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86 Doing Business in Connecticut | 2014 Digital Media & Film Sector Sponsored By: Industry sPOtLIGHt › Technology It's bits and bytes that are fueling business growth today, and Connecticut's burgeoning tech industry is poised for expansion By Christina H. Davis I t shouldn't be a surprise that there is a growing and vibrant technology sector in the state of Connecticut. Connecticut is, aer all, the land of Yankee ingenuity, where numerous product innovations have been born, from Ely Whitney's cotton gin to the Frisbee, which was first produced by the Frisbie Pie Co. of Bridgeport in the 1800s. Today, technology innovations are happening every day in the Nutmeg State, at large manufacturers like Stratford-based Sikorsky Aircra or at small one- or two-person startups. One of the stars of the state's technology sector that is looking to be the next big tech firm is New Haven-based SeeClickFix. See something, say something SeeClickFix was the brainchild of Ben Berkowitz, who found inspiration for the company in his desire to improve the New Haven community. e solution he came up with to drive community im- provement was SeeClickFix, an online tool to help people report non- emergency issues. See some graffiti on your walk to work every day? Report it on SeeClickFix. What about a cracked sidewalk? Report that on SeeClickFix, too. While the company's online tool was great for residents, it's also great for governments because it allows public works departments and other government agencies to keep track of and manage com- plaints and communicate with the public. SeeClickFix started as a "nights and weekends project back in 2008," according to Berkowitz. Today, the company employs 21 people and it will break even this year, a big benchmark in the tech- nology startup world. e company has enjoyed tremendous growth, with revenues more than doubling year-over-year. As of March, the company had 180 city government clients or part- ners, including New Haven, Hartford, Enfield and Windsor in Con- necticut. But SeeClickFix has already reached beyond Connecticut's borders to Massachusetts as well as overseas in places as far away as Australia and Malaysia. e company financed its start through a variety of sources, including suc- cessfully securing support through several state pro- grams. One of the key programs SeeClickFix took advantage of was CTNext, which is an arm of the quasi-public Con- necticut Innovations. rough a contract partnership with CTNext, SeeClickFix will fund four "fellows" this year who will work for SeeClickFix SeeClickFix has a smartphone app that allows people to report problems like pot holes and graffiti to city hall. PHOTO/© SCanrail | DreamSTime.COm Technology PHOTO/COUrTeSY