PUDDLE HOPS: Time100 Most Influential Companies; Black Tech Nation; airspace tech

Time’s most influential companies

MADISON, IL–When Time Magazine released its Time100 Most Influential Companies list in April, Maryland Heights-based World Wide Technology was included. World Wide Technology provides tech products and services for large businesses.

Black Tech Nation

PITTSBURGH–Black Tech Nation started as a local organization in Pittsburgh, but is now an online nationwide network for cultivating a “digital Wakanda” for Black tech entrepreneurs.

New University of Minnesota incubator launch

MINNEAPOLIS–The University of Minnesota is opening its Discovery Launchpad incubator to outside startups with a new, similarly-named incubator called Discovery Launchpad MN. The accelerator is open to any startup that has received an Innovation Grant from Launch Minnesota.

Airspace management tech

COLUMBUS, OH–Converge Ventures, a high-tech lean startup studio model that commercializes innovative research, announced the launch of Lighthouse Avionics (Lighthouse), an airspace management system capable of providing low-cost long-range identification, tracking, and communication capabilities for drones.

HVAC diagnostics tech

ST. LOUIS–Fault detection and diagnostics is a new frontier in HVAC technology. Emerson’s smart HVAC , called Sensi Predict, has received the Silver Edison Award in the Innovative Services – AI Applications category. Sensi Predict shares real-time system insights to help homeowners monitor performance and prevent unexpected problems.