This spring, the InvestMaryland Challengewill award four $100,000 grand prizes to innovative young companies with the potential to flourish in Maryland.

Now in its third year, this national seed and early-stage business competition, hosted by theMaryland Department of Business and Economic Development, has accepted hundreds of applications since fall 2014. Judges have now narrowed the field to just 46 companies, including the competition's first-ever international semifinalist, Israel-based AcceleRadio.This month, they will present their business plans during face-to-face interviews with panels of three to five judges. Final reviews will take place in April.

Companies are competing in four categories, including:Defense & Security,IT Hardware/Software,Life Sciences and Sustainability & Exploration. In addition to the grand prizes awarded for each category, applicants are eligible for additional prizes, including incubator memberships, grants, consulting services and more.

Meet the 2015 InvestMaryland Challenge's 46 semifinalists:

Defense & Security Company Location A1Logic Bethesda, MD AcceleRadio LTD Israel Nehalim, Israel Bricata LLC Vienna, VA C4Cyber, LLC Gainesville, VA Epitaxial Technologies, LLC Baltimore, MD Future Life, LLC Washington, D.C. Integrata Security, LLC Columbia, MD Protenus, Inc. Baltimore, MD Silent Cyber Severna Park, MD SOSB, Inc. Edgewater, MD

IT Hardware/Software Company Location Brinkbit Baltimore, MD Captiva LLC Germantown, MD Full Society Baltimore, MD NewsUp Inc. Baltimore, MD Nuvu Corp Mount Airy, MD RedShred Baltimore, MD Results Scorecard, LLC Rockville, MD Sickweather Baltimore, MD STAQ Baltimore, MD Subject7 Potomac, MD Tanenhaus and Associates Inc. Annapolis, MD Vheda Health Columbia, MD Vitus Animal Health Columbia, MD Whitebox Baltimore, MD

Life Sciences Company Location Avhana Baltimore, MD GraftWorx Bel Air, MD Harpoon Medical, Inc. Baltimore, MD JPLC Associates, LLC Baltimore, MD Mindoula Health, Inc. Silver Spring, MD Plant Sensory Systems, LLC Baltimore, MD Rehabtics LLC Baltimore, MD Revolve Biotechnologies, Inc. Baltimore, MD Tissue Analytics, Inc. Baltimore, MD VideoKall, Inc. dba, MEDEX Spot Potomac, MD Vixiar Medical, Inc. Annapolis, MD

Sustainability & Exploration Company Location 1100 Energy Corporation Crofton, MD Admit.me Silver Spring, MD Altenera Technology Inc. Rockville, MD Energy Dynamics Rockville, MD Enterprise 101 LLC Worton, MD Lessoncast Learning Baltimore, MD Manta Biofuel, LLC Reisterstown, MD Mercaris Silver Spring, MD Printless Plans Baltimore, MD Speak Agent Inc. Rockville, MD Zest Tea Philadelphia, PA