Merriam tech company places third in national competition
San Francisco beat us again.
In a national competition that recognizes innovation in mobile technology, a Merriam-based company took third place. Immediately ahead of it — two companies from San Francisco.
The Johnson County business, VolunteerMark, was awarded a third-place prize of $2,500 in the second annual Mobileys competition. The company has developed a mobile-friendly online software application that helps match volunteers with non-profit organizations that may fit their personal interests, skill sets, availability and location.
“VolunteerMark is an incredible tool that utilizes mobile connectivity to maximize the volunteer experience,” said Jonathan Spalter, chairman of Mobile Future, which sponsored the competition.
VolunteerMark was founded several years ago by Andrew Stanley and Venkat Dulipalli.
The company was one of 11 regional startups selected to participate last year in the inaugural SparkLabKC business accelerator program sponsored by several area businesses and universities.
In the Mobileys competition, the first-place company was Code Blue, a San Francisco firm that helps teens and young people experiencing depression or bullying get immediate support. Second-place finisher First Derm, also based in San Francisco, created a mobile app that provides consumers and businesses with a faster and more convenient means to receive professional opinions on skin care.
To reach Steve Rosen, call 816-234-4879 or send email to srosen@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published November 25, 2014 at 12:00 AM.