Innovation At Its Best

Organic Motion has taken motion capture technology and applied it to a Stage system, allowing for 360 degrees of digital information taken from a human beings' natural movements. Co-founded by developer Andrew Tschesnok and Wharton alumnus Jonathan Rand, Organic Motion aims for many future applications of the Stage system, ranging from its use for medical research to the movie industry. Recently, Organic Motion Stage Systems was named by PopularMechanics a Top 10 New World-Changing Innovation of the Year! Check out the article here, and while you're at it, take a look at the rest of the Top 10.

Rewarding Entrepreneurship

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, one of the world's largest foundations devoted to entrepreneurship, has just announced the 2009 Young Scholars Program Recipients. The program recognizes "the achievements of three sets of young scholars who are making significant contributions to research in entrepreneurship." Gary Dushnitsky, an assistant professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, has been named a Kauffman Junior Faculty Fellowship in Entrepreneurship Research recipient and will receive a $50,000 fellowship to support any future research. More information regarding this prestigious award can be found here.

When Things Are No Longer Free...

Google Apps, Google's "software-as-a-service for business email, information sharing and security" is, according to Google, used by more than 1 million businesses, with a large majority choosing the free advertising supported version. However, last February Google debuted a premier edition of Google Apps costing $50 per user per year. Additionally, TechCrunch has reported that Google has been "quietly lowering the number of user accounts that can be associated with a free account." With user accounts for the free version dropping from 200 to 100 to now 50 coupled with a larger presence of the premium version with a free trial offer on the website, Google is clearly angling for your money. While Google Apps is undeniably a supported choice, TechCrunch warns that there are cheaper competitors, such as Zoho and Yahoo's Zimbra, that may endanger Google's demand.

From 0 to $7.5 Million

You probably have heard of jibjab.com, a site known for its video parodies and personalized internet gags. Founded by Gregg Spiridellis, a Wharton educated ex-investment banker, and his brother Evan, an accomplished animator, JibJab has become quite the success story. TechCrunch recently reported that JibJab closed "a $7.5 million Series C funding round with participation from new investors Overbrook Entertainment (a production company co-founded by Will Smith) and Sony Pictures Entertainment, as well as existing investor Polaris Venture Partners." Ten years after JibJab first launched, the site is now ranked by Quantcast to be among the Top 100 most popular sites in the U.S.

BusinessWeek is Calling for the Top Social Entrepreneurs

From January 13 to February 20, 2009, BusinessWeek will be accepting nominations for the most promising social entrepreneurs in the U.S. Think you recognize some of the best for-profit companies that are tackling social problems in new and innovative ways here or abroad? Send in your suggestions here. The nominees will be narrowed down to the top 25 to be profiled in BusinessWeek. After that, you again will have your say as you vote for the top 5.