The Fire Awards will be back with a bang this summer.
We are pleased to share that Chicago Inno will host its first in-person Fire Awards event since 2019 with event sponsor Invesco QQQ and event partner TechNexus Venture Collaborative.
This August, we'll highlight the 50 winners of the 2024 Inno Fire Awards and announce the Blazer winners in each category. We're also bringing back our much-anticipated blazer ceremony, so mark your calendars.
When: Tuesday, Aug. 27, 4-6:30 p.m.
Where: TeamWorking by TechNexus, 20 N. Wacker Drive, 12th floor
Find out more about the Chicago Inno Fire Awards and get tickets here.
The Chicago tech ecosystem has evolved much since the inaugural 50 on Fire first sparked in 2015 (while I was still in college). The city continues to invest in new and emerging technologies such as quantum and climate tech and has made a commitment to building up life sciences locally.
This year's Inno Fire list reflects some of those initiatives and goals coming to life, and the Fire Awards event hopes to bring together the rising stars in Chicago's tech scene across verticals for one afternoon.
We'll also sit down with TechNexus founders Terry Howerton and Fred Hoch for a brief fireside chat with Chicago Inno reporter Alex Zorn on the state of startups and innovation in Chicago.
Here's the Fire Awards agenda:
4 p.m. – Welcome with Fire demos, TeamWorking by TechNexus tours, networking, drinks and hors d’vroeuvus
5:15 p.m. – Fireside chat with the founders of TechNexus
5:30 p.m. – Blazer reveal
5:45 p.m. – Honoree and Blazer winner award pick-up; networking and demos continue
6:30 p.m. – Event concludes
If you have any questions about the event or want to get involved, contact Cat Francis at cfrancis@americaninno.com. Tickets are available here starting at $40 for startup founders and their employees.
In the meantime, we invite you to learn more about this year's Inno Fire winners. A promising first-time founder can be on fire, as can the local venture capital firm that invested them. This year's lineup includes established serial entrepreneurs and plenty of recent successful fundraisers. Check out the full list.
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