(March 23, 2015) Chicago, IL – Beltone, a leader in hearing aids, joined the Chicago Innovation Awards, the Chicago region's foremost annual celebration of innovation, in New York City on Monday, March 23rd to ring the Closing Bell at The Nasdaq Stock Market. Beltone received recognition for the company's innovative Beltone First™ hearing aid, which was the first hearing instrument to receive wireless audio streaming directly from an iPhone®, iPad®, or iPod touch® via 2.4GHz technology.

“As a local company that has provided hearing care across the US and globally for the past 75 years, we are particularly proud to be recognized for innovation in our hometown,” said Beltone President Todd Murray. “This award speaks to our ongoing commitment to provide personalized hearing solutions that take advantage of cutting-edge technology.”

The Nasdaq event, arranged by the Chicago Innovation Awards, emphasized the surge of innovation that is occurring in the Chicago region, and shined a spotlight on the organizations that make up its vibrant economy. Joining Beltone were other winners of the 2014 Chicago Innovation Awards, including: 640 Labs, alligatortek, Auctions By Cellular, Caremerge, dough, Horizon Pharma, Keeper Security, KENTECH, LMK Technologies, LuminAID, Mattersight, Options Away, Packback, Pangea, Radio Flyer, Rippleshot, Rise Interactive, Shiftgig, Strata Decision Technology, Swingbyte and ThinkCERCA.

“This annual event is an excellent example of how the Chicago Innovation Awards celebrates the spirit of innovation in organizations across all industries, sizes and sectors,” said Tom Kuczmarski, co-founder of the Chicago Innovation Awards.

“We congratulate Beltone for winning the Chicago Innovation Awards, and applaud their commitment to innovation,” said Dan Miller, fellow co-founder.

To learn more about the Chicago Innovation Award winners, watch their video testimonials.

For more on the history and inspiration for the Chicago Innovation Awards, click here.

About the Chicago Innovation Awards

The Chicago Innovation Awards, established in 2002, have grown from a single awards ceremony to a year-long series of events and activities designed to celebrate innovation in the Chicago region, educate people and organizations about the principles of innovation, and connect the corners of the economy by building relationships that strengthen companies, grow the economy and create jobs. The organization's expansion has included formation of the Chicago Innovation Foundation, which promotes innovation education and provides scholarships to college students each year, as well as The Innovators Connection, which connects large companies with Chicago-based start-ups. For more information, visit www.chicagoinnovationawards.com.