internet/Services
Mail.com Media Corporation	Internet/Services
MarkMonitor	Internet/Services
meebo	Communications
MessageOne	Internet/Services
Mocana	Security/Defense
MX Logic	computing
NComputing	Computing
Netuitive	Software
Nevis Networks	Security/Defense
Nexant	Software
ooVoo	Entertainment/Media
Openet	Communications
Operative	Software
Oversight Systems	Software
Overture Networks	Other
Pano Logic	Computing
Parallels	Software
PeerApp	Internet/Services
PGP Corporation	Security/Defense
PlaySpan	Entertainment/Media
Proofpoint	Security/Defense
QL2	Software
Quickplay Media	Software
Raydiance	Other
Serious Materials	other
Serus	Software
Silver Spring Networks	Cleantech/Energy
SiPort	Other
SOA Software	Software
SolarCity	Cleantech/Energy
Soonr	Software
Splunk	Software
Star Analytics	Software
Stoke	Communications
Strangeloop Networks	Computing
Strongmail	Software
SugarCRM	Software
Sunbelt Software	Software
Surgient	Software
Teneros	Software
Teradici	Computing
Tiny Prints	Internet/Services
TrialPay	Internet/Services
tripJane	Internet/Services
TrueScoop	Internet/Services
UpSellit	Internet/Services
Veridiem	Computing
Vertica Systems	Computing
Virent Energy Systems	Cleantech/Energy
VoiceObjects	Software
W5 Networks	Other
WiChorus	Communications
YouMail	Communications