Seattle, Eastside hardware makers capture tech awards

The state's tech industry is known mostly for software, but hardware made a strong showing in the Washington Technology Industry Association's 15th annual industry achievement awards announced Thursday, with devices taking three of the top honors.

VholdR, a Seattle company that makes wearable high-def video cameras, was named "Breakthrough Startup of the Year" for its ContourHD helmet camera.

Bellevue pharmacy-systems maker Talyst won "Commercial Product or Service of the Year" for AutoCool, a refrigerated, access-controlled system for storing and dispensing medications.

Pathway Medical Technologies of Kirkland won "Innovative Manufactured Product of the Year" for its Jetstream G2 NXT, a catheter used in treatment of peripheral artery disease.

Amazon Web Services won "Service Provider of the Year" and household-management software provider Cozi won "Consumer Product or Service of the Year."

One of the finalists Cozi beat was Picnik, the online photo-editing service acquired Monday by Google.

The Washington State Credit Union's online Q-Cash loan program was named "Information Technology Department Innovation of the Year" and OneBusAway, a King County transit system developed with the University of Washington, was named "Best use of Technology in the Government, Nonprofit or Educational Sector."

Also called out at the event at Showbox SoDo was Ruby Damper, a seventh-grader at Orca School in Seattle, who was named "Technology Leader of Tomorrow." She was among nominees in the Technology Access Foundation's TechStart program.