A lot of big things are happening in the Charlotte startup ecosystem. And just six months into Charlotte Inno’s existence, which includes more than 300 pieces of editorial, 40 newsletters, three events, and countless coffee meetups spent hearing from leaders in the Charlotte tech and startup ecosystem, it's clear we haven’t even scratched the surface.
We want to try, however, with our 2019 Inno on Fire awards. They are designations (and a subsequent event) that look to acknowledge the startups, companies, entrepreneurs and other organizations that bolster the local entrepreneurial community.
The qualities that light the match are numerous — anything from incredible scale, to an official launch, to a new product or sustained leadership make a company “on fire” for us.
You’ll notice the list below is an eclectic one. That’s because the people, companies and organizations that shape and drive an ecosystem span a number of industries and stages. There’s no one-size-fits-all methodology for the individuals and businesses that support and strengthen an innovation community. Some folks are newer to the ecosystem. Some are headliners. Some have served in Charlotte faithfully for many years. Our categories, which we explain in a bit more detail on the official list, help us group similar entities together.
Winners were culled from the results of a nomination process and insight generated from the Charlotte Inno editorial team.
In fact, our team has covered some of the stories behind these winners, and we'll continue to do so until the awards celebration we're hosting during #CLTInnovationWeek on Jan. 23, 2020 (tickets are on sale now).
At the event, there will be networking, libations and bites, as well as the reveal of the Inno Blazers, our single category champions. From now until the event, we will have a panel of judges select the Inno Blazers, which will be announced live at the Inno on Fire awards. We look forward to celebrating the entire winners list with the Charlotte tech and startup communities in the new year, and we hope to see all of you there.
And now, we’re pleased to announce our first-ever list of Inno on Fire award winners.
Tim Griffin. Photo Courtesy Melissa Key.
B2C
- Pinfin: If you're wondering what the most popular Kickstarter campaign in Charlotte was this year, tah-dah! It's Pinfin's AlphaJacket, an innovative piece of outerwear that's like stylish cargo pants ... for your upper body. Its unique design is not the only thing going for it, as its campaign has raised more than $22,000.
- Cloosiv: While there are many ways to be "on fire," perhaps the easiest indicator of a company in the middle of a moment is a fundraise. For Cloosiv, the startup that allows users to order from independent coffee shops via a free app, raised a $1 million seed round in October. Even cooler (er, hotter)? Investors had presences in both Charlotte (entrepreneur Brad Powers of Passport) and beyond (Avichal Garg of Spool, Roger Dickey of Gigster and Louis Beryl of Earnest). Read more on Charlotte Inno.
- Hipstik Legwear: Huntersville-based Hipstik Legwear makes women's tights that are size-inclusive and don't roll down. Their product has resonated so much with customers alike that the company experienced 3X growth year-over-year in 2019, and also got accepted into the Market @ Macy's program.
- 22Below: "Welcome to the weekend," 22BelowUs' website states. But the insulated can sleeve company's laid-back attitude hasn't curbed founder Kenny Ramsey's hustle. Check out these stats: grown three times every year since its Kickstarter campaign. $750,000 in 2019 gross sales from just two products, with four new offerings and $2 million in gross sales projected for 2020.
- Skillpop: Led by entrepreneur Haley Bohon, Skillpop wants to "revolutionize in-person education" with pop-up classes of all stripes. And now, thanks to its 2019 expansion, the company will bring its education for all attitude to Atlanta (as well as its four other locations). Read more on Charlotte Inno.
- LottoEdge: Ever wanted to use data to better your odds on scratch-offs and other lottery-based games? If the answer is yes, Fort Mill-based LottoEdge wants to help you. The company officially launched their product, which currently has a focus on the North Carolina market, in Q2 of this year, and has garnered the attention of a variety of news outlets ever since.
Passport. Photo Courtesy Melissa Key.
Fintech
- Passport: There is excellence in consistency, and 10-year-old mobility management company Passport is a testament to this. In 2019, it took a hard look at both what the future of mobility looked like and how the company could develop solutions to ensure the years ahead were healthy. The team ultimately believed the answer was widening the scope of its initial product-driven mission, considering instead a full ecosystem of tools and offerings for mobility management.
- PrecisionLender: In October, Austin-based fintech company Q2 Holdings Inc. closed its acquisition of Charlotte-based banking insights software company PrecisionLender for $510 million. What does that mean for the company? More growth, according to its co-founder (and now executive vice president and GM post-acquisition) Carl Ryden.
- FaaStrak: The company boasts an equipment leasing platform that utilizes a "FaaSmatch" algorithm to ensure users are connected to the perfect lender. It was one of three companies to represent Charlotte at the region SoGal pitch competition.
- Ribbon: Big money alert: Charlotte and New York-based home-buying startup Ribbon raised a $330 million Series B round this month. Greylock, the storied private equity firm out of Menlo Park, Calif., led the round. $30 million of the raise was venture capital, while the remaining $300 million is a debt facility by way of Goldman Sachs.
- Fifth Asset, Inc.: This fintech company, which got its start earlier this year, works to develop better tools for nonprofits' and government agencies' financial networks. Getting started is half the battle.
- Catapult: A SaaS solution that automates request for proposal workflows, Charlotte-based Catapult has had quite the year. It's closing a "massive" seed round; expanded its team from four to 10 members; and now boasts more than 700 organizations using its platform (three of which are Fortune 500 companies; an additional four are Fortune 1000 companies). Additionally, Catapult was named to the top 10 (out of 3,500) on the 2019 Pepperdine University ranking of "10 Most Fundable Companies."
Carewell's website. Courtesy photo.
- Carewell: An online shopping site where users can shop for home health products (and helmed by a husband and wife team), Carewell rebranded, sustained a 350% growth rate for the second consecutive year, expanded its team by six (from three to nine) and launched the Charlotte chapter of Aging2.0 — "global innovation platform for aging and senior care." Additionally, they company was the first to be accepted into SheScales, R2C Group's marketing accelerator.
- Emporos: Emporos is a point-of-sale platform for entities within the pharmacy industry. In 2019, it launched a new mobile platform. Dubbed "At Your Side," the resource allows users to order and deliver both prescriptions and over-the-counter meds to a patient's bedside.
B2B
- Charlotte Phoenix: Being the first at something is an easy way to set oneself apart, and Charlotte Phoenix, a major local esports organization and the first of its kind in the area, has that going for it. 2019 has been a year of expansion, with the team bringing on serial entrepreneur Jeff Brokaw as both a partner. Additionally, the entity is in the process of raising investments with the purpose of bringing an esports franchise to the Queen City.
- SecūrSpace: Need parking/storage options? SecūrSpace, an online marketplace, wants to make that happen. And it had a "transformational" 2019. The company not only raised $1 million of funding and was on pace to grow nearly 400%, but it also expanded both its team (five employees to seven) and its network of locations (nearly 1000%). Read more on Charlotte Inno.
- Skookum: The Charlotte-based digital strategy and design firm had big news in September: It was acquired by San Jose-based digital product engineering company GlobalLogic. As a result, the 2005-born Skookum will now operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of GlobalLogic, retaining current leadership and staff. Read more on Charlotte Inno.
- Lucid Drones: Drones aren't just for pretty pictures and leisure flights. For Lucid Drones, they're the vehicle through which customers can wash their buildings and hard-to-reach windows. The concept, helmed by a trio of Davidson students, got the company featured in TechCrunch; inspired a $150,000 seed round and brought the team to the fabled Y Combinator accelerator (as well as Charlotte Inno's first-ever Inno Under 25 roundup).
The Vishion team. Courtesy photo.
Early Stage
- Vishion: The company that creates a search engine that allows users to find furniture and other decor in the exact color they are looking for, Vishion, had a huge year. It launched. It joined The Brandery cohort in Cincinnati. It won the SoGal pitch competition in Washington, D.C. It launched its own design award. The list goes on. Read more on Charlotte Inno.
- Padlist: Established by husband-and-wife duo Lindsay and Blake Van Leer, Padlist uses data and artificial intelligence to better align users with homes that fully mesh with both their personalities and needs. It just recently announced that advisory board member Kathy Ireland (entrepreneur and celebrity in her own right) has taken on a more senior role as its chief editor and ambassador. Additionally, the company disclosed that it launched a SeedInvest campaign with a $2 million goal. Read more on Charlotte Inno.
- BatteryXchange: BatteryXchange, a startup from the QC that provides portable battery solutions for cell phones, was named winner of the Audience Choice Award at TiE Carolinas and RIoT’s Women’s PitchFest in September, and also launched a recent Localstake campaign. Currently, it's more than halfway to its $86,000 goal.
- Grocery Shopii: This Davidson-based ad-tech startup was a graduate from UNC-Charlotte's Ventureprise Winter 2019 Cohort, with a formal launch in March of 2019. The startup boasts an app that looks to "seamlessly adds digital meal planning to any grocer's eCommerce." This summer, the app was awarded Best Technology Application by Progressive Grocer, followed by a host of press attention and a partnership with one of the largest private e-commerce platforms in the grocery space, Toronto-based Mercatus.
Ekos' leadership team: Greg Forehand (R) and Josh McKinney (R). Courtesy photo.
Growth Stage
- Ekos: The local startup’s software, which caters to breweries, wineries, cideries (and more) made headlines in October when it announced closing an $8 million Series A round. Atlanta-based venture capital firm, Noro-Moseley Partners, led the round. Additionally, the startup brought on a CFO to round out its leadership team. Read more on Charlotte Inno.
- 2ULaundry: It's hard not to know about 2ULaundry, the Charlotte-based valet laundry and dry-cleaning service. It didn't stop making a name for itself in 2019, either, closing a $6 million Series A round after receiving an investment of $1.27 million from Tampa, Fla.-based Florida Funders. Read more on Charlotte Inno.
- Automation Intellect: Fundraises are always on fire. So, Matthews-based SaaS company Automation Intellect, a provider of machine performance analytics for manufacturing organizations, makes the cut after its $2.25 million equity fundraise, announced this August. Syracuse, N.Y.-based early venture firm StartFast led the round. Read more on Charlotte Inno.
- Petscreening.com: The platform, which allows property managers to outsource the process of pet risk assessment and animal validation for free, raised $1.5 million in seed funding, with participation from Grotech, Relevance and Camber Creek. Additionally, it's expanding its feature offering, outreach (it has customers in all 50 states) and staff (from six full-time employees to 16). Read more on Charlotte Inno.
Skipper team. Courtesy photo.
The Shakeup: Best Pivot Story
- Skipper: The dog-walking company was "built on B2C." But this year, the company has worked to focus on more B2B initiatives, such as partnerships and relationships with services inside multi-family buildings and more.
- Ascend (formerly Skoolaide): A TechStars workshop this year inspired the company, which develops a platform to help high school students goal-set, to consider a pivot. The team realized that while high schools would be a good customer for their offerings, they were failing to consider relationships with mentoring organizations, as well. From there, the team's focus on developing user views within its platform and what markets it could tap into changed and expanded.
- C-Trax: What started as a company eager to bring payments to the cannabis industry became something else entirely after 2018's Farm Bill. Now, C-Trax provides point-of-sale system for CBD retailers across the country.
- Axiom Path: The company hailed itself originally as an "analytics consulting services-based organization." Then, in 2019, it began heavily investing in an analytics product for mid-market companies without IT expertise. The result was a tool that relied heavily on AI/ML.
Bella Tunno. Courtesy photo.
Social Impact
- Bella Tunno: A provider of products for babies (think plates, bibs and more), 15-year-old Bella Tunno has provided one meal to children in need for every product purchased. Thanks to partnerships with groups like Feeding America, Bella Tunno has been able to donate 3.5 million meals — and counting.
- Hay Trabajo: This startup has a simple mission: serve as a conduit between Latinx workers and job opportunities, all while bridging the language gap. Its efforts allowed it to be one of three companies representing Charlotte in SoGal's local pitch competition this summer.
- Open Broadband: Internet is something one can take for granted. But when it's missing, it can make modern life almost impossible. Open Broadband looks to fix the problem by bringing broadband to underserved communities, thus bolstering connectivity and opportunity to growth of all kinds.
- Pip & Grow: This Davidson-based startup has developed a portable baby box for kiddos to safely sleep in. This year, it was one of six fall NC IDEA grant recipients, winning a piece of the $300,000 funds.
Angel Rutledge, board advisor of Signup Genius, speaks during a panel discussion at Charlotte Inno’s Startups to Watch event on Nov. 5.
credit: American Inno, Melissa Key
Community Builder
Those who made the ecosystem bigger and better than they found it in 2019.
- Angel Rutledge: Nominated twice by her peers, Rutledge was consistently named a mentor whose "free, supportive content and advice" is the kind of practical help consistently, proactively given to entrepreneurs across the ecosystem.
- Igor Gorlatov, INCLT: VMS Operations manager at nonprofit INCLT, Gorlatov is considered a driving force behind its success connecting entrepreneurs with the resources they need to learn and grow.
- Jeff Brokaw, Tabbris: Brokaw has always worn many hats, and 2019 was no exception. Some highlights: He founded new coworking space Tabbris; raised more than $500,000 for FaaSTrak and worked to bring Charlotte Phoenix to the Queen City.
- Erica Madden: Lake Norman is a thriving facet of the Charlotte startup community, and it is in large part due to Madden's leadership via LaunchLKN. Read more on Charlotte Inno.
- Todd Buelow: Buelow (of Dualboot Partners) is known for being an "uber connector," and his ubiquity at startup events and mentorship opportunities is accepted as a norm. We're not the only team that's noticed; at the Charlotte Veteran's Showcase this year, he won TFX Capital’s first-ever “Force Multiplier of the Year” award for his work bolstering the startup community.
Attendees at a Pink Mentor Network event. Courtesy photo.
Opportunity Champion
Entities that work to make more spaces at the proverbial table.
- Dr. Shanté Williams: A veritable renaissance woman, venture capitalist Williams's fundraising efforts include raising $50 million for both a health care- and social impact-focused fund. Additionally, she advises more than 130 entities across the ecosystem and serves as managing partner of RW Capital Partners, "a venture capital and investment due diligence firm."
- Dottie Rose Foundation: "The world needs more students with tech skills," the foundation's website states, and the organization does everything from offering five full-week camps, to a girls in tech day with Stratifyd, to 18 scholarships, to make that happen. Currently, its working to develop an launch a mobile code airstream to increase the accessibility of its offerings.
- Alexandra Arrington: The founder the Money Magnets Club (with a near 100-person reach) that promotes entrepreneurship exploration for children, Arrington has also made moves facilitating the first-ever earned device initiative via Digital Charlotte, Charlotte Works and the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office in an effort to make digital literacy opportunities easier for those recently released from incarceration.
- Tariq Bokhari: Bokhari is synonymous with the fintech scene in Charlotte, and his work to champion the region's work through the Carolina Fintech Hub (and its subsequent WIN Program, an educational job placement program for the underserved) has helped put the Queen City on the national map as a burgeoning startup hub. Additionally, many of the major companies relocating to the area, such as Lowe's and Honeywell, have credited Bokhari's efforts as integral in their decision-making process.
- Sam Smith: Smith, founder of Vishion and Collective Hustle, has been a powerful voice for local entrepreneurs, most recently evidenced by her work to bring SoGal to Charlotte for its regional pitch competition. Earlier this year, she established the Seed the South conference, which looks to create better dialogue between investors and those in the business community.
- Stacy Cassio: Dubbed by her peers as a "force to be reckoned with," Pink Mentor Network founder Cassio established what would become her organization in 2017. Built on the concept of connecting and empowering women, the PMN has grown in size and event offerings, and Cassio was even the recipient of the ATHENA award for leadership. Read more on Charlotte Inno.
Disclaimer: Todd Buelow and Tariq Bakhari are on teams that are sponsors of Charlotte Inno. However, the Charlotte Inno editorial department operates independently of sales, and sponsorship relationships had no impact on the formulation of this list.
