Leading transportation technology platform to harness emerging opportunities under Tsourides’ leadership.

Greenville, TX, Sep 12, 2023 – Synapse ITS, a comprehensive transportation platform focused on increasing roadway safety, efficiency and accessibility, today announced the appointment of Chris Tsourides as Chief Executive Officer.

Tsourides, an accomplished executive and visionary leader, brings a wealth of experience to Synapse. With a proven track record of driving growth and innovation in high-tech and industrial markets in both the U.S. and abroad, as well as extensive M&A experience, Tsourides is well-equipped to propel Synapse into the future. 

“We are delighted to welcome Chris as Synapse’s CEO,” said Steve Sandbo, Partner, Vance Street Capital. “His strategic vision, results-driven leadership, and demonstrated ability to build strong relationships with customers, partners, and employees make him the ideal choice.”

Prior to joining Synapse, Tsourides served as President, Industrial Air Solutions for CECO Environmental, a leading provider of air filtration, purification, and abatement equipment to manufacturing environments across the globe. In this role, he oversaw several successful new product introductions, acquisitions, and market expansion while structuring and managing a high-performing team. Previously, Tsourides held leadership positions at Thermo Fisher Scientific and 3M.

“I am honored and excited to join Synapse as CEO,” said Tsourides. “Transportation and mobility are in the midst of massive change, fueled by new technologies and unprecedented investment. I see great opportunity for the platform to capitalize on these tailwinds, delivering solutions that create value for distributors, agencies, and end-users.”

About Synapse ITS

Uniting the industry-leading brands Polara Enterprises, Carmanah Technologies, Eberle Design Inc., and Diablo Controls, Synapse ITS is a comprehensive transportation technology platform focused on increasing roadway safety, accessibility, and efficiency through innovative infrastructure. From intersections to highways, crosswalks to parking areas, Synapse ITS products leverage durable, dependable hardware alongside state-of-the-art software and data collection to provide agencies with intelligent solutions to complex transportation challenges.

Greenville, TX, June 1, 2023 – Synapse ITS, a comprehensive transportation technology platform focused on increasing roadway safety, efficiency, and accessibility, today announced the launch of its first solution featuring integrated, first-party connectivity. The MX Series, developed by leading pedestrian and driver safety systems manufacturer Carmanah Technologies, is a highly configurable line of connected beacon and sign systems for crosswalks, school zones, and warning applications.

The MX Series challenges the status quo for remote connectivity in the industry by eliminating the need for third-party devices like modem boxes and integration kits, which can be difficult and costly to install. A first-party solution embedded in the hardware allows for secure end-to-end connectivity and data transfer, as well as significant cost savings.

“The demand for detailed, actionable data from cities is vast,” said Synapse ITS Chief Technology Officer Darren Beyer. “In addition to obvious gains in operational efficiency, data collected from MX systems enables better visibility, predictability, and decision-making. What’s exciting about MX is that it brings these benefits within reach of more cities, while also being a key step toward incorporating unsignalized intersection assets into agencies’ existing infrastructure management software.”

MX Series systems feature a unique modular design that provides a broader range of configuration options, faster installation, and a richer, more granular data set. All systems come with three years of free connectivity, meaning agencies get immediate online access to their systems.

“MX is all about giving cities better access and control over their infrastructure,” said Carmanah President and Synapse ITS Chief Strategy Officer Geoff Wilcox. “By building connectivity into every system and creating a convenient way to retrieve and analyze data–at an unprecedented price point–we believe more organizations will embrace connected infrastructure not only at intersections, but across their entire transportation network.”

About Carmanah Technologies Corp.

Based in Victoria, Canada, Carmanah is a leading designer and manufacturer of compliant solar and AC powered systems for pedestrian and driver safety. For more than 20 years, cities have trusted Carmanah to provide them with safe, efficient, and sustainable transportation solutions, and now, the company is ready to usher them into the future with an innovative line of affordable and intuitive connected beacons and signs. For more information, visit carmanah.com/mx

About Synapse ITS

Uniting the industry-leading brands Polara Enterprises, Carmanah Technologies, Eberle Design Inc., and Diablo Controls, Synapse ITS is a comprehensive transportation technology platform focused on increasing roadway safety, accessibility and efficiency through innovative infrastructure. From intersections to highways, crosswalks to parking areas, Synapse ITS products leverage durable, dependable hardware alongside state-of-the-art software and data collection to provide agencies with intelligent solutions to complex transportation challenges. For more information, visit Synapse-its.com

New platform unites four industry-leading brands to accelerate innovation in transportation safety infrastructure.

Los Angeles, CA, April 11, 2023 – Vance Street Capital LLC (“Vance Street”), a Los Angeles-based private equity firm, today announced the official launch of Synapse ITS (synapse-its.com), a comprehensive transportation technology platform focused on increasing roadway safety, efficiency, and accessibility through innovative infrastructure.

Comprising four established, industry-leading brands–Polara Enterprises, Carmanah Technologies, Eberle Design Inc. (EDI), and Diablo Controls–Synapse ITS will leverage the distinct expertise of each business to deliver smarter, data-driven technologies to help cities increase safety, optimize resources, and meet Vision Zero goals.

“This is an exciting day for us,” said Steve Sandbo, Partner at Vance Street. “Over the past several months, we’ve had the privilege of working with these businesses, each with its own impressive record of innovation and leadership. In bringing them together as Synapse ITS, we are creating a single source for high-performance, technologically advanced solutions agencies can trust to help them build better, safer transportation networks.”

Synapse ITS products can be found in the majority of all intersections in North America, as well as highways, school zones, and midblock crossings. Highly engineered solutions include conflict monitors, solar-powered warning beacons and signs, accessible crosswalk systems, and access control devices, many of which have been vetted by state DOTs for inclusion in their Approved Product Lists (APLs).

In addition to durable, dependable hardware, Synapse ITS brands are also increasingly known for their digital solutions. All four companies are committed to expanding their connected product offering with the goal of helping agencies better understand their transportation systems and the potential to build safer ones.

“Cities are faced with significant challenges as they look to protect vulnerable road users as well as reduce traffic incidents,” said Sandbo.  “But we strongly believe in the potential of this platform to deliver the kind of innovative connected solutions cities need to overcome these challenges, now and in the future.”

About Vance Street Capital LLC

Vance Street Capital is a middle-market private equity firm focused on investing in highly engineered solutions and businesses across the industrial technology, medical, life science, aerospace and defense sectors. For over two decades, Vance Street’s partners have worked with management teams and family owners to accelerate revenue growth, improve operations, and acquire strategic assets for the companies in their investment portfolio. For more information, visit: vancestreetcapital.com.

About Polara Enterprises LLC

Headquartered in Greenville, Texas, Polara designs and manufactures the most technologically advanced and durable ADA-compliant and pedestrian-friendly crosswalk devices on the market. With hundreds of thousands of Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) and push buttons installed across North America, Polara is one of the most trusted names in pedestrian safety. For more information, visit polara.com.

About Carmanah Technologies Corp.

Over more than 25 years, Carmanah has earned a global reputation for delivering innovative “away from the intersection” safety solutions that offer cost savings while ensuring environmental sensitivity. Based in Victoria, BC, Canada, their portfolio includes a broad range of products, including solar and AC powered systems for midblock crosswalks, school zones, traffic-calming, and general hazard marking. For more information, visit carmanah.com

About Eberle Design Inc.

Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, EDI is a leading provider of highly engineered traffic safety products and ITS technologies that enable safe and connected infrastructure. EDI’s Advanced Traffic Controller (ATC) suite of products represents the latest technological advancements to increase safety, cabinet reliability, functionality, and ease of maintenance. For more information, visit editraffic.com.

About Diablo Controls

Diablo Controls is a pioneering manufacturer of traffic, access, and parking control technologies. Based in Crystal Lake, IL, the company is best known for developing the first microcontrollers in the traffic and parking industries, as well as a variety of highly reliable and easy-to-install detectors, transmitters, receivers, and automatic vehicle identification (AVI) devices. For more information, visit diablocontrols.com.