EvoNexus portfolio company Finally Quiet has been named the 2026 Innovator of the Year by the Orange County Business Journal (OCBJ). The award was presented on October 7, 2026, at OCBJ’s 12th Annual Innovator of the Year Awards, recognizing Founder and CEO Peman Montazemi and his team for technology that is changing how sound is managed in the dental operatory.
How Finally Quiet Solves a Daily Problem in Dental Care
High-frequency noise is a constant in dental practices, and for clinicians who work in it every day, it carries a real risk of long-term hearing damage. Finally Quiet has built an AI-powered acoustic operating system designed specifically for this environment. The platform isolates speech, reduces harmful high-frequency noise, and improves communication in the operatory, protecting the hearing of the people who provide care.
The system was built around how dental teams actually work, with speed, safety, and ease of use at its core. That grounding in clinical reality makes the company a strong example of healthcare innovation built for practical impact.
From Pilot Launch to Innovator of the Year
The recognition caps a strong year. In June 2026, EvoNexus Irvine hosted the official Phase I pilot launch of the company’s patented, medical-grade wireless communication technology for loud clinical environments, bringing together clinicians, investors, and members of the medtech and dental innovation community. That milestone was featured in our mid-2026 portfolio update.
The company joined EvoNexus Irvine as part of its 2025 cohort, gaining access to the mentorship and investor network that come with the program. Moving from a pilot launch to one of Orange County’s top innovation honors in a matter of months reflects the pace the team has set.
Two Years in a Row for EvoNexus Companies
This year’s award makes it two years in a row that an EvoNexus company has taken home the OCBJ Innovator of the Year Award. Last year, the honor went to Syntiant, the Irvine-based edge AI company and a fellow member of the EvoNexus Irvine community. Syntiant has since publicly filed for a proposed IPO, and we are proud to see Finally Quiet carry that momentum forward.
Back-to-back wins for EvoNexus companies point to the strength of the founders building in Orange County and the startup community supporting them. For EvoNexus, the recognition also reflects what the Irvine campus was built to do: give founders tackling hard problems the space, mentorship, and network to move from early validation to real-world deployment.
Congratulations to Peman and the entire Finally Quiet team. Peman’s leadership and focus on solving a real problem in healthcare have brought the company to this moment, and the EvoNexus Irvine community is proud to support their work as they continue to grow.
About Finally Quiet:
Finally Quiet is an Irvine-based healthcare technology company building an AI-powered acoustic operating system for dental practices. Its platform pulls clean speech out of noisy dental operatories, reducing harmful high-frequency noise and turning the room into usable audio for documentation, training, and patient communication. Learn more here.
About EvoNexus:
EvoNexus is California’s leading nonprofit technology startup incubator, with locations in San Diego and Irvine. Since its formation in 2010, EvoNexus has successfully built 290 companies with an exceptional survival rate of over 85%, with portfolio companies securing over $2.4B in cumulative venture funding, backed by a network of more than 400 venture capital and independent investors, and achieving 63 acquisitions alongside a successful IPO, with additional public market exits on the horizon and over $6 billion in pre-exit valuations.
Backed by an elite network of global corporate partners, including Irvine Company, Qualcomm, AMD, BAE Systems, Viasat, ResMed, LG, Murata Manufacturing, and EMD Electronics, EvoNexus continues to drive massive economic impact across Southern California’s innovation economy, culminating in a record-breaking year with $619M raised for the portfolio in 2025 alone.