For some, 2020 has been a banner year despite the coronavirus pandemic.
Last month, we unveiled a list of 30 companies broken down into seven categories to showcase the startups and enterprises that have seen big success in 2020 — whether that’s fast growth, new product launches, big hires or innovative approaches to solving problems.
These companies are key players in helping Cincinnati's growing ecosystem of innovators and disruptors thrive.
But now, we're taking things a step further by narrowing that list of 30 to seven Blazers.
With the help of a panel of judges that included active players in the city's tech and innovation scene, we've selected one company from each category that stands out from the rest. Combined, these companies represent the seven hottest companies in Cincinnati.
And the Blazers are:
- Marketing: Cerkl — Cerkl, a 22-employee startup, offers clients employee-outreach resources like tailored email newsletters, a personalized intranet and an immersive mobile experience. These solutions work almost like Netflix or Spotify; the technology learns what users engage with and enjoy, then disseminates more of that content to them. Cerkl counts TriHealth, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, St. Elizabeth Healthcare, the Cincinnati Museum Center and Standard Textile among its customers locally.
- Health care & biotech: Airway Therapeutics — Airway Therapeutics kicked off 2020 in a big way — closing out a $15.5 million capital round. The Cincinnati Children's spin-out aims to develop ways to prevent and treat lung disease. As a result, the Sharonville-based biotech announced in March it was partnering with the National Institutes of Health to determine if its drug, AT-100, might be used to treat Covid-19.
- Women-led startups: Peerro — Billed as a LinkedIn alternative for young workers, Peerro is a five-year-old startup led by founder Rachel Angel. Peerro allows employers to create pathways for young people that lead to job interviews. It could be a short pathway, like interviewing with a current cashier at a grocery store to learn what the job is like and how to do it, or a longer pathway that requires specialized training or a certification. Each pathway ends in an interview with the employer who created it. In July, the company landed an undisclosed investment from CincyTech.
- Social Impact: Mortar — Mortar was created by three Black Cincinnatians to help residents of developing neighborhoods, often minorities, advance alongside their community. It provides a curriculum to help entrepreneurs learn how to start, plan and operate their own business, as well as access to mentors and resources to help them along the way.
- Pandemic innovators: Polar3D — In April, as the nation faced a crunch for personal protective equipment, Polar3D helped transform Over-the-Rhine's Union Hall into a hub for its 3-D printers to create more than 2,000 face masks per week. Funds for the 3-D printers and the production of masks was seeded with $40,000 from the InfoTrust Foundation.
- Investor of the Year: Lightship Capital — Lightship Capital launched a $50 million fund this summer and is breaking historic new ground in its effort to fund minority-led startups. The firm, founded by Brian Brackeen and Candice Matthews Brackeen, has closed $26 million to date and seems bullish about establishing a larger physical presence throughout the Midwest, with plans to add an office in Indianapolis next year. Candice Brackeen, also the founder and CEO of the Hillman Accelerator, was listed as one of Entrepreneur’s 100 Powerful Women of 2020.
- Startup of the Year: 80 Acres — 80 Acres isn't slowing down. In September, the company announced three new additions to its leadership team, snagging executives from Walmart, Dole and the Silicon Valley startup scene. The goal — scaling the business. The vertical farming company also is nearly complete with its latest construction project, a $30 million, 70,000-square-foot farm in Hamilton.
Click here to see our complete list of Inno on Fire winners and learn more about our Blazers.
