A local start-up company that became reality in a small office located in Folsom’s Historic District has been nominated for a prestigious honor when it comes to innovation in the Golden State.
Bekonix has been nominated for an Innovation of the Year honor in the 2023 regional Inno Awards presented by the Sacramento Business Journal. Bekonix is one of 12 California companies to be nominated for the awards that wll be announced Nov. 2 and will name the Innovative Company of the Year, Innovation of the Year and the Innovator of the Year.
“The Bekonix team has worked hard to create a platform that helps companies innovate technology in a whole new way,” Daniel Kaye, CEO of Bekonix told Folsom Times after learning of the nomination. “We are honored to be recognized along with such a great group of entrepreneurs, all of whom are pushing the boundaries of innovation.”
Based in the heart of Historic Folsom inside the historic Granite School, Bekonix is a platform that allows people to create smart connected devices without needing to know how to design hardware or write software code.
The platform is available on both Windows and Mac, and users can design their own devices using Bekonix Designer. What sets Bekonix apart is by removing the complicated technical obstacles, Bekonix is really changing who can make sophisticated technology products.
Simply explained, the company gives those without a technical background the ability use Bekonix to create custom devices. The company already received $1.3M in funding from Moneta Ventures, Growth Factory, and Evolution Ventures who saw the value and potential of this technology shortly after its existence became public, much of which can be attributed to Choose Folsom and the Folsom based Northern California Innovation District (NCID).
“Choose Folsom is proud to have Bekonix headquartered here in Folsom. Their innovative no code, drag and drop platform to integrate hardware and software to truly change not only how things are innovated, but who can do the innovating,” said Phil Scott, Choose Folsom’s Business and Economic Consultant. “The founders all live and work here in Folsom. They were also able to get initial and follow up on funding locally from Evolution
Accelerator https://www.evolutionacceleration.com/ , Growth Factory https://growthfactory.us/ and Moneta https://www.moneta.vc/ . This is a great example of the massive opportunities to move from ideation, prototyping, to light manufacturing using local talent and resources. “
How did they get here?
Prior to any fundraising, a mutual friend connected co-founder Kaye with Scott. Kaye previously attributes the moniker “World’s Greatest Connector” to Phil, because of the constant flow of introductions and meetings he helped facilitate for them.
Becoming one of the first anchor tenants at NCID was the perfect place and timing for them as they scale up and work to disrupt the IoT market – the latter being something Bekonix President, Jyoti Das, was brought on to do because of his decades of experience at IBM and Intel leading internal and external market transformations.
How is this technology used?
One of the exciting projects that Bekonix is working on is in the field of education. By making drag-and-drop coding accessible to all, they hope to engage students in the process of creating and building from an early age. This could be a game-changer for the future of education, as it allows students to learn and experiment in a hands-on way.
But Bekonix isn’t just limited to education. Whether you’re a creative teenager looking to build something cool, an entrepreneur looking to bring a new product to market or even an Enterprise-level company solving a logistics problem, Bekonix offers an accessible, no-code solution.
Frontline Metal, a woman-owned and operated sign manufacturing company out of Rancho Cordova, is one such partner using Bekonix technology to enhance their product offerings. By combining art and technology, Frontline Metal is able to create even more unique and innovative signs for their customers.
What’s next for Bekonix?
Looking to the future, Bekonix is focused on expanding their team and getting involved with more people, companies, and educational institutions. They are excited to continue building and innovating in the smart connected device space, and are looking for solid, creative people to join their team.
Their Showcase Videos show off interactive, light up Ski Suits, a Light Puck used to enhance storytelling in Dungeons and Dragons, and even makes an appearance in a Ghostbusters costume worn by Adam Savage from MythBusters at the New York Comic Con in 2021.
The NCID is proud they call Granite School home and look forward to seeing what’s next from them. For more information, visit the Bekonix website.
Bekonix CEO Daniel Kaye and CTO Ken Turcotte were each honored with the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Development. Bekonix team members already have a storied history, beginning in the 1990’s helping to create one of the most iconic products in television and film, the Video Toaster.
It was remarkable due to its exceptional functionality and low price point. It not only changed how visual effects were made but who could make them. (Yes, enabling more people to make more great things has always been our passion) It and follow-on products were used in the making of dozens of major motion pictures, hundreds of television shows, and countless commercials- from Forrest Gump to several Star Wars movies. Bekonix CEO Daniel Kaye and CTO Ken Turcotte were each honored with the Primetime Emmy Award® for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering Development.
From there many successful products were created in the consumer electronics and video spaces.
The Snappy Video Snapshot was a favorite, which prior to digital cameras was the number one way people brought real-world imagery into their computer. A distribution deal was made with Minolta, and Snappy generated $28 million in revenue in its first year and ultimately sold close to one million units.
Later innovations in the graphics tools space included a world-wide 21 language print-at-home consumer product and a 10-year partnership with HP which generated over four billion square inches of print.
Jyoti Das, Bekonix COO, is a Hi-Tech veteran with a career spanning two decades at IBM and Intel, leading internal and external market transformations. As a senior director in Intel’s Data Center group, he led go to market strategy for IoT and Big Data. Since 2015, he has led multiple startup initiatives and comes to Bekonix to lead product, marketing, and operations and help realize its vision to disrupt the IoT market.
Most of this team has been leaders in technology for over 25 years having successes on both sides of the equation: Crafting companies and teams to build innovative hardware/software products and launching creative tools that have changed industries. Learn more about Bekonix at www.bekonixcom. For information on the awards event or tickets VISIT HERE. https://www.bizjournals.com/sacramento/event/169278/2023/2023-sacramento-inno-awards
About the Northern California Innovation District
The Northern California Innovation District (NCID) was founded by a group of exceptional thought leaders, sharing the common vision of fostering innovation, growth, entrepreneurship, access, education, and opportunity for all in Northern California and the Greater Sacramento Region.
NCID’s quest is to provide support services, educational curriculum, investment dollars, and make massively impactful introductions. We have no geopolitical boundaries and work to help businesses do more business. Foster Innovation, Economic Growth & Sustainability Across Northern California Communities.
Folsom’s Granite School is home to NCID’s headquarters and is the center of its growing ecosystem. Built in 1915 as a school—innovative for its time, it is now being used to teach and host entrepreneurs. With over 10,000 square feet dedicated to helping launch startups and scale ups, we host companies from across the region and round the globe, some physically present and some co-locating as a base to support existing operations.
Folsom Times and All Town Media LLC, in partnership with Choose Folsom and the NCID brings you Nor Cal Innovation, a continuous special section to www.folsomtimes.com designed to being you feature news of up and coming innovators in our area. You can learn more about the NCID at www.norcalinnovationdistrict.com.
ABOVE PHOTO: Daniel Kaye is the CEO of Bekonix, a Folsom based start up that has been nominated for an Innovation Company of the Year Award.
