$50K DNA TECH INNOVATION WINNERS

Contest Centered Around Utah’s DNA and Family History Expertise

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, February 29, 2018 – Grow Utah, a non-profit dedicated to economic development through entrepreneurship,  announced the winners of it’s $50,000 DNA technology innovation contest today. The contest was open to innovators, entrepreneurs, businesses and non-profits throughout the world whose innovations improve the use and reliability of DNA methods and research. The top three winning innovations were awarded $50,000 in cash and services on-stage at the 2018 RootsTech Family History Convention. The winners were:

• DNA Painter – A user-friendly website that provides powerful, intuitive tools that help genealogists to visualize and evaluate their DNA matches. httpss://dnapainter.com
• ItRunsInMyFamily.com – A family health history website that helps families keep track of diseases and genes that run in their family, then provides users with personalized care recommendations. www.itrunsinmyfamily.com
• RootFinder – RootsFinder’s DNA tools allow users to compare and visualize DNA results from multiple testing companies and organize their research. RootsFinder solves these problems so users don’t need a background in genetic genealogy or cumbersome software to discover their family relationships.www.rootsfinder.com/blog/announcing-experimental-dna-tools/

Leveraging Utah’s leading expertise in DNA technologies, the goal of the contest was to foster innovations that will improve the use of DNA data in the fields of ancestral history, personal history and family health history. Innovators across the USA and throughout the world are invited to step up and bring their best and brightest ideas.

The contest organizers looked for innovations that improve the: collection process of individual DNA, testing and processing of DNA, accuracy of DNA results, interpretation of DNA results, visualization of DNA data, cross collaboration with various DNA testing methodologies, interpretation of results, and improve the overall usefulness and adoption of DNA based technologies and methodologies.

“Utah is recognized for its pioneering research and on-going technology development in the DNA field,” said T. Craig Bott, CEO and President of Grow Utah. “The uses of DNA are exploding, particularly in ancestral research where genealogical brick walls are coming down because of new DNA discoveries. This, along with the added prospect of improving our own health through global family insights made possible by DNA, are simply astounding. It just seems right that Utah should host such a contest,” he added.

A key partner and sponsor of the contest was RootsTech, Utah’s premier family history conference and tradeshow which was hosted in Salt Lake City, February 28-Mar 3, 2018. Dedicated to promoting innovation in genealogical technologies, RootsTech was the site of the DNA Innovation Contest judging and awards event. In addition, finalists and winners of the contest exhibited at the Innovation Alley within the RootsTech exhibit hall from February 28 through March 3.

“We believe in the value that innovators bring to the work of family history,” said Jen Allen, RootsTech Director. “Over 20,000 people attend RootsTech each year. And a highlight for them is to see the latest innovations that help this important work. DNA has taken our industry by storm, offering the marvelous potential of establishing links across the generations and throughout the world. The DNA Innovation Contest continued our emphasis on fostering and showcasing the leading technologies that will impact our family history work in the coming years,” she added.

Other contest sponsors include that state of Utah’s USTAR organization, the Sorenson Legacy Foundation, and BoomStartup.

For more information on the DNA Innovation Contest, visit www.GrowUtah.com/centrum/DNA

About Grow Utah

Grow Utah, is a privately funded non-profit organization dedicated to accelerate the creation of innovative, entrepreneur-led, high-growth businesses that will strengthen and expand the future growth of Utah’s economy.

The vision of Grow Utah is to create a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem in Utah that fosters entrepreneurial talent, drives innovation to solve market needs, aligns community resources and support, and ensures funding for products, entrepreneurs and businesses of promise.

Grow Utah has partnered with RootsTech over the last five years assisting in managing and directing the Innovator Showdown contest that has been a core part of RootsTech conferences.

Learn more at www.GrowUtah.com.

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Media Interviews
The following are available for media interviews:
Craig Bott, President & CEO, Grow Utah. info@growutah.com

PR Contacts:
Justin Bott
Grow Utah
(801) 593-2269
info@growutah.com