Though venture growth, private equity activity, acquisitions, and IPOs provide the general metrics for taking the real-time temperature of a tech ecosystem, the true measurement of whether a city's innovation economy is healthy or not is gleaned from its startups, the ideas and entrepreneurs that will inevitably fuel the sector for years to come.
In Chicago Inno's first six months - we officially launched on 6/2 - we've published over 1,000 posts, with a number of those dedicated to the local startups that are driving the city's tech community forward.
We'd love to spotlight them all, but for brevity's sake, here are 10 of our favorite startup profiles:
Fort Knox: The Recording Studio and Incubator That’s Changing Chicago's Music Industry: "What if you could have access to everything you need to make a record, prepare for a national tour, and promote a band right here in Chicago? That’s the goal of Fort Knox, where the music talent and expertise you need is just across the room."
Swipe Right, Land a Job: Startup Combines Tinder and LinkedIn to Help the Hiring Process: "The idea of mutual match was very attractive to us because it solves the biggest problem with job boards. If you’re a candidate, when you press submit, you have no idea what happens.”
BLUE 1647 CEO Brings Tech to Chicago's South, West Sides: "You don’t have to look like Mark Zuckerberg to have fun with technology."
After Taking Over Chicago, New York and the World, What's Next for Bucketfeet? "Bucketfeet launched in 2011 with a simple idea: Connect people through art. Three years later, those connections have spanned across 20 countries and have given more than 100 artists a chance to create one-of-a-kind footwear."
'The Soul of Game Making:' How LyteShot is Building a New Gaming Market Segment in Chicago "And despite the decline in popularity of the type of games that were built and created in the region, a startup is working to not only write a new chapter in Chicago's gaming history, but to transform the industry entirely."
First Look: Music Dealers' Co-Founder Has Launched the City's New Incubator "Honestly, there are no set program or principles. We just simply want to add value."
"Don't Talk About It, Be About It:" How Raise Became One of Chicago's Fastest Growing Startups "Rebranding was the best decision we've ever made as a company. After the launch, we saw a dramatic change in the office. Just defining what we stood for and being clear about helping others was huge for our culture.”
Is Virtual Reality Tech's 'Next Big Thing?' Go Inside a Chicago Startup's VR Software [VIDEO] “Mobile is the platform of today, and now we’re also getting ready for the platforms of tomorrow.”
'The Soul of Game Making:' How LyteShot is Building a New Gaming Market Segment in Chicago And despite the decline in popularity of the type of games that were built and created in the region, a startup is working to not only write a new chapter in Chicago's gaming history, but to transform the industry entirely.
Startup Stories: Parknav's Solution for a Global Problem Has Yielded a Unique Expansion Roadmap "Though Parknav is the ideal embodiment of Chicago innovation - a pragmatic, high tech solution for a global problem (and one that’s in the transportation space, no less) - the startup may also prove to be a painful representation of the uphill battle still facing the city’s innovation economy."
BONUS: Here are five other posts from our first 6 months that we think you'll enjoy:
The Sad, Wild Story of Chicago’s Museum of Holography and the Race to Save It: "But while Loren was grieving and attempting to keep the doors open, three of her "friends" were, according to a lawsuit filed by Loren's son Terrence Kasprzak, hatching a plan to get millions from her."
Meet the Google Chicago Mafia That Started in a 1-Bedroom Apartment and Grew to Fill a Massive West Loop HQ: "Before Google Chicago amassed 500+ employees and became a behemoth Midwest tech company, its beginnings were a bit more modest. It began in John DiCola's one-bedroom apartment."
The DashCon Disaster: How a Tumblr Convention in Schaumburg Went Completely Off the Rails "For those of you who had reserved seats, we are giving you guys an extra hour with the ball pit."
Tech Local: What the 'Eat Local' Trend Can Teach Us About Sustaining Chicago's Innovation Ecosystem "Though it feels like the 'Eat Local' craze has been around forever, it's less than a decade old. The phenomenon got the federal support it needed, the farms delivered, and the people responded. Our Mayor's supportive, our developers are delivering - it's time we 'Tech Local' and get fat off of Chicago innovation."
Chicago Eeno? Chicago Eyno? The Official Chicago Inno Pronunciation Guide “No one knows how to pronounce our name.”
