The Inno Madness competition is back, and we've got 64 local startups vying for the coveted title of 2023 Inno Madness champion.
Now in its ninth year, Inno Madness is our friendly, bracket-style challenge where companies advance based on one question: Whom would you invest in?
The bracket is assembled based on reader nominations, as well as editorial input from the Chicago Inno team, and seeding is based on total funding raised. The bracket includes private (non-exited) venture-backed or bootstrapped companies based in Chicago.
Doorage, a storage and moving startup, took home the crown last year, joining Choobs (2021), Leaf Trade (2020), 2ndKitchen (2019), SpringCM (2018), GetSet (2017), SpotHero (2016) and Kapow Events (2015) as Chicago Inno Madness champs. Last year, nearly 70,000 votes were cast.
The goal of Inno Madness is to give a snapshot of some of the fastest-growing and most promising tech companies in Chicago. It is by no means a complete list of Chicago’s best startups, which is a testament to the size of Chicago’s growing tech scene. But this year’s bracket is a good indicator of 64 Chicago tech companies you need to know.
First-round voting begins now. We'll open up voting round by round until we crown an Inno Madness winner. Bookmark this page and sign up for our Beat newsletter to stay on top of the competition as it unfolds.
Tempus: Led by Groupon founder Eric Lefkofsky, Tempus uses machine learning and genomic sequencing to better understand cancer tumors, and it provides physicians with data to personalize patient treatment.
ActiveCampaign: A marketing tech company that lets companies send and design email newsletters, automate marketing channels and get sales leads.
Project44: A startup that provides software to shippers and third-party logistics firms to help them track their shipments and communicate with the supply chain in real time.
Emalex Biosciences: A biotech startup created by Paragon Biosciences in 2018 to develop novel treatments for central nervous system disorders.
Nature's Fynd: A startup that’s created a new method for producing meatless and dairy-free foods.
Avant: An online lending startup.
ShipBob: A logistics startup that helps small- and medium-sized e-commerce companies ship products.
Loadsmart: Founded in 2014 by Ricardo Salgado and Felipe Capella, Loadsmart helps companies automate their logistics processes.
Puttshack: A tech-infused mini golf concept from the founders of Topgolf.
Foxtrot: A food-delivery startup and convenience store that's reimagining the corner store.
Clearcover: An online car insurance startup.
FourKites: A startup that makes software to help companies predict when shipments will arrive at scheduled stops.
Zero Hash: A B2B technology platform founded in 2015 that helps any financial services company launch its own crypto offerings.
Relativity: A maker of e-discovery software for lawyers.
Provi: A startup that helps restaurants and bars order alcohol more efficiently.
The Mom Project: A startup that helps companies hire female candidates.
LogicGate: A startup that helps companies automate risk and compliance programs.
Chowbus: A food-delivery startup specializing in Asian cuisine.
Nerdio: A startup that helps companies move virtualized desktops to the cloud.
Fyllo: A marketing and compliance startup for the cannabis industry.
NanoGraf: A battery materials startup that’s building longer-lasting, higher-energy and higher-power lithium-ion batteries using patented silicon-anode technology.
Cameo: A celebrity-shoutout app and marketplace for connecting fans and celebs.
M1 Finance: A no-fee investing app that offers users an automated brokerage, portfolio lines of credit and digital banking.
NCOD: A telehealth app that provides one-on-one virtual therapy sessions between OCD patients and licensed therapists.
Ocient: A startup led by Chris Gladwin that helps large companies analyze massive amounts of data.
Basis Technologies: An adtech company that helps companies organize and automate their digital media campaigns.
Hunt Club: A recruiting startup that helps companies hire based on recommendations from top experts and business leaders.
PerkSpot: A startup that makes an HR tech platform.
Homethrive: A startup that provides care management and personal assistance services to senior citizens.
Black Buffalo: A smokeless tobacco alternative that has the same look, feel, smell and experience as traditional dipping products.
Farmer's Fridge: A maker of healthy vending machines.
Songfinch: A startup that lets you make personalized, one-of-a-kind songs for loved ones by connecting users with songwriters.
KeyCare: A virtual care platform built to help health systems schedule patient appointments with a nationwide network of virtual care groups using electronic health records.
Rheaply: A startup that specializes in recycling and sourcing unused items.
86 Repairs: Founded in 2018, a startup that has created a subscription service that manages repairs for restaurant groups.
Leaf Trade: A startup building enterprise software for cannabis dispensaries and growers.
Sabanto: An agtech startup that wants to add more automation to the agriculture industry and in turn help solve some of the labor challenges seen across the sector.
Crafty: A startup that delivers beer, snacks, cold brew and other items to offices.
Amper Technologies: A startup that helps factories improve machine and labor productivity by monitoring machine metrics in real-time.
Mezo: A technology platform for property maintenance.
Oak9: A cybersecurity startup that integrates into a firm's development pipeline and continuously scans new code for vulnerabilities, sends alerts when there's a problem, and can automatically remediate the code.
MuniTask: A job marketplace connecting youth and young adults to seasonal work.
Dimension Inx: A biotech startup developed a biofabrication process that creates 3D-printed implants that can repair human tissue and organs.
QualSights: An automated quantitative and qualitative research platform for consumer insights.
BriteCo: An online jewelry insurance platform that lets users quickly see quotes and purchase coverage online.
Protégé: A startup that connects up-and-coming talent with celebrities, coaches and other top experts who can provide feedback and mentorship.
Aqua Cultured Foods: A startup that's making alternative seafood made from mushrooms.
Anthill: An HR startup that's created "talent mapping" software that gives companies data about all of their employees.
EeroQ: A quantum computing startup building quantum chips using electrons floating in helium.
New Era ADR: A software startup that allows arbitrations and mediations to take place completely virtually.
Alkeme: A platform that connects users with professionals in psychology, mindfulness and wellness, focusing specifically on the Black community.
Out of Office: A travel app that helps you plan trips based on recommendations from your friends.
Havoc Shield: A cybersecurity program designed specifically for startups.
Mycocycle: A cleantech startup that uses mushrooms to remove toxins from waste.
Science on Call: A platform that provides 24/7 on-demand tech support to restaurants.
Clever Carnivore: A meat-making biotechnology startup that makes actual pork, beef and chicken using stem cell biology and bioengineering.
FranShares: A startup that gives anyone the chance to invest in franchises like restaurant chains and barber shops.
Stigma: A mental health app that crowdsources videos from people battling a range of conditions.
ShowingHero: A platform built for property managers or real estate agents that allows them to manage showings and screen prospects easily and efficiently.
Celery: A mobile app that makes it easy to track, share and understand your investments.
Carrectly: A car wash and auto repair startup.
Doorage: Founded in 2018, Doorage is a tech-enabled storage and moving startup led by CEO Sean Sandona.
WaveShift: A healthtech startup delivering remote sensing solutions.
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