Dow Jones VentureWire Announces List of the 50 Most Investment-Worthy Technology Start-Ups

Selected companies to present at the Dow Jones FASTech conference, Nov. 8-9 in Redwood City, Calif.

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Dow Jones & Company

Sep 07, 2011, 11:30 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Dow Jones announced the 2011 FASTech 50 (http://fastech.dowjones.com/index.php/speakers#fastech50), a list of the most innovative technology start-ups as selected by VentureWire editors and an advisory board of seasoned venture capitalists. The chief executive officers of many of the FASTech 50 companies will present overviews of their companies and discuss disruptive technologies in their industries at the Dow Jones FASTech conference, taking place Nov. 8-9 in Redwood City, Calif.

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"Venture capitalists are always searching for start-ups that are developing truly original technology with the potential to transform the marketplace," said Scott Austin, editor of Dow Jones VentureWire. "The FASTech 50 cuts through the clutter of me-too start-ups to highlight companies developing the most innovative and investment-worthy technologies."

Companies selected for the FASTech 50 are developing data storage, cloud, social media, Web, software, health care, and other technologies for consumers and enterprises. Some of the companies on the list, and the technologies they have developed, include:

  • Avere Systems – Product that organizes data in response to business demand.
  • BranchOut – Social network application for career networking.
  • Castlight Health – Web-based software for enterprises that gives employees personalized views of their medical benefits.
  • EnergyHub – Home energy management system that wirelessly monitors, controls and schedules the energy consumption of appliances, devices, and heating and cooling systems.
  • Flipboard – Social magazine application designed for the iPad.
  • Knewton – Online education platform powered by an adaptive learning engine.
  • Yammer – Website for enterprise collaboration and networking.

For the full list of FASTech 50 companies, visit http://fastech.dowjones.com/index.php/speakers#fastech50.

To be eligible for the FASTech 50, a company must be based in the U.S., venture-backed and have launched a product within the last three years that breaks from conventional methods, introduces a novel technology or markedly advances an existing product or service.

This year, the VentureWire editors and advisory board supplemented their research with nominations submitted via Twitter. To give the public another opportunity to play a role in selecting the nation's most innovative start-ups, individuals are invited to vote for the 51st company. The winner will be named the FASTech Fan Favorite and invited to join the FASTech 50 at the conference. To vote, visit http://www.research.net/s/fanfave.

The advisory board for the FASTech 50 included leading venture capitalists from Accel Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, August Capital, Canaan Partners, Charles River Ventures, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, First Round Capital, GGV Capital, Lightbank, Matrix Partners and Sequoia Capital.

Only participants of the Dow Jones FASTech conference will have an opportunity to hear from and review these companies and their technologies. To register for the conference, visit http://fastech.dowjones.com or call 212-416-2951. Journalists can request a press pass at http://fastech.dowjones.com/index.php/press.

Gold sponsor for Dow Jones FASTech is Nair & Co.

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