Sep. 24—Five New Hampshire companies have been named finalists for the 2022 New Hampshire Tech Alliance's Product of the Year Award competition.

Mikros Technologies, Geophysical Survey Systems, Coreflex, Driver Technologies and Skyhawk were selected by a panel of judges and will compete for the 2022 POY honors at a virtual event 3 to p.m. Oct. 12.

The event will be streamed live on the New Hampshire Tech Alliance's YouTube channel, and there will be an in-person watch party and networking event from 2:30-5:30 p.m. at Tupelo Music Hall in Derry.

The competition will include a live seven-minute pitch and a real-time selection of this year's top product. The event celebrates the innovative products developed within the past 12 months and provides a platform for entrepreneurs and inventors to receive free advice, major product promotion and podium time in front of hundreds of tech leaders and audience members. In 2021, the livestream reached a global audience of more than 5,500 viewers, the alliance said in a press release.

Finalists are:

—The Mikros TU3 is a computer chip tester and will be presented by Drew Matter, vice president of Mikros Technologies. The TU3 is designed to help unlock a global semiconductor supply chain bottleneck by enabling the reliable testing of next-generation processors at the required temperature extremes. It is now being deployed by AMD worldwide.

—The Solar OA Knee Brace from Corflex is a state-of-the-art solution to the growing demand for custom orthotics, specifically for osteoarthritis, that achieves an individualized fit by custom molding and modifying the brace in a single visit. The flexible silicone thigh and calf cuffs form to the shape of the patient's leg and are molded with a one-time 90 second UV light bath. Once cured, the cuffs harden to take on the shape of the leg, eliminating migration and providing a comfortable fit. The product will be presented by Steve Santaniello, director of product development.

—DriverCloud is a platform that enables drivers to control and share trip videos, maps and associated data with interested parties such as employers, insurers and family members. Driver Technologies Inc. is an artificial intelligence-based mobility tech company on a mission to make driving safe and accessible. Its mobile app Driver has been downloaded in over 170 countries and transforms a driver's phone into a dash cam with forward collision alerts, driver drowsiness and distraction warnings, cloud-based video storage, roadside assistance, coaching and scoring capabilities. COO Marcus Newbury will present the product.

—PaveScan Mix Design Module: Paving contractors have never had the control they have always needed to lay down the perfect asphalt road. The PaveScan Mix Design Module allows paving contractors to have process control for high quality paving, which research has shown can double the life of new roads. PaveScan will be presented by David Cist, chief technology officer at Geophysical Survey Systems.

—The Skyhawk Hub, Sensor and Minisensor from Skyhawk are a series of cellular-based, battery-operated remote monitoring sensors designed to provide businesses with vastly more utility and deployment capabilities.

"Our Product of the Year judges had their work cut out for them this year. We were blown away by the quality of our applicants," said Julie Demers, executive director of the NH Tech Alliance, in a statement. "This year's hybrid event format will allow more people to cast their vote and help us name a winner while also allowing alliance members to connect in person with some of the most innovative companies in New Hampshire."

Past award winners include the Breast Cancer Locator from Cairn Surgical, SpotOn Virtual Smart Fence by OnPoint Systems, Measured Air Performance, iCAD, Inc., Wilcox Industries, Plexxi, Prosenex, Single Digits, Nanocomp Technologies, UltraVision, InsightTech Gear, Holase Inc., Sky-Skan, Foss Manufacturing and Therma-HEXX.

To register for the event and receive updates about the event, visit nhtechalliance.org.

Major sponsors of this year's POY event are: Big Network, Cook Little, Cross Insurance, M&T Bank, Hypertherm, Alexander Technologies, ARMI, Wipfli, Orbit Group, Sheehan Phinney, The Hanover Insurance Group, Sunrise Labs, New Hampshire Union Leader, Berry Dunn, Cirtronics, CGI Business Solutions and Primary Bank.