Rubicon Project, Zag, and eHarmony Named Winners of Entretech 5th Annual Entrepreneurship Awards 2008

PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Entretech (www.entretech.org), the leading non-profit association supporting high tech companies in Greater Los Angeles with critical and practical business development resources and connections, announced today that the Rubicon Project, Zag and eHarmony were named winners of its 5th Annual Entrepreneurship Awards 2008. The Entretech Entrepreneurship Awards celebrate the entrepreneurial vigor and business achievements of technology companies based in Los Angeles. The three winners were honored at an awards dinner in downtown Los Angeles on March 6.

“The winners ultimately received the award for having clear evidence of product acceptance and the ability to define new marketplaces; vision and potential for future revenue growth and profitability; and dynamic leadership with a proven record of execution.”

The purpose of the Entrepreneurship Awards is to honor growing, leading edge companies symbolizing the best in entrepreneurial spirit and skills in the five Greater Los Angeles counties and Orange County. The program was divided into three revenue categories to accommodate the growing interest of applicants, which ranged from companies earning under $1 million in annual revenues in 2007 to over $190 million.

"The high quality of applicants made the selection process extremely difficult,” said Stephanie Yanchinski, Executive Director of Entretech. “The winners ultimately received the award for having clear evidence of product acceptance and the ability to define new marketplaces; vision and potential for future revenue growth and profitability; and dynamic leadership with a proven record of execution.”

“This award has grown to become a premier showcase for the technology industry in Greater Los Angeles,” said Louise Wannier, Chairman of the Entrepreneurship Awards Selection Committee. “All our finalists are true winners, as they reveal the breadth and depth of our innovative entrepreneurial community and the vigor of the investors who back them.”

About the Winners

Start-up Category – Under $1 million

the Rubicon Project (www.rubiconproject.com) is a group of industry-experienced, aggressive and passionate renegades dedicated to bringing a new level of efficiency to the fragmented Internet advertising space. The founders of the Rubicon Project shook up the online advertising industry in 1998 when they created L90/adMonitor, one of the most successful Internet advertising platforms that served over 3,000 of the web’s most recognized sites, reaching 65% of the Internet population before DoubleClick acquired it.

Emerging Category – Between $1 million and $8 million

Zag (www.zag.com) was founded on the simple premise that buying a car should be easier than it is. Zag operates a robust auto shopping, research and pricing technology platform that connects consumers with a select nationwide network of pre-qualified dealers that have agreed to provide upfront discounted pricing and a no-hassle delivery process. InfoWorld designated Zag’s platform as one of the 100 most innovative corporate IT solutions for 2006, and in June 2006 Zag was named in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Hot 100” list of the fastest-growing companies. Zag is based in Santa Monica, Calif.

Growth Category – Over $8 million

eHarmony (www.eHarmony.com) is America's #1 trusted relationship service. The company was founded by one of America's most well known relationship experts, best-selling author and clinical psychologist Dr. Neil Clark Warren. eHarmony was the first online relationship service to use relationship science to develop its compatibility matching and marriage profiles.

Recently an independent poll, conducted by Harris Interactive, concluded that over 230 eHarmony members marry on average every day in America as a result of being matched on eHarmony. These marriages accounted for more than two percent of U.S. marriages for the time period observed.

About Entretech (www.entretech.org)

Entretech is the leading non-profit association supporting high tech companies in Greater Los Angeles with critical and practical business development resources and connections. Our mission is to support the growth of high tech and life sciences companies in the L.A. region and through this work accelerate the emergence of the high tech cluster in Southern California as a whole. Entretech empowers entrepreneurs to build new businesses through capital, education, people, and strategic partners. Through a dedicated relationship with the California Institute of Technology, UCLA and USC, Entretech provides opportunities to new technology companies forming tomorrow’s high tech industry.