The Hawaii Venture Capital Association has named its first Technology Entrepreneurs of the Year, in a pau-hana event last night at the Plaza Club.

Winners were named in four categories: Lorenz Sell, president of Blue Lava Technologies Inc. as Young Entrepreneur; Bob King, president of Pacific Biodiesel Inc. as Clean Tech Entrepreneur; Jason Lau, managing member of TalkStory Productions LLC as Digital Media Entrepreneur, and Hank Wuh, chief executive officer of Cellular Bioengineering Inc., as Invention Entrepreneur.

Sell is co-founder of Blue Lava Technologies and won for his ilovephotos.com free photo organizing and sharing software for Mac users. Sell also co-founded Beer and Business, a periodic mixer for techies, investors and other interested people.

King's Pacific Biodiesel pioneered conversion of used cooking oil into automotive diesel fuel in Hawaii and has built a network of biodiesel plants in the U.S. and Japan. The company recently received an Innovation Award from Gov. Linda Lingle. The company is currently raising investment capital for a new research facility on the Big Island that will be focused on encouraging growth of feedstocks in Hawaii.

Lau's TalkStory Productions is an independent production company that creates theatrical film and television projects shot in Hawaii. Active beyond one company, Lau is also president of industrial loan company Honowaii Investment Co. Ltd. and is a partner in Lau Enterprises, an investment partnership; as well as BJM Partners LLC, a private equity fund. Lau is also on the advisory board of the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Hawaii.

Hank Wuh founded Cellular Bioengineering in 2003 to develop disruptive technologies with biomedical and biodefense applications. The company works to shepherd ideas into mature products for the health care and homeland security industries.

“;Technology is really the future and the marketplace is global,”; said Bill Spencer, president. HVCA focuses on technology “;to really build our economy and create exports and balance the economy”; to alleviate some of the state's dependence on tourism.

“;We're very interested in demonstrating how important technology is to improving our economy,”; he said.

Nominees were identified by HVCA members and the winners were selected by its 12-member board, Spencer said.