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Techbytes

Aug 31, 2022

Inflation Reduction Act’s tax credits could reshape Idaho’s energy landscape

Almost all utilities across the United States and the rest of the world operate their energy infrastructure on a real-time basis — meaning people are monitoring an energy grid at all times to respond to weather events and customer demand. That on-demand status makes it difficult to switch to renewable energy sources after the sun goes down or the wind stops blowing. “It’s the biggest m[...]

Apr 27, 2022

Idaho nuclear waste treatment plant hit with more problems

A nuclear waste treatment plant in eastern Idaho had two unanticipated shutdowns this year, U.S. officials said Tuesday, continuing a lengthy history of setbacks. Trent Neville of the U.S. Department of Energy said they're working on the problems at the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit at the department’s 890-square-mile site that includes the Idaho National Laboratory. The plant might start o[...]

Dec 1, 2021

New lifesaving software tool another Idaho first

The tragic storm cloud of 3,921 Idaho COVID-19 deaths by Nov. 26 has a silver lining in a software tool created in Boise that could save many lives in the future. This app had its birth quietly announced in a short blurb in the Idaho Hospital Association newsletter on Sept. 14. The blurb stated that: “The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW) has launched the AlertSense Patient Transf[...]

photo of liiingo
Jun 25, 2020

Catching up with Liiingo, as it revitalizes the QR code

[caption id="attachment_252377" align="alignleft" width="300"] In Salt Lake City, Liiingo is used to provide information across a number of blocks in the city's cultural core. Photo courtesy of Liiingo[/caption] A locally developed application intended to help companies provide information in multiple languages could revitalize the QR code market. “It seems so obvious,” said Andrea Soren[...]

photo of saalt building
Jan 29, 2020

Catching up with Saalt, as it moves to a new space

[caption id="attachment_244175" align="alignleft" width="300"] Saalt will be moving to this building in April. Photo courtesy of Saalt[/caption] A Boise-based startup is moving to new space to accommodate growth. The company is Saalt, which creates the Saalt Cup, a reusable period cup that collects menstrual flow rather than absorbing it. The product creates less waste than tampons or pads a[...]

photo of idaho vacasa home
Jan 21, 2020

Catching up with Vacasa, as it trips along with a new CTO

[caption id="attachment_209787" align="alignleft" width="300"] The Lake Fork Lodge is one of more than 100 short-term rental homes in McCall that Vacasa manages. Image courtesy of Vacasa[/caption] You may think of Vacasa as a vacation rental company, but it’s really not. It’s a technology company. Just ask the new chief technology officer (CTO). “Our founder was passionate about techno[...]

photo of zennify
Jan 9, 2020

Catching up with Zennify, as it takes an investment from Salesforce

[caption id="attachment_243189" align="alignleft" width="300"] Zennify's year-old offices include desks made from repurposed barn wood. Photo by Sharon Fisher[/caption] MERIDIAN – A local software company has taken its first investment, from Salesforce Ventures, the corporate investment group of the San Francisco-based software giant. Consulting company Zennify helps other companies implem[...]

photo of melt room
Nov 26, 2019

Catching up with Melt, as it spreads to new markets

[caption id="attachment_241033" align="alignleft" width="300"] The wall o'butter in the Melt team room. Photo by Sharon Fisher[/caption] A booming Idaho plant-based food company is looking to expand, not just in products but in markets. Melt saw $1 million in sales for the first time in the third quarter. The company's plant-based butter is now sold in 12,000 locations in the U.S. and Canad[...]

photo of jarod ferguson
Nov 12, 2019

Catching up with Royal Jay, converting health care from Blockbuster to Netflix

[caption id="attachment_240640" align="alignleft" width="300"] Jarod Ferguson, founder and CEO of Royal Jay, is helping implement value-based health care. Photo by Sharon Fisher[/caption] It’s not easy for Jarod Ferguson to explain what Royal Jay does. “We help health care companies improve performance in value-based contracts,” said Ferguson, founder and CEO of the Boise-based company[...]

photo of boise brewing
Nov 1, 2019

Catching up with Boise Brewing, raising liquid investment

[caption id="attachment_240123" align="alignleft" width="300"] Boise Brewing stockholder gatherings are a little different from the usual kind. Photo courtesy of Boise Brewing[/caption] A Boise brewery is using an innovative method to raise expansion funding for the third time. Boise Brewing is selling shares of stock at $2.50 each, but only to Idahoans, said Collin Rudeen, president. Rud[...]

Sep 18, 2019

Catching up with ClickFunnels as it guides internet commerce

[caption id="attachment_237820" align="alignleft" width="232"] ClickFunnels helps small to medium businesses sell services and products over the internet. Photo courtesy of ClickFunnels[/caption] Want fries with that? If so, you’ve just used a funnel, a sales technique that made ClickFunnels one of the most successful companies in the U.S. The five-year-old Eagle-based software company rec[...]

photo of joe rowett and kevin veon
Sep 11, 2019

Catching up with VELOX as it looks for a new home

[caption id="attachment_237583" align="alignright" width="300"] Kevin Veon, left, and Joe Rowett. Photo courtesy of VELOX Media[/caption] This article was edited on September 12 to correct the identification of the people in the photo. Next time you see an internet ad or Google search result, remember that it might have come via an Idaho company. VELOX Media is a digital marketing agency,[...]