The underdogs are putting on a show. As Inno Madness enters Round 3 in Cincinnati, lower seeds Last Mile Food Rescue (No. 32), Noxsano (No. 26) and Bailout Systems (No. 27) toppled their competition – and all look poised for Cinderella-type appearances as the bracket continues to narrow. In total, more than 400 votes have been cast in our annual bracket-style challenge.
Eight teams remain. If you’re new to the game, readers are asked to vote to advance local startups and tech companies based on one question: Who would you invest in?
No. 2 seed 80 Acres Farms is the only top contender remaining. It is Noxsano’s next opponent. Band Connect (No. 28), which won its contest by the narrowest of margins in Round 2 – eight votes – will match up against Pay Theory (No. 20) in Round 3. Last Mile Food Rescue and Safewave meet at the top of the bracket, while Nichefire (No. 19) and Bailout Systems (No. 27) will also go head-to-head.
Meet the remaining participants below and catch up on the contest rules here. One highlight to note: Readers can only cast one vote per round.
The goal of Inno Madness is to give a snapshot of some of the most promising tech companies in the region. We'll open up voting round by round before crowning a winner April 9.
Second-round voting begins now and continues through 11:59 p.m. Monday, April 1.
Meet the players:
- 80 Acres Farms is an indoor vertical farming startup known for its fireworks tomatoes and leafy greens. The company recently inked its first acquisition, scooping up a salad dressing line from a Toronto firm.
- Bailout Systems is a hands-free fall-safety device for firefighters, arborists, military personnel and recreational climbers. Founder Michael Ragsdale was inspired by the 2005 Black Sunday incident in New York City, during which six firefighters were forced to jump from the fourth floor of a burning building. Only four survived, all of whom sustained life-altering injuries. Bailout Systems has raised $374,000 to date from UC’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Commercialization, Third Frontier and Main Street Ventures, among others.
- Band Connect is developing a digital health platform plus fitness equipment outfitted with sensors to promote in-home physical therapy. The company recently landed approval for its first U.S. patent and is in the process of raising a $1.5 million seed round.
- Last Mile Food Rescue is a food rescue organization powered by tech. Its volunteers have picked up and delivered more than 8 million pounds of food from area partners since the group’s first rescue in November 2020.
- Nichefire, based in Covington, is building an artificial intelligence-powered platform to help companies understand and predict the impact of emerging cultural trends. The startup closed a pre-seed round last year.
- Noxsano is going to market with a wound care solution targeting the veterinary industry. The company, founded by a team of scientists and health care professionals from Procter & Gamble, McKesson and more, is backed by Cleveland’s JumpStart Ventures and individual angel investors.
- Pay Theory helps make payments more inclusive for families, especially those “un- or under-banked.”
- Safewave’s smart wristband connects via Bluetooth to fire alarms, Ring cameras, security devices, even the Owlet baby sleep monitor – turning any notification or alert into a vibration people can feel on their wrist. The device is tailored to customers who are deaf and hard of hearing, but there’s also a market for those with significant special needs, dementia and Alzheimer's.
