Last week, we kicked off Inno Madness 2023 with 64 companies from across Chicago’s tech scene. Nearly 1,600 votes were cast in the first round, which helped us narrow down that list of companies to 32.
For a quick recap of Round 1, let's check the tape:
Tempus was the only #1 seed to escape the first round, with #16 seeds Doorage, WaveShift and 1440 all advancing. Tempus also had one of the best margins of victory in the round, with 64% of the vote; only QualSights (67%) and Aqua Cultured Foods (65%) secured a higher percentage of votes in their matchups.
Meanwhile, several earlier-stage startups beat out staples in Chicago's startup scene. Stigma, a mental health app that launched in 2022, made it to the next round with 56% of the vote over Avant, a Chicago fintech giant that secured $250 million in funding in December. And being one of Chicago's fastest-growing startups wasn't enough for Clearcover to get past Science on Call, a platform that provides 24/7 on-demand tech support to restaurants that raised $1.6 million in pre-seed funding in 2022.
Check out the bracket below to see all the companies that made it to the next round and get voting! We'd love to see even more votes cast in Round 2!
What is Inno Madness?
Inno Madness is our friendly, bracket-style challenge where readers vote to advance companies based on one question: Which company would you invest in? Whether you believe in one mission or product slightly over another, or would prefer to back a more established company versus an early-stage startup, how you answer that question is entirely up to you.
Designed to shine a spotlight on 64 innovative, fast-growing local businesses, the bracket was assembled based on nominations from readers, members of the innovation community and the Inno editorial team. It encompasses a wide range of tech and innovation startups across industries, with some offering brand-new products and others a platform or software that aims to make the world run more smoothly.
In the end, the bracket is meant to be a fun look into some of the local tech companies you need to know in 2023. Last year, Doorage took home the trophy. Other past winners include Choobs (2021), Leaf Trade (2020) and 2ndKitchen (2019).
Meet this year’s players, which are broken up into four regions. We'll update this list of companies with each round's participants.
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.
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.
Zero Hash: A B2B technology platform founded in 2015 that helps any financial services company launch its own crypto offerings.
BriteCo: An online jewelry insurance platform that lets users quickly see quotes and purchase coverage online.
Puttshack: A tech-infused mini golf concept from the founders of Topgolf.
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.
Nature's Fynd: A startup that’s created a new method for producing meatless and dairy-free foods.
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.
Rheaply: A startup that specializes in recycling and sourcing unused items.
Doorage: Founded in 2018, Doorage is a tech-enabled storage and moving startup led by CEO Sean Sandona.
Protégé: A startup that connects up-and-coming talent with celebrities, coaches and other top experts who can provide feedback and mentorship.
New Era ADR: A software startup that allows arbitrations and mediations to take place completely virtually.
Foxtrot: A food-delivery startup and convenience store that's reimagining the corner store.
MuniTask: A job marketplace connecting youth and young adults to seasonal work.
Crafty: A startup that delivers beer, snacks, cold brew and other items to offices.
Stigma: A mental health app that crowdsources videos from people battling a range of conditions.
Farmer's Fridge: A maker of healthy vending machines.
WaveShift: A healthtech startup delivering remote sensing solutions.
Aqua Cultured Foods: A startup that's making alternative seafood made from mushrooms.
Alkeme: A platform that connects users with professionals in psychology, mindfulness and wellness, focusing specifically on the Black community.
Dimension Inx: A biotech startup developed a biofabrication process that creates 3D-printed implants that can repair human tissue and organs.
Science on Call: A platform that provides 24/7 on-demand tech support to restaurants.
Amper Technologies: A startup that helps factories improve machine and labor productivity by monitoring machine metrics in real-time.
ShowingHero: A platform built for property managers or real estate agents that allows them to manage showings and screen prospects easily and efficiently.
Leaf Trade: A startup building enterprise software for cannabis dispensaries and growers.
1440: A daily newsletter that covers current events, culture, science and sports, among other topics.
Anthill: An HR startup that's created "talent mapping" software that gives companies data about all of their employees.
Out of Office: A travel app that helps you plan trips based on recommendations from your friends.
QualSights: An automated quantitative and qualitative research platform for consumer insights.
Clever Carnivore: A meat-making biotechnology startup that makes actual pork, beef and chicken using stem cell biology and bioengineering.
Mezo: A technology platform for property maintenance.
Celery: A mobile app that makes it easy to track, share and understand your investments.
