The Regional award recognizes the Orlando region’s most innovative company.
Orlando, Fla. – Beep Inc., a global leader in multi-passenger, electric, autonomous mobility solutions headquartered in Orlando’s Lake Nona, is the 2021 recipient of the Orlando Economic Partnership’s (the Partnership) Schwartz Innovation Award. The annual award honors a local company that has made the greatest impact on the Orlando region’s economy and competitiveness and stimulates future advancements through innovation. The winner was announced during the Synapse Orlando tech event Friday, October 15.
“We are humbled and honored to be a recipient of the Schwartz Innovation Award,” said Joe Moye, CEO of Beep. “We’re proud to provide safe and sustainable autonomous solutions in the very region where Schwartz pioneered smart city technology.”
“Orlando’s talent pool, climate, forward thinking local and state partners, coupled with our state’s business friendly policies, help entrepreneurial companies like Beep thrive.”
Joe Moye, CEO of Beep
Beep’s success includes many firsts in the industry, including one of the federal government’s first AV Test Initiative Partners, launching the country’s first autonomous shuttles in Yellowstone National Park and operating the largest and longest autonomous shuttle network in the country at one location in Lake Nona.
“Lake Nona is one of the most innovative planned communities in the world. Where else can you test new technology with residents who are “citizen scientists,” doctors, nurses, students, professionals and families,” said Racquel Asa, CMO of Beep.
“It was because of that partnership with Lake Nona that Beep is quite literally building the roads of the future today and creating a playbook, a blueprint, a novel of lessons learned on how to safely implement autonomous shuttle networks.”
Racquel Asa, CMO of Beep
The Schwartz Award is named after the late William C. Schwartz, a pioneer in the field of laser technology who founded two companies in the Orlando region that advanced his field by creating first-of-its-kind products.
“The Schwartz Innovation Award allows the Orlando region to honor the legacy of William Schwartz by recognizing a company that has successfully created, developed and implemented innovative products, ideas and processes that have contributed to the region’s competitiveness and stimulates future advancements in Orlando,” said Tim Giuliani, president and CEO of the Partnership.
Previous recipients of the Schwartz Innovation Award include FINFROCK, Luminar Technologies, the University of Central Florida and Quality Manufacturing Services, Inc.
“This award is named after the late William C. Schwartz, or as I knew him, Bill, the man who, back in 1993, sponsored my very first research project at UCF,” said past winner and Luminar Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Jason Eichenholz.
“If Bill hadn’t had the vision to create the University of Central Florida’s CREOL laser program 30 plus years ago, I wouldn’t be here today and Luminar wouldn’t be here either. And, it’s fair to say that his contributions to Orlando’s innovation ecosystem paved the way for each of these companies’ successes.”
Luminar Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Jason Eichenholz
For more information on the Schwartz Innovation Award, please contact Laureen.Martinez@Orlando.org or at 407-242-3982.
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About Beep
Beep delivers the next generation of mobility services utilizing driverless, electric, multi-passenger vehicles. By specializing in planning, deploying and managing advanced autonomous shuttles for both private and public communities, Beep safely connects people, places and services in first-mile, last-mile mobility networks. Beep also leverages the data and learnings from its public road deployments to produce vehicle agnostic, edge solutions meant to enhance safety, access, artificial-intelligence and driverless operating capabilities of autonomous platforms. Beep delivers on a primary goal of enabling mobility-for-all with the services and software they provide. For more information visit: www.ridebeep.com