TAG Summit 2020: Engage, Innovate, and Transform

Last week, I attended TAG Summit 2020, the Technology Association of Georgia’s annual forum where technology innovators and business thought leaders gather to share insights and discuss key trends. This year’s theme was “Engage, Innovate, and Transform,” which I think really drives to the heart of the event’s objectives, not just for this year but each time it takes place.

This year, there were more than 1,100 in attendance—the summit’s typical large crowd, which was a bit surprising considering the current turmoil around COVID-19. There were some precautions being taken, however, with handshakes often being replaced by elbows and fist-bumps. I also heard some discussion centering around our currently volatile stock market, something likely being fueled by concerns surrounding the global spread of the respiratory illness.

Still, TAG Summit 2020 carried on, including the showcasing of its Top 10 Innovative Companies in Georgia. They included:

Centegix, an innovator of technology to save and enrich lives, because in a crisis every second matters.

Connected Analytics, offering the SIMetric SaaS IoT management wireless carrier platform that enables analytics and control in a “Single Pane of Glass” across carriers.

GROUNDFLOOR, a wealthtech platform that opens private capital markets to everyone.

Layr, which enables companies to get the business insurance they need in a few minutes and pay for it monthly with a credit card, entirely online.

OncoLens, which brings collaborative and personalized treatment planning to the cancer patient through data integration and decision support.

Oversight Systems, the world’s leading provider of AI-powered spend management and risk mitigation solutions for large enterprises.

Package Solutions, LLC, whose HelloPackage is the world’s most advanced package management system for high-density environments.

Phosphorus Cybersecurity, which remediates the biggest threats to IoT devices.

Scientific Games Corporation, a world-leading innovator of games and technology for lottery, casino, social and online gaming, and sports betting.

TCPoly, Inc., the world’s first supplier of 3D printed parts made of heat-conducting plastics for the electronics industry.

I’ve been attending TAG Summits for a number of years, and it’s always thrilling to see the level of innovation we have right here in the Metro Atlanta area, including these deserving “Top 10” companies.

There were, as always, a multitude of informative breakout sessions and presentations at TAG Summit 2020. One of the most interesting for me came toward the forum’s end. Titled “Generations of Ingenuity & Innovation,” the fireside chat was moderated by Larry K. Williams, president and CEO of TAG. During the chat, a question was posed to Tom Noonan on what he believes are “investible trends.” In case you didn’t know, Noonan is a general partner at TechOperators and the former chairman, president, and CEO of Internet Security Systems (ISS).

Here’s my take on several of the trends Noonan identified:

Solutions that support smart cities. Smart cities use technology and intelligent connectivity (think IoT-type sensors) to gain insights to help resolve problems such as traffic, pollution, and energy usage. As our country becomes increasingly more urban, such solutions are needed for sustainability—otherwise, we’ll face continually mounting tribulations related to overcrowding and overuse of resources.

Solutions to combat “rogue” AI/ML. Typically, when we talk of artificial intelligence and machine learning, it’s centered around the good things they can do, such as allowing us to gain insights from big data and automate tasks. However, there is a rising concern about what happens when AI/ML are intentionally corrupted for malicious or criminal intent. Solutions that can look for and stop such “bad actors” will become increasingly important as more people—good and bad—embrace AI/ML technology.

5G electronics and applications. Cisco estimates that IoT will be comprised of over 50 billion devices connected to the Internet by 2020. That’s this year. Increasingly, these devices will rely on 5G, or fifth-generation wireless networks. IoT and 5G together are enabling a plethora of new capabilities, including smarter homes, smarter healthcare, and smarter transit—the possibilities are limitless.

All in all, it was another successful TAG Summit, one in which I met up with old industry friends, made a few new ones, and learned a lot about the technology innovators in our state and the trends likely to define our future. A huge thanks to the Technology Association of Georgia for putting on another great event.