WARREN — A technology startup at BRITE Energy Innovators was spotlighted in Washington, D.C., as a growing success by top economic leaders for using federal opportunity zone dollars to hire staff and pivot products to provide COVID-19 relief.

Dave Martin, founder and CEO of Intwine Connect, an Internet of Things hardware and software solutions provider, was recognized at an event at the Eisenhower Building and interviewed for the Kelly Wright show, part of the Black News Channel.

The company was made the example for its use of funding through the opportunity zone program, which encourages public and private investment in urban and economically distressed areas.

“All of our clients — from mom-and-pop shops, restaurants, light industrials and now even school districts — want to connect and protect their teams. So, we pivoted our hardware and software to do just that,” Martin said.

Another example of the technology solutions developed by the federal opportunity zone funding is the expansion of subscription services available with Intwine’s SmartHub gateway, attractive to customers and investors for its versatility and integrations into real-time systems.

Intwine’s service offerings includes a smart, connected thermometer linked to the SmartHub to provide real-time alerts and reporting to health leaders.

Intwine manufactures its own connectivity device and writes its own management portal software, which works independently and also integrates well into larger system architectures, according to Martin.

“Intwine is yet another example of a best practice coming out of northeast Ohio and the Mahoning Valley,” Rick Stockburger, president / CEO of BRITE, said. “This region is setting a national standard for investments and innovations that create jobs and spur economic development.”

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