Forbes has released its list of 15 technology companies to watch in 2018. Optimal+ is the one company frequently mentioned in EE-Evaluation Engineering (see here, for example) that made the list. Dan Reich at Forbes cites the rise of the IIoT as a factor in the magazine’s selection of the company.
“The nightmare scenario of a robot or an autonomous car malfunctioning and endangering lives—due to nothing more than a hardware defect—is a real concern,” Reich writes. “That’s why Optimal+, a big-data analytics company that helps reduce such occurrences, is on a growth spurt. The platform offers electronics and semiconductor manufacturers deep product analytics and actionable insights that improve quality and reliability by reducing defective parts per million.”
Reich writes that Optimal+ analyzed 60 billion devices during 2017 from companies including Qualcomm, Nvidia, and Renesas.
Other companies of note on the Forbes list include Nauto, which offers an automotive data AI platform that employs road- and driver-facing cameras to help facilitate driver behavior to improve safety; Relativity Space, which is looking to cut the cost of rocket production through 3D printing; TOM, nonprofit that brings together developers, designers, engineers, and makers to solve problems for people with disabilities; and Virta Health, which offers diabetes patients a personalized program of nutrition and ongoing coaching and support.
