Wilmington-based health technology company Predicate Healthcare Performance Group (HPG) won the 16th Coastal Entrepreneur of the Year award Wednesday.
 
Morris Nguyen, co-founder and CEO of the AI health care company, accepted his award, the Coastal Entrepreneur Award signature surfboard, to a standing ovation from hundreds in the audience at the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Burney Center.
 
“This is such a huge honor,” Nguyen said. “This year, we have commitments in five countries across five continents. And everywhere that we travel around the world, we're proud to call Wilmington home.”
 
Predicate uses its AI software platform, OpenDX, to help health care providers diagnose sepsis, a deadly infection that can often go undetected due to its array of symptoms. The technology will likely expand to help treat a host of illnesses in the future. Nguyen said he and his team are in the midst of completing clinical trials around the world to compile a diverse dataset for the technology.
 
“Right now we're hyper-focused on finishing our clinical trials,” Nguyen said. “We are traveling to Ghana, the Philippines, to Ireland later this year. And then once we've finished our clinical trials, then we can start implementing.”
 
The 2024 CEAs, hosted by the Greater Wilmington Business Journal, awarded not only Nguyen as the surfboard-toting winner, but also 10 additional entrepreneurs in varying categories like nonprofit, retail and hospitality, technology and minority-owned business. Several of the region’s chambers of commerce also selected entrepreneurs to highlight such as Burgaw Brewing, Cape Fear Fitness, Cape Fear Provisions, Topsail Magazine and Bridgewater Wines + Dines.
 
Click here to read the full list of winners and learn more about their businesses.
 
Each category winner, including 13-year-old Matthew Hamm of Hamm House Sports in the Internet-Related Business category, addressed the audience and accepted their award on stage. Many winners expressed their thanks to their families and their team members, and all applauded their fellow honorees.
 
In the collaboration between UNCW’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Business Journal, a panel of judges weighed companies’ growth potential, finances and business model to select the 11 winners. Judging also included live presentations from the candidates.