For Immediate Release
October 3, 2024
Economic Development Contact: Jennifer Coronado
Email: JCoronado@GlendaleCA.gov
Phone: (818) 548-2005
City Media Contact: Stephanie Mkhlian
Email: SMkhlian@GlendaleCA.gov
Phone: (818) 548-4424
Glendale Tech Week 2024 Celebrates Best of Regional
Tech Industry; Plus, Demo Day Winner Announced
Glendale, CA - Nearly 3,000 founders, investors, and community members across 22 events joined together during Glendale Tech Week, held from September 17 to 19, to celebrate the region’s tech industry. From high level industry led panels to a Demo Day entrepreneurial pitch competition, Glendale Tech Week provided something for everyone, underscoring the strength of the local tech community. If you were unable to attend, we invite you to catch the highlights in our wrap-up video—click here to watch.
One of the highlights of the week was Demo Day, hosted by SmartGateVC. This event provided an opportunity for ten companies to pitch their ideas to a panel of investor judges, who evaluated them on several criteria. TACTUN, the winning company for 2024, received a prize package valued at over $20,000, aimed at propelling it to the next stage of growth. A spin-off from RAFA Solutions with over 10 years of Systems Integration expertise, TACTUN develops AI-ready hardware controllers and a no-code software platform tailored for smart machinery manufacturers. Their innovative solutions enable the creation of autonomous, AI-enabled machines that make real-time decisions using local or cloud-processed data. By combining advanced hardware with an intuitive no-code builder, TACTUN enhances productivity by up to 40% while optimizing resource usage.
“Winning Glendale Tech Week’s Demo Day is an incredible honor for TACTUN. This recognition validates our years of hard work and dedication. It has opened doors to invaluable connections with investors and partners, and we’re excited about the opportunities ahead. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the organizers and panel of judges for selecting us among such an outstanding group of startups,” said Rafayel Ghasabyan, TACTUN co-founder.
Another outstanding company recognized during Glendale Tech Week was Glendale-based Evite. During the event’s closing ceremony, Glendale Mayor Elen Asatryan presented Evite CEO David Yeom a commendation for setting an example as an innovative technology firm in the city, his contributions to building the local tech community, and for Yeom’s recent recognition as a winner of the EY 2024 Greater LA Entrepreneur of the Year.
Other Tech Week highlights included panel discussions that covered topics such as “How to Create Compelling Pitch Decks for Investors” and “Real World Strategies for Cybersecurity and Operational Governance.” There were also events aimed at encouraging young people to enter tech field, including a hands-on STEM challenge for families.
“I want to congratulate the organizations that came together to make this year’s Glendale Tech Week so valuable. We covered such a diverse breadth of technology from AI to innovations in beauty tech that really showed off and encouraged the talent here in our city and across the region,” said Mayor Asatryan.
The closing day of Glendale Tech Week featured the first-ever "Biohack Your Beauty" event on the lawn at The Americana at Brand. This included demonstrations and booths from beauty experts, along with a series of panels and speakers discussing the latest innovations in beauty tech.
As demonstrated by Glendale Tech Week, Glendale has emerged as central to the Southern California innovation ecosystem through a dedicated strategy that supports tech growth. This strategy includes networking events such as Tech on Tap, Investors on Tap, and others, inter-city collaboration through initiatives such as Upstart Valley and #EarlyStageLA, and partnerships with key drivers of innovation.
Glendale is also home to numerous technology-based companies, including three unicorns: LegalZoom, Age of Learning, and ServiceTitan. The city’s relative proximity to movie studios such as Disney and DreamWorks, and institutions of higher learning including Caltech, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Glendale Community College, gives the city a competitive advantage.
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About Glendale: Glendale is one of the largest cities in Los Angeles County, with a population of nearly 200,000. Glendale is a thriving cosmopolitan city that is rich in history, culturally diverse, and a bustling downtown that is home to many corporate headquarters and tech giants, two first-class regional shopping malls, and a walkable Arts & Entertainment District with endless fine dining opportunities.
Visit ChooseGlendaleCA.com for more information about Economic Development in Glendale or connect on X, Instagram, and Facebook @ChooseGlendale.
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