Driven by genius
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Turner describes Orchestr8’s technology as much more targeted than Google AdWords, which he says takes a "very naïve" keyword-based approach.
"We’ve built a statistical language model. Basically, (the computer) starts to learn the structure of English text," he says. "This enables content owners to present content on the Web in a more relevant fashion." For e-commerce sites, AlchemyGrid "can automatically convert your catalog into highly targeted contextual advertisements."
Turner sees relevancy on the Web as an accelerating trend. "Our view is, as relevancy increases on the Internet, we’re going to move past the naïve keyword-based approach. I believe there’s a tipping point in terms of relevance."
AlchemyGrid is currently undergoing pre-launch beta testing with a number of partners and customers, Turner says, and about 15 person-years have gone into its half-million lines of code to date. The plan calls for an official launch this month utilizing a multitiered software-as-a-service (SaaS) model.
The first tier is a "freemium" version, he adds, and companies seeking more functionality and dedicated access pay $500 to $2,000 a month. Later in Q1 2009, the five-employee Orchestr8 will release a performance-based AlchemyGrid where pricing will be pegged to click-throughs and orders.
CSIA, a statewide tech industry trade association, named Orchestr8 one of the "Twenty Most Innovative Companies in Colorado" at its September 2008 DEMOGala. "Initial feedback has been very positive," Turner says.
Orchestr8 is Turner’s second company. He sold his first startup, security provider Mimestar, in 2000. "In the course of my first startup and working at the acquiring company, a lot of my work involved looking for hackers coming into the network through data analysis," he says. "That experience of dealing with the Web and processing data at a very deep level gave us the experience to develop this product, which is focused on the relevancy and portability of the data on the Web." www.orch8.com
Young Inventor of the Year: Fiberlight International, Philip Hartman
"I do a lot of different things," says Philip Hartman, the 2008 Young Inventor of the Year. Besides playing banjo in the Hartman Family Band with his siblings, he excels in his studies: At 14, Philip is tackling 10th grade coursework. And he’s an inventor and something of a prodigy in fiberoptics.
His invention, the Fiberlight, "is a new and unique way to fuse optical fibers," he says. "It can splice together multiple optical fibers simultaneously and at a much lower cost. It also requires less training than the current methods."
Instead of using traditional electrode-based technology, the Fiberlight employs a heat filament. "Essentially, we’re melting the fibers together," Philip says.
Philip got his start in fiberoptics tagging along with his father Jim, who teaches fiberoptics classes in Estes Park. "I would go up with him and help him teach," he says.
Philip says he was just "goofing around" one day and came up with the Fiberlight. "I told my dad, ‘Here’s a new way to do it,’" he says. "Then I did a lot of testing. I experimented with it."
Aiming for a target market of both field technicians and manufacturers, Philip hopes to start manufacturing Fiberlights and assorted accessories in 2009. But he’s just getting started. "I have some other inventions I’m working on.
"The Inventor Showcase was great," he adds. "We got a lot of opportunities out of it."
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Consumer Product of the Year
Smart Lid, toilet seat cover that automatically closes, Bill Miller
www.smart-lid.com
Commercial Product of the Year
ET Squared, product designed to mitigate negative impact of humans on the planet, Pete Tovani
www.etsquared.com
Software Product of the Year
Think Like a Genius, three-dimensional imagination software tool for inspiring new ideas, Todd Siler, Ph.D.
www.thinklikeagenious.com
Young Inventor of the Year
Spot Sucker stain remover technology, Kyle Myhra
http://kylemyhra.com
Denver-based writer Eric Peterson is the author of Frommer's Colorado, Frommer's Montana & Wyoming, Frommer's Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks and the Ramble series of guidebooks, featuring first-person travelogues covering everything from atomic landmarks in New Mexico to celebrity gone wrong in Hollywood. Peterson has also recently written about backpacking in Yosemite, cross-country skiing in Yellowstone and downhill skiing in Colorado for such publications as Denver's Westword and The New York Daily News.
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