At Best Startup California we track over 300,000 Californian startups and over 1,500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and organisations we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
We’ve ranked the top 63 Smart Cities companies in California, United States. The companies, startups and institutions listed in this article are all exceptional companies, well worth a follow. We have included links to their websites, socials and CrunchBase (if you’re interested in their financials).
We selected the organisations listed in this article based on:
- Track record
- Executive leadership
- Market share
- Innovation
- ESG rating
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Top Smart Cities Companies & Startups (California, United States)
Firefly
Firefly is a mobility based advertising and data platform that allows rideshare drivers to make money through digital advertising.
Founder(s): Kaan Gunay, Onur Kardeşler
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Advertising Platforms, Information Technology, Smart Cities
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meShare Inc.
meShare is a SaaS company that offers cloud services and solutions to help product teams realize their IoT vision.
Founder(s): Andrew Xie, Charlie Wan, Kevin Wan
Location: Milpitas, California, United States
Industries: Apps, Cloud Computing, Cloud Infrastructure, Internet of Things, SaaS, Smart Building, Smart Cities, Smart Home, Software, Video Streaming
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Clarity Movement
Clarity Movement create solutions that empower communities to make more informed decisions and improve the quality of life.
Founder(s): Baljot Singh, David Lu, Deepak Talwar, Hannah Laura Hagen, Paolo Micalizzi
Location: Berkeley, California, United States
Industries: Hardware, Internet of Things, Sensor, Smart Building, Smart Cities, Software
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Optiyol
Optiyol helps freight and passenger transportation fleets for smarter route schedules that reduce costs and improve on-time performance.
Founder(s): Ozan Gözbaşı, Tuba Yilmaz-Gozbasi
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Computer, Delivery, Enterprise Software, Fleet Management, Logistics, SaaS, Smart Cities, Software, Transportation
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Automotus
Automotus uses first-of-its-kind computer vision technology to help cities, airports and fleets manage congestion and emissions at the curb.
Founder(s): Harris Lummis, Jordan Justus, Prajwal Kotamraju
Location: Los Angeles, California, United States
Industries: GovTech, Smart Cities, Software, Transportation
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NetObjex, Inc.
NetObjex’s Matrix Digital Asset-as-a-Service (DAaaS) platform enables enterprises to manage their digital assets using IoT, AI, and DLT
Founder(s): Raghu Bala
Location: Irvine, California, United States
Industries: Artificial Intelligence, Asset Management, Blockchain, FinTech, Information Technology, Internet of Things, Machine Learning, Smart Cities, Software
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Savari
Savari builds advanced wireless sensor hardware and software technologies for automotive manufacturers, the aftermarket and smart cities.
Founder(s): Ravi Puvvala
Location: Santa Clara, California, United States
Industries: Automotive, Autonomous Vehicles, Communications Infrastructure, Hardware, Smart Cities, Software
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Phizzle
The First IoT Solution to Remotely Operate Multi-Vendor Particle Counters in Scientific Data Applications.
Founder(s): Benjamin Davis
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Aerospace, Autonomous Vehicles, Industrial Automation, Oil and Gas, Pharmaceutical, Smart Cities, Telecommunications, Transportation
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NEXT Future Transportation
Designs, manufactures, and distributes advanced electric vehicles and robotic systems transportation and logistics
Founder(s): Emmanuele Spera, Tommaso Gecchelin
Location: San Jose, California, United States
Industries: Artificial Intelligence, Automotive, Autonomous Vehicles, Computer Vision, Last Mile Transportation, Logistics, Public Transportation, Robotics, Smart Cities, Transportation
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Moeco
Moeco is an IoT platform helping customers manage and monitor their physical assets’ efficiency in logistics throughout the supply chain.
Founder(s): Alexa Sinyachova, Dmitry Gorilovskiy
Location: Sunnyvale, California, United States
Industries: Blockchain, InsurTech, Internet of Things, Smart Cities, Software, Supply Chain Management
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XQ Message
Zero-Trust Data Protection Platform
Founder(s): Brian Wane, Junaid Islam
Location: Oakland, California, United States
Industries: Internet of Things, Logistics, Messaging, National Security, Smart Cities, Software, Telecommunications
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DrizzleX
DrizzleX is a pioneering water management company that provides data driven solutions for residential buildings that lack individual meters
Founder(s): Ariel Altura, Esther Altura
Location: Montebello, California, United States
Industries: Analytics, Big Data, CleanTech, Internet, Property Management, Real Estate, Smart Building, Smart Cities, Social Impact, Software
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sensfix
Multimodal AI enabled, connected maintenance platform for operations & maintenance in industrial facilities and commercial buildings
Founder(s): Balaji Renukumar, Ralph Werner
Location: Santa Clara, California, United States
Industries: Artificial Intelligence, Asset Management, Facility Management, Manufacturing, Oil and Gas, Smart Building, Smart Cities
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Trucks Venture Capital
Trucks Venture Capital funds the entrepreneurs building the future of transportation.
Founder(s): Jeffrey Schox, Kathryn Schox, Reilly Brennan
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Automotive, Autonomous Vehicles, Electric Vehicle, Smart Cities, Transportation
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Qulsar
End to end precision time sync for 5G, smart infrastructure, real time edge computing, datacenters and smart factories
Founder(s): Kishan Shenoi, Ola Andersson, Rajen Datta
Location: San Jose, California, United States
Industries: Data Center, Internet of Things, Mobile, Real Time, Smart Cities, Wireless
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Bestmap
Bestmap is an aggregator of all mobility and transportation providers in one app.
Founder(s): Anatoly Corp, Camila Kister
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Mobile Apps, Smart Cities, Transportation, Travel
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Edyza
Edyza is Internet of Things with High Density Connectivity and Computing (IOTHD) for industrial, commercial, and government markets.
Founder(s): Atul Patel, Rana Basheer
Location: Irvine, California, United States
Industries: AgTech, Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, Big Data, Computer, Industrial Automation, Information Technology, Internet of Things, Sensor, Smart Cities, Wireless
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Cypherpath Inc.
Are you cyber ready? Rapidly build, deploy, and operate resilient cyber environments anywhere.
Founder(s): Art Payne, Kevin Rogers, Steve Silva
Location: Mountain View, California, United States
Industries: Cyber Security, Infrastructure, IT Infrastructure, Security, Smart Cities, Virtualization
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Hayden AI
World’s first autonomous traffic management platform
Founder(s): Bo Shen, Chris Carson, Michael Byrne, Vaibhav Ghadiok
Location: Oakland, California, United States
Industries: Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Computer Vision, Geospatial, GovTech, Machine Learning, Smart Cities
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Atmotube
Air quality monitoring solutions
Founder(s): Igor Mikhnenko, Vera Kozyr
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Consumer Electronics, Electronics, Environmental Engineering, Hardware, Smart Building, Smart Cities, Smart Home, Software, Wellness
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UrbanSim Inc.
Building Smart City SaaS platforms to help developers, planners and citizens address hard problems like affordability, access, resilience
Founder(s): Federico J. Fernandez, Paul Waddell
Location: Berkeley, California, United States
Industries: Predictive Analytics, Real Estate, SaaS, Smart Cities, Software, Transportation
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ROMAN ROADS
ROMAN ROADS is a startup company that is focusing on just one thing: human driving behaviors.
Founder(s): Amy Huo, Cong Zhao, Erik Reed, Zhou (Joe) Xing
Location: San Jose, California, United States
Industries: Automotive, Autonomous Vehicles, Smart Cities, Transportation
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UrbanFootprint
Urban, climate & community resilience data platform providing critical intelligence to institutions investing in the world’s infrastructure
Founder(s): Joe Distefano, Peter Calthorpe
Location: Berkeley, California, United States
Industries: Analytics, Business Intelligence, Data Integration, Data Visualization, Finance, GovTech, Location Based Services, SaaS, Smart Cities
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Halio
Halio is developing adaptive, dynamic glass for the commercial, residential, and automotive markets.
Founder(s): Howard Turner, Sam Bergh
Location: Hayward, California, United States
Industries: Advanced Materials, Consumer Electronics, Manufacturing, Real Estate, Smart Building, Smart Cities
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Token Transit
Token Transit is a provider of a mobile ticket booking application intended to help riders pay for transit via a mobile application.
Founder(s): Ekate Kuznetsova, Morgan Conbere, Sam Daly, Zack Browne
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Developer APIs, Internet of Things, Mobile Apps, Mobile Payments, Payments, Public Transportation, Smart Cities, Transportation
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Parknav
Parknav uses Big Data & AI to offer parking and Smartcity solutions for transportation, automotive, fleets, and mobility
Founder(s): Eyal Amir, Igal Elon Chemerinski, Sergei Kozyrenko
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Artificial Intelligence, Automotive, Internet of Things, Mobile, Navigation, Parking, Smart Cities, Telecommunications
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Hoo Controls
Hoo Controls is developing an Operating Systems for living spaces to make smarthome adoption easier with 100% privacy.
Founder(s): Ali Haider Arif
Location: Anaheim, California, United States
Industries: Internet of Things, Operating Systems, Sensor, Smart Building, Smart Cities, Wireless
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Iteris
The global leader in smart mobility infrastructure management – the foundation for a new era of mobility.
Founder(s):
Location: Santa Ana, California, United States
Industries: Cloud Infrastructure, Consulting, Information Technology, Internet of Things, Smart Cities, Software, Transportation
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Zammo
SaaS platform to create a conversational AI presence: Voice Telephony, Voice Assistants and Conversational Virtual Agents (or chatbots)
Founder(s): Alex Farr
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Creative Agency, Enterprise, Government, Human Computer Interaction, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Retail, SaaS, Smart Cities
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AerNos, Inc.
Develops application specific nano gas sensors based on its breakthrough and proprietary AerN2S Technology to detect harmful gases.
Founder(s): Sundip Doshi
Location: San Diego, California, United States
Industries: Nanotechnology, Sensor, Smart Cities, Smart Home
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Deep Vision AI (acquired)
Deep Vision AI applies computer vision to understand images and video automatically, turning visual content into real-time analytics.
Founder(s): Agustin Caverzasi, Leandro Lichtensztein
Location: Costa Mesa, California, United States
Industries: Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Product Design, Smart Cities, Software
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Pixmoving
PixMoving provides universal autonomous driving chassis.
Founder(s): Chase Cao, Chuan Yu
Location: Sunnyvale, California, United States
Industries: 3D Printing, Autonomous Vehicles, Electric Vehicle, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods, Industrial Automation, Retail Technology, Robotics, Smart Building, Smart Cities, Vending and Concessions
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Clovity
Thinking “IoT | Edge | Data | Cloud | Digital | Smart Cities Solution” – Think Clovity. Recognized as Top IoT Soln Provider for 2017 & 2018.
Founder(s): Anuj Sachdeva
Location: Dublin, California, United States
Industries: Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Cloud Computing, Cloud Data Services, Consulting, Embedded Software, Internet of Things, Retail Technology, Smart Cities, Software
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DBAPP Security
A Leading company focusing on cloud computing , Big Data, Smart City, Mobile Internet,Web Application and database security technologies.
Founder(s):
Location: Fremont, California, United States
Industries: Database, Internet, Security, Smart Cities
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IDenTV
More than Enterprise Artificial Intelligence Solutions : Technologies to Transform Big Video Data Into Actionable Analytics
Founder(s): Amro Shihadah
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Media and Entertainment, National Security, Natural Language Processing, Smart Cities, Software, Video
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Spiio, Inc.
Saving every drop of water with in-ground soil data
Founder(s): Chris Thorup, Martin Dal
Location: Palo Alto, California, United States
Industries: AgTech, Internet of Things, Smart Cities
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CBA Startup Ecosystem
Build Value to Exit Program for Startups & istarthub Innovation Program for Corporates
Founder(s): Kaushal Chokshi
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Education, FinTech, Food and Beverage, Information Technology, Internet of Things, Retail Technology, Smart Cities
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GreatTEK
A smart technology company providing the latest in LED lighting, integrating automation and disinfection.
Founder(s): Alan Ghahramani
Location: San Jose, California, United States
Industries: Electronic Design Automation (EDA), Home Renovation, Lighting, Smart Building, Smart Cities, Smart Home
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GreenData.IO
Venture Builder bringing Corporations & Startups expertise in startup mindset & operational execution, creating the Data Driven Enterprise.
Founder(s): John-Michael Scott, Konstantinos Kamaras
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality, Big Data, Blockchain, Management Consulting, Parking, Smart Cities, Software, Virtual Reality
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!important
The Safety Belt for Pedestrians
Founder(s):
Location: Berkeley, California, United States
Industries: Automotive, Internet of Things, Mobile Apps, Public Safety, Smart Cities
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gigElev
GigElev develops an intelligence platform to help in transforming the electricity grid and mobility.
Founder(s): Matineh Eybpoosh
Location: San Jose, California, United States
Industries: Electrical Distribution, Electronics, Information Technology, Power Grid, Smart Cities
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ConLuc
We bring today a solution to face the problems today and tomorrow
Founder(s): Germán Contreras
Location: Santa Clara, California, United States
Industries: Artificial Intelligence, Assistive Technology, Automotive, Intelligent Systems, Machine Learning, Pollution Control, Smart Cities, Software
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Vection Group, Inc.
Vection Group is an ongoing cloud based streaming API software company. We provide B2B, B2C and B2M SaaS for the IoT, Smart Cities & others
Founder(s): Bradley Simpson, Jonathon Barbato, Sadat Huq
Location: Santa Maria, California, United States
Industries: Analytics, Developer Platform, Geospatial, Mobile Apps, SaaS, Smart Cities, Smart Home, Software, Ticketing, Video Streaming
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New Mindfulness
New Mindfulness is a futurist foundry that designs, funds, and launches iconic, paradigm-shifting consumer ventures.
Founder(s): Irene Atkins
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Biometrics, Incubators, Mobile Apps, Neuroscience, Personal Health, Smart Cities, Sustainability, Venture Capital, Wearables
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Prospect Silicon Valley
ProspectSV is a nonprofit urbantech innovation hub focused on solutions for sustainable, smart cities.
Founder(s): Doug Davenport
Location: San Jose, California, United States
Industries: Clean Energy, CleanTech, Communities, Electric Vehicle, Energy Efficiency, Incubators, Power Grid, Smart Cities, Transportation
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FUND(AI+X)
Investing in Interdisciplinary AI for Industrial Applications
Founder(s): Jacques-Alexandre Gerber, Robert Troy
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Artificial Intelligence, Manufacturing, Smart Cities, Transportation, Venture Capital
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JA Capital Partners
Software AI, IoT, Cyber Security venture firm.
Founder(s):
Location: Carlsbad, California, United States
Industries: Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Security, Cyber Security, Energy Efficiency, Network Security, Physical Security, Smart Building, Smart Cities, Software
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RideSVP
RideSVP is a carpool platform where travelers and commuters planning to drive can offer up their vacant seats for others to book.
Founder(s): Antoine Lejeune, Hafidha Benyahia, Michael Bautista, Pierre Baud
Location: Los Angeles, California, United States
Industries: Car Sharing, CleanTech, Collaboration, Ride Sharing, Service Industry, Smart Cities, Transportation
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Glocol Networks
Glocol Networks is an Internet-of-Things (IoT) start-up that aims to transform how IOT, Smart Objects and wearables can change lives.
Founder(s):
Location: Sacramento, California, United States
Industries: Information Technology, Smart Cities, Wearables
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AllianceAPI
Enhanced Consumer Experience through Secured Global Connected IoT via AllianceAPI universal API
Founder(s): Craig Scheldroup, David Marcaccini, Sumit Dhoopar
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous Vehicles, Cloud Infrastructure, Cyber Security, Information Technology, Internet of Things, Machine Learning, SaaS, Smart Cities
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Blue Life
Blue Life is a SaaS platform to help home-owners get their home improvement projects, DONE.
Founder(s):
Location: Palo Alto, California, United States
Industries: Blockchain, Information Technology, Internet of Things, Smart Building, Smart Cities
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Vitalize
Tangible and Intangible Services and Products.
Founder(s): Vitaly Tennant
Location: Los Angeles, California, United States
Industries: Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Dietary Supplements, E-Commerce, Education, Personal Health, Smart Cities, Space Travel, Wellness
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QuakeStopper® Inc.
QuakeStopper produces innovative and timely earthquake damage mitigation products.
Founder(s): AJ Shastry, Keyvan Fatehi, M. T. Fatehi, Paul Fatehi, Ramy Katrib
Location: Irvine, California, United States
Industries: Infrastructure, Smart Cities
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iList inc
iList is offering a way of streaming information instantly to the right audience generating local eco systems of brands and users.
Founder(s): David Larsson, Johan Viberg
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Advertising, CMS, Communications Infrastructure, Content Delivery Network, Information Technology, Internet, Loyalty Programs, Messaging, Mobile, PaaS, Smart Cities
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City of Richmond California
City of Richmond California is an organization that provides residents to build a healthy community and strong future employment base.
Founder(s):
Location: Richmond, California, United States
Industries: Government, Leisure, Smart Cities
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Plug and Play Tech Center
Plug and Play is an innovation platform bringing together startups and large corporations.
Founder(s): Ali Safavi, Jackie Hernandez, Saeed Amidi
Location: Sunnyvale, California, United States
Industries: FinTech, InsurTech, Retail, Smart Cities
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Swiftly
Swiftly develops enterprise software that helps transit agencies and cities improve urban mobility.
Founder(s): Mike Smith, Will Dayton
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Analytics, Big Data, Internet, Public Transportation, Real Time, Smart Cities, Software, Transportation
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Scout
Scout democratizes supervision and helps citizens get involved in their cities!
Founder(s):
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Apps, Consumer Software, Crowdsourcing, Enterprise Software, Information Services, Law Enforcement, Mobile, SaaS, Smart Cities, Software
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DataGrid
DataGrid International provides Smart City services via a citywide WiFi network with access points installed on streetlight poles
Founder(s):
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Smart Cities
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HA City Ventura
HA City Ventura Provides affordable and public housing assistance to residents of the city of Ventura.
Founder(s):
Location: Ventura, California, United States
Industries: Commercial, Customer Service, Facilities Support Services, Family, Residential, Smart Cities
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ChargePoint
ChargePoint develops and manufactures technology for their network of electrical vehicle charging stations.
Founder(s): Dave Baxter, Harjinder S. Bhade, Milton T. Tormey, Praveen Mandal, Richard Lowenthal
Location: Campbell, California, United States
Industries: Automotive, Electric Vehicle, Manufacturing, Smart Cities
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Plug and Play Tech Center
Plug and Play is an innovation platform bringing together startups and large corporations.
Founder(s): Ali Safavi, Jackie Hernandez, Saeed Amidi
Location: Sunnyvale, California, United States
Industries: FinTech, InsurTech, Retail, Smart Cities
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Swiftly
Swiftly develops enterprise software that helps transit agencies and cities improve urban mobility.
Founder(s): Mike Smith, Will Dayton
Location: San Francisco, California, United States
Industries: Analytics, Big Data, Internet, Public Transportation, Real Time, Smart Cities, Software, Transportation
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