Hayward businesses win 2021 East Bay Innovation Awards

HAYWARD, Calif., Oct. 19, 2021—Hayward businesses claimed top honors in three of 10 categories in the ninth-annual East Bay Economic Development Alliance East Bay Innovation Awards competition.

Often referred to as the “Academy Awards of the East Bay,” the East Bay Innovation Awards celebrates and honors the extraordinary companies and organizations that contribute to the East Bay’s legacy of innovation and ecosystem of supporting industries.  More than 200 nominations were evaluated by an independent panel of subject-matter experts.

Potrero Medical, Inc., of Hayward, innovator of the Accuryn Monitoring System, won in the Technology category.  The Accuryn Monitoring System is a new sensor-integrated foley catheter that provides vital information on intra-abdominal pressure and urine output in real-time.  This data helps health providers assess disease stage progression of critical conditions such as acute kidney injury.

Gel-Pak, of Hayward, a leader in development of protective carriers for semiconductor, optoelectronic, and medical devices, won in the Engineering and Design category for its new Lid/Clip Super System.  This new patent-pending product is designed to prevent semiconductor components from migrating out of the pockets of waffle-pack chip trays during shipping and handling.

Nelumbo, Inc, of Hayward, a pioneer in advanced materials and surface modifications, won in the Clean Technology category.  Nelumbo develops scalable, and sustainable processes to drive the broad adoption of advanced materials in everyday products including an advanced anti-icing material that improves the energy efficiency of industrial refrigeration systems.

All of the Innovation Award winners were announced at a virtual awards ceremony Thursday, Oct. 14.  A video recording is available here.