We asked, you answered, and now four local startups will advance to the second round of Maryland Inno Madness.
Matchups in the first round came down to the wire, but Direct Dimensions, Rose Health, Kion and RowdyOrb.it emerged the victors. Over 1,020 votes were cast in the first round of the friendly, bracket-style competition that launched on March 1.
Round 2 voting is open now and continues until just before midnight on Monday, March 14. Readers are limited to one vote per round.
Scroll down to meet the Round 2 participants and vote. Read the full contest rules here.
In the first round, Baltimore tech company Opteev was matched against digital access provider RowdyOrb.it. The two ended neck-in-neck, and RowdyOrb.it took the win with 50.4%, a difference of nine votes.
In another close race, cybersecurity provider Huntress faced off against cloud management company Kion, and Kion won by just 13 votes, or 50.6% of the vote.
Digital mental health platform Rose Health swept its match, solidifying a win over Truvelop with 58.5%.
And 3D scanning company Direct Dimensions came away the winner against IT services firm Theta, holding 53.5%.
Take a look at the full Round 1 results, here.
Inno Madness is designed to give a snapshot of some of the most promising tech companies in Maryland and shine a spotlight on eight innovative, fast-growing Baltimore-area businesses.
The bracket was assembled after sourcing reader nominations, as well as editorial input from the Maryland Inno team. Seeding was loosely determined by fundraising.
Readers are asked to vote for their favorite company in each matchup, and consider questions such as; Who would you invest in? Which company has the better product? Who's mission do you believe in more? Is a more established or early-stage firm a better bet?
How you answer the question is entirely up to you.
Now, let's launch Round 2...
Meet the Round 2 Companies:
Direct Dimensions: A digital, 3D scanning company in Owings Mills. The firm uses its technology to capture real-world objects — from historic buildings to movie stars — for computerized design, archiving, analysis and digital fabrication. The company has bootstrapped its own finances since its founding in 1995.
Rose Health: A digital mental health platform that uses AI to detect depression and other mood disorders and provide support via a self-care app. The Baltimore-based company has raised $2.13 million to date, according to PitchBook, after closing its seed round with $1.75 million in January 2021.
RowdyOrb.it: A Baltimore company that aims to bring digital access and technology jobs to underserved communities and has installed over a dozen hotspots in Baltimore to provide free internet access. The organization began as a workforce training program that taught ex-offenders how to code and turned for-profit in 2018 to begin employing participants in technology jobs. The company now generates revenue through strategic partnerships and grants, and as of this year, private equity, fees for its internet capabilities and consulting.
Kion: Fulton-based cloud management company formerly known as CloudTamer.io. The company rebranded last fall shortly after raising $10 million in Series A funding. The firm was spun out of Stratus Solutions in 2018 and helps clients navigate the internet-based software known as "The Cloud."
Read about all eight companies from the initial round, here.
