Tech stars: Mira Awards recognize innovators who are putting technology to work in Indiana.

IDENTIFYING CANCER cells more accurately, managing parking systems and placing take-out restaurant orders from cell phone are among the innovative ways that Indiana companies are using technology to create new opportunities in the state.

A record 79 companies from across the state were nominated for the annual Mira awards that are named for "the wonderful star," a pulsating red giant whose brightness can change dramatically. The awards are presented by TechPoint, Indiana's technology association of public and private companies, colleges and research universities and local economic development organizations.

"The Mira Awards provide an opportunity to showcase the business breakthroughs and technological innovations that are putting Indiana on the map as an emerging tech center," says TechPoint president and CEO Jim Jay.

Here are the 2008 winners:

INNOVATION OF THE YEAR

CS-Keys, Indianapolis

What if you could find the key to identify cancer-specific ceils? That's the question that Indianapolis-based CS-Keys is hoping to answer with its new technology that was recognized as the innovation of the year at the 2008 Mira awards.

Co-founder Linda Malkas, who lost her father to cancer, has devoted her professional life to learning how to fight the disease. Following her tenure at universities on the East Coast, she came to Indiana University in 1992 and served as the Vera Bradley Chair for Oncology Today Malkas is recognized internationally for her research on the molecular biology of breast cancer.

"I became interested in how cells divide," she says, noting that cancer ceils maintain the ability to survive the body's natural defenses and reproduce in large numbers. Her work led to the discovery of a new biomarker and has resulted in a patented antibody that the company hopes will allow earlier and more accurate identification of cancerous cells.

CS-Keys was founded in 2006 by Malkas, with fellow doctors and researchers Robert Hickey, Lauren Schnaper and Derek Hoelz. Claire Deselle joined the company as president and CEO, bringing experience in life sciences consulting and management from 14 years at Eli Lilly and Company.

The company's first product is caPCNA Key Stain[TM], an immunohistochemistry stain to be used as an aid to pathologists in examining tissue biopsies where cancer is suspected. In layman's terms, that means the test can help to identify specific cancer cells and make them appear brown instead of blue when viewed under a microscope.

The privately held company, which has raised $7.5 million to date, plans to launch several other diagnostic tests based on its technology and anticipates they will be helpful in identifying breast, ovarian, esophageal, prostate and other types of cancer cells.

As a small company located near the Indianapolis International Airport, Deselle says CS-Keys is a good example of how innovative life sciences ideas can grow in the state. "I think Indiana is really primed for innovation," she says. "This is the time and the place.

Finalists in the Innovation of the Year category included ChaCha, Comfort Motions Technologies, EnterDel and Moerae Matrix.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COMPANY

T2 Systems, Indianapolis

While most people don't think about technology while they are looking for a parking space, Indianapolis-based T2 Systems has grown to more than 100 employees by understanding the importance of managing the data of parking systems.

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Founded in 1994, the company serves more than 300 organizations in the United States and Canada, providing a variety of parking management technologies for towns, universities, hospitals and airports.

"Today's parkers are becoming more sophisticated and want more efficient ways to reserve, pay and manage their parking," explains president and CEO Mike Simmons. "Our customers look for us to incorporate the latest technology--such as e-commerce, credit card payments, and cell phones--into our solutions so they in turn can provide excellent service to their customers."

T2 Systems provides software and hardware allowing online permit sales and event parking management, as well as parking enforcement, collections and processing of tickets and access and revenue control functions.

"We feel very fortunate that our customers work with us to build the industry-changing solutions they need to manage their evolving business," Simmons says. "Being a loyal partner to our customers is the main driver behind T2's growth."

Finalists in the category included ANGEL Learning, Aprimo, and ExactTarget.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GAZELLE COMPANY

Patronpath, Indianapolis

The Gazelle distinction at the Mira awards recognizes technology companies that move quickly, so it seems appropriate that this year's winner was developed to speed the process of ordering from restaurants.

Patronpath chairman and founder Bryan Anderson recalls thinking it was ridiculous when he saw a promotion asking people to fax an order to restaurants, since few people use fax machines and fewer still have restaurant menus sitting around. So he quickly designed an on-line system that provides menus, ordering and payment systems. "We had a white paper written in three weeks and had developers hired within three months," he says. "It's been a lot of fun.

Patronpath's online ordering tool has features like My Favorites, My Order History and patent-pending Invitation Ordering, that makes it easy to place group orders for company meetings and other events. VIP orders and special promotions for cell-phone users are also in the works.

In addition to making the process more efficient, Anderson says the software has been a great marketing tool for restaurant owners, who find that pre-paid orders made online tend to be between 20 and 30 percent larger than those placed by telephone.

Anderson, who also founded Autobase, a national software company offering sales and marketing solutions to auto dealers, says moving quickly and using technology to improve the customer experience are keys to success, especially in industries where technology has been missing. "Restaurants are so operationally intensive that they can't focus on technology," he says. "Good software companies are customer-driven." Finalists included Chatter-spike, Cine-tal Systems and Compendium Blogware.

HEALTH AND LIFE SCIENCES COMPANY

BioStorage Technologies, Indianapolis

BioStorage Technologies is a privately held Indianapolis company and a worldwide leader in short-term and long-term biomaterials storage, sample management and cold chain logistics. The company is headquartered near the Indianapolis International Airport and also has operations in Germany.

Using its proprietary Intelligent Specimen Inventory Storage technology has put the company at the forefront of specimen management for clinical researchers and pharmaceutical companies. The three core elements of the BioStorage Technologies are secure, complaint storage, worldwide shipping and logistics and 24/7 tracking and reporting

"We are committed to the growth of our technology capabilities to drive better efficiencies for our clients. It's truly an honor to receive this award," says CEO John E Mills. "It reflects the hard work and dedication that our employees, from top to bottom, have put intO helping not only BioStorage, but also Indiana's continued growth and prosperity as a breeding ground for the life science industry."

Finalists included AIT Laboratories, Targanta Therapeutics and Zotec Partners.

HEALTH AND LIFE SCIENCES GAZELLE COMPANY

BioConvergence, Bloomington

Bloomington-based BioConvergence is wasting no time in ramping up to serve clients in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries. Organized in 2004, the company built a state-of-the-art lab and climate-controlled storage facility and has already expanded the building to meet the needs of some 90 clients across the country.

"I don't have anything but aggressive timelines, says CEO Alisa Wright. "There are people out there who are waiting for treatments." Wright, who has degrees in pharmacy and engineering from Purdue, founded the company after spending 20 years working in all aspects of the pharmaceutical industry.

She explains that BioConvergence provides contract services for drug product development, supply chain and materials management, toxicology and clinical materials manufacturing and packaging, quality control testing and also consulting. Earlier this year, BioConvergence announced a 10-year agreement with Eli Lilly and Company that is expected to create more than 100 jobs at the facility.

Wright, manages the business with her husband Lance, who serves as Chief Engineering Officer and John Brooks, who is Chief Operating Officer, and expects the company will continue its rapid growth. She notes that increases use of DNA to create specialized medicines will create much smarter therapies, driving demand for the expertise of life science contractors like BioConvergence.

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Finalists included Anaclim, The Indiana Health Information Exchange and OrthoPediatrics

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING AND DISTRIBUTION, TRANSPORTATION, LOGISTICS

Cloud Blue (formerly Asset Forwarding), Indianapolis

Recognizing that increasingly stricter environmental and privacy laws have impacted the disposal of old computers helped Cloud Blue become the first electronic recycling company to win a Mira award.