Our Cincy Inno Madness competition is here, and we've got a record 64 local startups vying for the coveted title of 2023 Inno Madness champion.
Inno Madness is our friendly, bracket-style challenge where readers vote to advance companies based on one question: Who would you invest in? Whether you believe in one mission or product over the other or would prefer to back a more established company versus an early-stager, how you answer that question is entirely up to you.
The bracket is assembled based on reader nominations, as well as editorial input from the Cincy Inno team. Seeding was determined by total funding and recent momentum. Meet the participants below and read the contest rules here.
The goal of Inno Madness is to give a snapshot of some of the most-promising tech companies in the region. It is by no means a complete list of Greater Cincinnati's best startups. It's also not just a list of the 64 most-funded startups in the region.
Instead, the bracket is meant to represent the full breadth and diversity of the ecosystem. In the end, think of it as another fun look into local tech companies you need to know in 2023.
First-round voting begins now and continues through 11:59 p.m. Monday, March 13.
Readers can cast one vote per round. We'll open up voting round by round, ultimately crowning an Inno Madness winner April 6.
Let's get into Round 1...
Meet the players:
- Enable Injections, a medical device maker, is developing a palm-sized wearable disk called EnFuse that could prove an alternative to traditional IV administration.
- Astronomer is developing modern data orchestration tools powered by Apache Airflow, an open source platform.
- 80 Acres Farms is an indoor vertical farming startup known for its tomatoes and leafy greens.
- Bexion Pharmaceuticals, a mid-stage biopharma company founded as a spinout from Cincinnati Children's Hospital, is developing new therapies for cancer and neuropathy.
- Lisnr’s ultrasonic proximity platform enables for secure and seamless data transmission. Its tech is currently deployed in eight countries, and the company counts Visa, Intel and others as investors.
- Neural Payments, a fintech, has developed a SaaS solution that allows financial institutions to process person-to-person payments across any network, no third-party apps or registered cards required.
- Coterie, an insurtech, offers fast and simple insurance options to small businesses, contractors and gig workers using a digital data-powered underwriting platform.
- Genetesis is developing the CardioFlux to rapidly scan for various heart conditions without the use of radiation, contrast or exercise. The company expects FDA “de novo” market authorization this year.
- Pieces allows developers to save, search and reuse file fragments: code snippets, screenshots, architecture diagrams, text notes, code files and more. It landed initial funding from Columbus juggernaut Drive Capital.
- Akru’s blockchain-based platform allows for fractionalized real estate investing, democratizing commercial real estate investments.
- Biowish Technologies provides biotech solutions for the agriculture, aquaculture and environmental management industries, allowing customers to increase crop production or naturally treat waste and surface water.
- Sense Neuro Diagnostics is developing non-invasive brain scanners to improve outcomes for stroke and brain injury patients. Sense is the 2021 Inno Madness champion.
- TinnCann, our 2022 Inno Madness champion, enables 1-on-1 video chats with athletes and experts in fashion, photography, music and more.
- Navistone works with marketers to help them acquire and reactivate more customers. The company is a 2020 Inno Madness champion.
- HerMD, a healthcare startup, provides women’s sexual health and menopause care, both in-person and virtually.
- Frayt is a tech startup that connects businesses with on-demand last-mile delivery services —small-freight and independent van owners with excess cargo space. Using the company’s app, customers can enter their information and receive an instant quote.
- Real estate startup Homeshake replaces the traditional model of agents and commissions with an online peer-to-peer platform. Through the app, buyers and sellers can direct message, schedule tours or make an offer using a special dashboard. Homeshake organizes, automates and simplifies the process from initial contact to final closing.
- Luma Financial Technologies helps financial advisers buy, create and track more complex alternative investments, like structured products, annuities or credit-linked notes.
- Carefeed provides digital communication solutions to senior care facilities.
- Cerkl is considered the Netflix of corporate communications. Its lead product, Broadcast, tailors employee and corporate communications, meaning the right message is sent to the right employee on their preferred channel at the right time.
- Cloverleaf is an automated coaching platform for workers and teams.
- ThorDrive is developing autonomous, driverless technology aimed at the aviation industry. Its tech can be installed on existing vehicles, such as those that move baggage from airplanes to the terminal. The company relocated to Over-the-Rhine as part of a partnership with CVG.
- Struxtion provides working capital to contractors and subcontractors — groups that traditional banks generally don’t lend to because of the downstream credit risk.
- Pantomath’s cloud-based observability and traceability platform works to help company’s fix broken data pipelines.
- Cordata’s platform provides communities and health care providers solutions to improve outcomes for patients with complex diseases; individuals battling addiction or mental illness; and children in foster care.
- Kurome Therapeutics is developing novel therapies to help combat cancers like AML, or acute myeloid leukemia, a blood cancer that primarily affects adults 50 or older with a high mortality rate.
- GoSun is a designer of solar-powered outdoor gear.
- PayTile, a fintech, is part AirDrop and part Pokemon Go. Its users can pay people nearby – privately – while businesses can offer rewards to increase foot traffic, using proprietary geolocation and proximity technology.
- Velontra is building a hypersonic space plane to transport satellites into low earth orbit.
- Enosis allows for real-time integration between SAP and front-end systems of engagement, including Salesforce and ServiceNow.
- Eikonoklastes is a preclinical biotech company developing new drugs for neurodegenerative diseases like ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Its lead program also has applications for multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s.
- Concerted, a tech-centered startup and nonprofit, allows people to bank volunteer hours and cash those in for free concert tickets and more.
- Amplicore is developing drugs for musculoskeletal disorders, including meniscus tears and osteoarthritis.
- Electrada, backed by BlackRock Real Assets, is a developer, owner and operator of electric vehicle charging stations serving the transportation industry. Its “charging-as-a-service” solution reduces fleet fuel costs per mile.
- Contact CI, a Cincinnati haptic startup, is developing the Maestro EP, a glove that extends the sense of touch to VR users. It counts the U.S. Air Force as a primary customer.
- Re-Assist, founded by Ashley Barrow and her teenage son Aaron Bess, is a referral management app that aims to digitize a largely manual process when it comes to transfer of care.
- Homestretch is a home services startup that offers sellers a one-stop shop for touchups like painting, landscaping, deep cleaning and more.
- Losant is a provider of Internet-of-Things infrastructure software.
- Pay Theory helps make payments more inclusive for families, especially those “un- or under-banked.”
- Payload initially provided digital payment capabilities for real estate transactions, acting like a Venmo for B2B transactions. It now serves a range of industries.
- Flamel.ai, an AI-driven design studio, makes social media marketing easier for businesses of all sizes. In a matter of seconds, Flamel's platform allows users to create a Facebook or Instagram post, and soon, radio ads and TikTok videos.
- Band Connect is developing a digital health platform + fitness equipment outfitted with sensors to promote in-home physical therapy.
- Spendr's app offers mobile payments and awards for cannabis purchases.
- Joot applies automation and technology to improve the regulatory management process for SEC-registered investment advisers, private funds and registered funds.
- Really Good Boxed Wine is a premium direct-to-consumer wine brand.
- Clean Earth Rovers is developing technology, including a Roomba-like device, to fight plastic and water pollution.
- Nano Catalytics is research company developing a chemistry activation platform.
- Bloxsmith is a metaverse marketplace for Roblox game developers.
- Hearty is a LinkedIn alternative — where connections are built using personal recommendations — and recruiting company.
- Nettie Pickleball Co. is a retro-inspired line of pickleball paddles and gear.
- Backyard Bet is a social platform and mobile app that makes placing bets with friends easier — and more fun. The company launched its beta in November 2022.
- Renozee’s mobile app helps connect real estate investors and independent contractors. Contractors can receive live bids for projects ranging from residential cleaning, painting, debris removal to kitchen and bathroom renovations.
- Subterra AI uses advanced technology to map, inspect and manage underground infrastructure like sewer systems.
- Blue Ocean Solids is a water treatment sustainability company makes a variety of concentrated chemical products to treat corrosion, scale, microbe and fouling in boilers, cooling towers and closed-loop water systems.
- Spot Health helps telehealth companies offer at-home lab tests to their customers.
- Step Up Social is social media marketing startup that specializes in TikTok campaigns. The company was founded by current Miami University student Emil Barr.
- Gotara is a tech-based learning, mentoring and coaching platform designed to reduce the high burnout rate for women in tech and tech-enabled industries.
- Lerch is a mobile event app that combines order-ahead technology with venue GPS. It's a recent Techstars Tulsa alum.
- Smoove Creations is a custom sneaker company.
- Narval is an enterprise-grade multi-player wallet platform that allows organizations to secure, govern and use NFTs and complex digital assets, starting with web3 gaming.
- Digital Clarity provides video, voice and sound and textual analysis for investigative and training purposes. Its Prism product can help aid with suspect identification as well as the prevent the spread of misinformation on social media.
- Ocusell aims to simplify the residential real estate listing process. Its platform allows agents to generate, manage and integrate listings and publish directly to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) in just a few clicks.
- Pahhni, a bottled water company, is out to develop the best tasting water it the world. Its premium alkaline water, with a pH of 8+, provides superior hydration.
- Obscure Euro Parts is a full-service marketplace/consignment shop for rare auto parts.
