Inno Madness is kicking off again in Chicago.
Now a decade old, the competition is assembled based on reader nominations, as well as editorial input from the Chicago Inno team, with seeding based on total funding raised.
Companies will advance in our bracket-style challenge based on one question: Which would you invest in?
Out of Office, a Chicago startup that aims to help users plan trips based on recommendations from their friends, won last year's competition.
Doorage, a storage and moving startup, took home the crown in 2022, joining Choobs (2021), Leaf Trade (2020), 2ndKitchen (2019), SpringCM (2018), GetSet (2017), SpotHero (2016) and Kapow Events (2015) as Chicago Inno Madness champs.
This year’s bracket includes private (non-exited) venture-backed and bootstrapped companies based in Chicago.
When can I vote?
Voting is underway for the first stage of the competition.
Inno Madness will take place over a series of stages spanning the next several weeks as the competition gets narrowed down. We'll keep you posted on who's advancing, and who's not, right here at Chicago Inno and in the Beat newsletter. Subscribe here if you're not already on the list.
Voting will close at midnight on the final day of each round to give us time to tally the votes before the next one begins.
Below is the full list of companies in this year's competition, and the link to vote. At 64 companies, this is by no means a complete list of Chicago’s best startups, a list that continues to grow every day.
You can find our voting rules here.
Nature's Fynd: A startup that’s created a new method for producing meatless and dairy-free foods.
ActiveCampaign: A marketing tech company that lets companies send and design email newsletters, automate marketing channels and get sales leads.
Loadsmart: Founded in 2014 by Ricardo Salgado and Felipe Capella, a supply-chain startup that helps companies automate their logistics processes.
ShipBob: A logistics startup that helps small- and medium-sized e-commerce companies ship products.
Outfox Hospitality: Merger between two fast-growing, venture capital-backed Chicago food brands — Foxtrot Market and Dom's Kitchen & Market.
Nerdio: A startup that helps companies move virtualized desktops to the cloud.
Puttshack: A tech-infused mini golf concept from the founders of Topgolf.
Kin Insurance: Founded in 2016, Kin Insurance is a direct-to-consumer home-insurance business that wants to make getting homeowners insurance easier by eliminating the need for external agents.
Cameo: A celebrity-shoutout app and marketplace for connecting fans and celebs.
Augmedics: A medical device company that uses augmented reality to help doctors visualize a patient's 3D spinal anatomy, giving them what the startup dubs "X-ray vision."
Mediafly: Software company used to engage buyers, prepare sellers and optimize sales.
Relativity: A maker of e-discovery software for lawyers.
Fly.io: Founded in 2017, the provider of a public cloud where developers can run applications and databases more efficiently.
Evozyne: A biotech startup that wants to change drug discovery using generative artificial intelligence.
Provi: A startup that helps restaurants and bars order alcohol more efficiently.
Hallow: An app that offers audio-guided prayers, meditations, Bible readings and music.
The Mom Project: A startup that helps companies hire female candidates.
NanoGraf: A battery materials startup that’s building longer-lasting, higher-energy and higher-power lithium-ion batteries using patented silicon-anode technology.
Farmer's Fridge: A maker of healthy vending machines.
Fingerprint: A device intelligence platform that helps prevent fraud and improve security.
Dentologie: Founded in 2013, a full-service tech-enabled dental clinic.
Artisight: Health-tech startup bringing steamlined workflows and improve care delivery.
Vivante Health: A health startup improving care for individuals who suffer from chronic digestive conditions.
OneTrack.AI: An AI-powered warehouse operating system.
Mozaic: Founded by Marcus Cobb, a transparent and simple way for creative professionals to get paid.
CoPilot: A mobile app that uses machine learning to help buyers find the best price for their next car.
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.
Mattiq: A Northwestern spinout from professor and Andrey Ivankin that wants to decarbonize the chemicals industry.
Crafty: A startup that delivers beer, snacks, cold brew and other items to offices.
Surgical Innovation Associates: A medical device spinout from Northwestern developing and commercializing medical products used in reconstructive and aesthetic surgery.
Rheaply: A startup that specializes in recycling and sourcing unused items.
Mezo: A technology platform for property maintenance.
BriteCo: An online jewelry insurance platform that lets users quickly see quotes and purchase coverage online.
Gearflow: A construction tech startup that connects construction equipment owners with part suppliers.
Black Buffalo: A smokeless tobacco alternative that has the same look, feel, smell and experience as traditional dipping product.
Amper Technologies: A startup that helps factories improve machine and labor productivity by monitoring machine metrics in real time.
EeroQ: A quantum computing startup building quantum chips using electrons floating in helium.
Clever Carnivore: A meat-making biotechnology startup that makes actual pork, beef and chicken using stem cell biology and bioengineering.
Aqua Cultured Foods: A startup that's making alternative seafood made from fermentation.
Echo Labs: An AI platform capable of human-level transcription.
Ayo Western African Foods: A meal solutions brand delivering authentic West African-inspired cuisine.
Pilot Project Brewing: Founded in Chicago in 2019, a launchpad for startup breweries.
New Era ADR: A software startup that allows arbitrations and mediations to take place completely virtually.
Mycocycle: A cleantech startup that uses mushrooms to remove toxins from waste.
Hubly Surgical: An intracranial drill with smart technology.
Speede Fitness: Exercise equipment that aims to shorten training time and build muscle quickly.
Science on Call: A platform that provides 24/7 on-demand tech support to restaurants.
Partum Health: A health startup offering birth and postpartum doula care, mental health support and more.
Nutrad: Supply chain software company launched to replace tedious and error-prone manual tasks.
Grapefruit Health: Founded by Eric Alvarez, a health care workplace tech platform that trains clinical students to work with patients remotely.
Fyllo: A marketing and compliance startup for the cannabis industry.
S.I. Container Builds: A construction startup that converts recycled shipping containers into living, rental and working spaces.
Earnest Agriculture: A startup that partners with farmers to turn their waste into sustainable soil products.
Out of Office: A travel app that helps users plan trips based on recommendations from friends.
Blip Energy: A smart battery device that wants to make power more affordable.
Ovie Smarterware: A device that makes it easy to track what's in the fridge.
Mella Pet Care: A pet care startup offering a thermometer that takes a pet's temperature under the hind leg of a cat or dog.
Bracketology: A fantasy gaming platform for reality TV.
1440: A daily newsletter that covers current events, culture, science and sports, among other topics.
Banríon Capital Management: A platform that helps independent advisors scale alternative investments.
Overture Games: A video game startup that makes audio responsive video games.
Cue the Curves: A personal plus-size shopping assistant and community.
TegoTech: A hard-tech startup making safer wall outlets.
Zuri Fertility: A patient-centered digital fertility clinic.
