Synapse took first place in Seattle Business Magazine’s 2012 Tech Impact Awards in the IT Services category. This is the second time this year Synapse has been honored by Seattle Business Magazine.

According to the award organizers, Synapse is always doing something brilliant and continues to foster “a creative environment that has given the company a reputation for making really cool stuff.” In his acceptance speech, CEO and co-founder Scott Bright, emphasized that the company’s reputation wouldn’t be possible without the people who make Synapse the unique workplace that it is. According to Bright, Synapse’s organic culture “makes us who we are…and it’s why our clients consistently remind us that they’ve never encountered a culture quite like Synapse’s.”

For photos from the event, visit Synapse’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/synapseproductdevelopment

MAGAZINE STORY:

Synapse Product Development CEO Scott Bright and President Ross CollinsAt Synapse, something brilliant always seems to be in the works. Its teams of inventors, designers and engineers tackle all sort of problems for clients, whether it’s creating a GPS sports watch for Nike and TomTom, developing plaque removal technology for Philips Sonicare, DNA field analysis devices for Seahawk Biosystems or a metered electricity regulator for use in Bangalore, India. Its latest effort, in partnership with Kirkland’s Viableware, is a secure restaurant payment system that allows diners to split the bill as many ways as they like and pay through their mobile devices. Started by four out-of-work engineers who liked to solve tough problems, Synapse has grown to a 200-person firm with offices in San Francisco and Hong Kong, fostering a creative environment that has given the company a reputation for making really cool stuff.

Photo Credit: Hayley Young – Caption: Synapse Product Development CEO Scott Bright, right, holding Indiana Dabreo, with President Ross Collins, seated next to Dakota.

OFFICIAL RELEASE:

Seattle Business magazine honored the best of Washington state’s tech industry at the first Tech Impact Awards, held at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle. John McAdam, CEO of F5 Networks, received the Lifetime Achievement Award for helping to steer F5 from the edge of disaster to a place of prominence in the Washington tech community. Keynote speaker Rich Barton, executive chairman of Zillow Inc., exhorted a crowd of 230 to follow the path to their dreams with courage, heart and intelligence.

Nominations in 12 categories were submitted by companies from across the state. A judging panel of eight tech-industry experts narrowed them down to winners and silver award recipients. Honorees received their awards from representatives of presenting sponsor Comcast Business Class, signature sponsor AAOA Healthcare, and event partner the Washington Technology Industry Association.

“One of the great joys of covering business in Washington state is to see the development of new technologies, new services and new business models in every industry sector,” said Leslie Helm, editor of Seattle Business. “We launched the Tech Impact Awards to honor this innovation and to recognize the effect it has on business and on society.”

The award-winning companies are:

Tech Impact – Lifetime Achievement      
John McAdam/F5 Networks, Seattle

Tech Impact – Enterprise Computing
Winner: Apptio, Bellevue     
Silver: ExtraHop Networks, Seattle

Tech Impact – Cloud Computing          
Winner: Amazon Web Services, Seattle    
Silver: Microsoft (Windows Azure), Redmond

Tech Impact – IT Services 
Winner: Synapse Product Development, Seattle
Silver: Jackson Fish Market, Seattle

Tech Impact – Mobile        
Winner: Microsoft (Photosynth), Redmond
Silver: Starbucks, Seattle

Tech Impact – Construction         
Winner: EagleView Technologies, Bothell 
Silver: Skanska, Seattle

Tech Impact – Education  
Winner: Livemocha, Seattle
Silver: Edvation, Bellevue; Panopto, Seattle

Tech Impact – Real Estate
Winner: Redfin, Seattle         
Silver: Zillow, Seattle

Tech Impact – Consumer/Retail 
Winner: Zulily, Seattle
Silver: Decide.com, Seattle

Tech Impact – Games        
Winner: PopCap Games, Seattle       
Silver: Big Fish Games, Seattle; Zipline Games, Mercer Island

Tech Impact – Health         
Winner: Edifecs, Bellevue   
Silver: Mammography Reporting System, Seattle; RealSelf, Seattle

Tech Impact – Marketing Innovation       
Winner: SEOmoz, Seattle    

Seattle Business Magazine