San Diego has been an innovator in biotech for the past decade, but more recently it is being recognized in other industries like futuristic tech and design innovation.
Technology innovation in the region has been growing for some time, and recently it has received more prestigious recognition for its role new leading new business and technology trends. Not only was it acknowledged as one of the ten leading hubs for CleanTech, but it was announced as the World Design Capital for 2024 alongside Tijuana.
Our team at Tragic Media has witnessed the explosion of growth in San Diego’s tech community and is inspired to be neighbors with some of the world’s most innovative businesses of 2021. To celebrate the accomplishments of these visionaries, we wanted to highlight six San Diego companies who’ve made an impact on tech innovation.
Futuristic Tech
IKIN
IKIN is a visual technology company that designs holograms and innovative software solutions. Recently, IKIN was recognized for working on the world’s first hologram accessory, and is the first company ever to deliver holograms without headgear. Not only would this be a huge leap in the hologram industry, but it also reimagines how we approach business, education, and retail with tech.
Totum
Totum is an innovator in satellite connectivity that explores the limitations of coverage, complexity and cost-effectiveness. In the fall of 2021, the company announced a successful indoor operation of their direct-to-satellite IoT connectivity solution. This accomplishment was revolutionary because the wireless waveform has the potential to provide worldwide coverage, indoor connectivity, and an embedded footprint the size of a postage stamp, closing the accessibility gap for communities without reliable connectivity.
Healthcare
Life Voxel
Life Voxel is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company that offers remote diagnostics to healthcare facilities. Physicians in medical fields like radiology, cardiology, and orthopedics can use the software to store diagnostic imagery that helps them analyze the imagery on-demand. In November 2021, Life Voxel raised $5M in seed funding for AI diagnostic visualization. In hopes of changing the current landscape of medical imaging, the company plans to use AI visualization to improve diagnostic outcomes with the goal of catalyzing how medical professionals diagnose and heal patients.
Biolinq
Biolinq is a medical device company that recently closed $100 million in funding from RiverVest Venture Partners. The company is using electrochemical sensors to combat unmet medical needs and public health issues at large. The product would be a needle-free option for diabetics to monitor glucose levels.
Education
San Diego Cyber Center for Excellence
The San Diego Cyber Center for Excellent (CCOE) is strengthening the expanding cybersecurity ecosystem with education and business. In June 2021, the CCOE worked alongside San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC) to research the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) on cyber jobs. Despite the boost that AI and ML have had on industry employment, there is still a shortage of talent. Despite struggling to source cyber experts, the industry in San Diego still has a total economic impact of $3.5 billion annually, and with roles across 874 firms, there’s plenty of options.
Our Worlds
OurWorlds is a communication platform created to give representation to Native American culture through the use of augmented reality, artificial intelligence and geolocation to create interactive art galleries. In November, OurWorlds was a part of the San Diego Comic-Con Special Edition 2021 where the platform hosted an immersive experience and allowed the audience to view and buy paintings. OurWorlds is innovative because it’s using emerging technologies like the metaverse and augmented reality to achieve the goal of preserving and advancing Native American culture with storytelling.
Conclusion
We are excited to continue to grow in such a unique and innovative city. As San Diego continues to expand and spread its reputation as a design and technology capital, we look forward to celebrating and collaborating with startups and existing industry leaders to push the region to new limits of design and technology.
