LOVELAND — Three finalists have been identified in BizWest’s first Northern Colorado IQ Awards Innovation Challenge.

The IQ Awards recognize innovation among new businesses in the northern region — those located in Weld and Larimer counties and the city of Brighton. They will be spotlighted during the annual Bravo! Entrepreneur awards that recognize career-long achievements in business.

Bravo! and IQ will be Thursday, Aug. 22, 4 p.m. until 7:30 p.m., at Embassy Suites Loveland, 4705 Clydesdale Parkway.  

The IQ Awards Innovation Challenge will give deserving companies the opportunity to win a total of $22,500 in-kind services from local accounting, legal, marketing and other firms.

To be eligible, the companies named finalists had to be fewer than 5 years old, with founding dates no earlier than Aug. 1, 2014. They had to demonstrate an ability to be a sustainable, ongoing concern, with a strong potential for profitability and survival of the business.

Priority was given to companies that displayed innovation in their products, business model and ideas. 

The finalists are:

Career Allies Inc., Fort Collins — The company uses Tilt, a web-based solution to revolutionize parental leave in the workplace. The company’s platform guides employees and companies through a research-based, customized approach to retention, engagement and effective transitions. 

New Iridium LLC, Fort Collins — New Iridium commercializes high-performance, sustainable and cost-effective organic photoredox catalyst (PC) products. PCs are the key enabler of a rapidly growing chemical technology named “photoredox catalysis.” Introducing unprecedented efficiencies, this light-driven technology is poised to disrupt conventional heat-driven chemical manufacturing.

Red Mountain Scientific Inc., Fort Collins — Red Mountain Scientific uses drone-based image capturing and artificial intelligence to provide infrastructure management support for the wireless communication industry. The company has developed Skyli, an app that automates drone flights for inspection of cell tower assets, and Summit, a cloud-hosted tower management solution that helps streamline damage detection, asset inventory, as well identification of additional tower leasing opportunities.

The finalists will make six-minute presentations at the IQ segment of the Bravo! Entrepreneur awards, with three judges then asking questions (two to three minutes per finalist). The audience then will vote for the overall winner, who will win the IQ trophy, plus an in-kind package of services valued at $10,000. Second place will receive an in-kind package of services valued at $7,500, with third place receiving an in-kind package of services valued at $5,000.

In-kind sponsors are:

Huebner Integrated Marketing, Loveland; MAPR Agency with offices in Boulder and Fort Collins; Eide Bailly accounting firm, Boulder and Fort Collins; and Coan Payton & Payne law firm with offices in Fort Collins and Greeley. 

Bravo! honorees are:

• Curt Richardson — Founder of Otter Products LLC, will receive the lifetime achievement award and deliver the keynote address of the evening.
• Dr. Don Wells, founder of Associates in Family Medicine P.C.
• Leo Hayden, founder of Hayden Outdoors LLC
• Brian Peterson, founder of ECI Site Construction Management Inc.
• Jon Turner, founder of Hillside Commercial Group Inc.

Tickets are $84.49 and can be purchased here.