Trying to connect with Sacramento's tech scene? Below are my "best bets" this week for those involved in Sacramento’s technology startup community (or those who want to be). There’s a new (technology) kid in town! Elk Grove Tech Connect is a new group focused on bringing technology professionals together to discuss, learn and socialize with other technology professionals. Their first event is Wednesday, February 20 from 6:00-8:00pm and features Kevin Spease, CISSP, an Internet security expert, who will present an “Internet Security Threat Assessment.” (Flashback -- remember those 90s internet “horror” flicks—The Net and Hackers? We should have a movie night!) We’re clean, we’re green, we

There’s a lot going on around town for Sacramento entrepreneurs this month and next — especially those with a technology focus. It seems like every time I turn around (or check my twitter feed), I hear about another cool gathering or seminar for those who are leading the technology revolution here in the Capital City corridor. Well, maybe it isn’t exactly a revolution just yet, but the troops are starting to rally and you can be a part of it! Why should a busy (and broke!) entrepreneur make time for rubbing shoulders with other entrepreneurs and investors?  Can it really impact your success? Geoff Sakala, organizer at UpStart Sacramento, a newly formed group focused on fostering a richer

More than thirty technology companies headquartered, or with operations in the Sacramento area have been announced by the Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance (SARTA) as the region’s first Technology Flagship companies. The CEOs of these companies gathered at SARTA’s invitation for the kick-off of this program, which recognizes technology companies that are among the largest, fastest growing, most visible, and most recognized in the region – as a means to highlight their success and raise the prominence of the region as a hub for innovative companies. “This unprecedented gathering of the CEOs of our Technology Flagship companies is an indication of their commitment to the economic

The 2012 Sacramento Area Regional Technology Alliance (SARTA) Med Tech Showcase on Tuesday, June 5, will feature a keynote address by Siemens Healthcare North America CEO Dr. Gregory Sorensen and presentation of the Claire Pomeroy Award for Innovation in Medical Technology. “This is the largest medical technology gathering in the Sacramento region and we’re excited about this year’s program. Anyone with an interest in our med tech sector should be there,” said Cary Adams, chair of SARTA’s MedStart program. With an anticipated attendance of 300, the full-day program at the Woodlake Hotel will also highlight specific new technologies recently adopted by the Sacramento region’s four major h

Robb Moore, President & CEO of Sacramento region tech company ioSafe, is well-known for his flashy Consumer Electronic Show (CES) demos of the company's almost indestructible hard drives. This year, he outdid himself by inviting journalists to fire a 12-gauge shotgun at ioSafe's new product, the Rugged Portable. The demo was held at American Shooters, a gun range close to the Las Vegas Convention Center, and participants included the BBC, Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, PCWorld, MacLife, the Canadian Discovery Channel and more. In addition to blasting the drive with a shotgun, journalists were also able to crush it with a vice, immerse it in water and hit it with a hammer. In each case the dat

There is more to Sacramento than clean tech and government—we have an impressive number of medical device companies in our region. SARTA, the Sacramento region's technology business accelerator, is hosting the first Sacramento Med Tech Showcase at Sacramento State on Tuesday to spotlight the medical technology industry --one of the few growing, high-value industries in the region. The event will feature companies that are positively contributing to the ongoing economic development and job growth in the Sacramento area. With over 50 organizations exhibiting at the event, most of them involved in the research, development and/or manufacturer of medical technology, this is an unprecedented o

Sacramento companies have significant opportunities to grow their revenues by landing federal contracts. There are over 27 different vertical markets in the United States Federal Government.  For 2010 alone, the budget for information technology is over $80 billion. Although rumors abound about purchases of $1000 hammers and toilet seats, the U.S Federal Government is one of the smartest buyers of goods and services. If your company is engaged in commercial and/or state business, there is a way to leverage what your company already does now, here in California, into a federal contract. SARTA, the Sacramento region's high tech business accelerator, knows that dealing with government contr

While winning grant monies in the private industry sector sometimes seems impossible, a number of technology companies in the Sacramento region have recently won government grants to help fund research and underwrite programs. For example, in September, Renewable Energy Institute International received a $20 million economic stimulus grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a pilot biorefinery to turn crop and wood waste into diesel fuel. In October, Insera Therapeutics was awarded a $150,000 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that they will use to develop the industry's first clot-specific catheter-based platform f