Late last week, we kicked off Inno Madness 2023 with 64 companies from across Cincinnati’s tech and innovation ecosystem. More than 1,440 votes were cast in Round 1, which helped us narrow down that list of companies to 32.
Voting is open now for Round 2 until the end of the day Thursday. But before you cast your next votes, let’s recap.
Our biggest upset was recorded by Digital Clarity, which knocked off No. 1 seed Bexion Pharmaceutics.
Genetesis and TinnCann were clear runaway winners. Both companies captured more than 60% of the vote compared to their competitors Gotara and Renozee – but there were more close calls than landslide victories.
The tightest battles were won by Losant, Band Connect and Homestretch, which edged out GoSun, Struxtion and PayTile, respectively, by 10 votes or less.
And newbie Backyard Bet knocked out 2018 Inno Madness champion Navistone.
Check out the bracket below to see all the companies that made it to the next round and get voting! Remember readers can cast one vote per round. Second-round voting begins now and continues through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, March 16. We'll ultimately crown an Inno Madness winner April 6.
What is Inno Madness?
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 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.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- HerMD, a healthcare startup, provides women’s sexual health and menopause care, both in-person and virtually.
- 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.
- 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 the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG).
- Pantomath’s cloud-based observability and traceability platform works to help company’s fix broken data pipelines.
- Velontra is building a hypersonic space plane to transport satellites into low-Earth orbit.
- Enosix allows for real-time integration between SAP and front-end systems of engagement, including Salesforce and ServiceNow.
- 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.
- 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.
- Band Connect is developing a digital health platform and fitness equipment outfitted with sensors to promote in-home physical therapy.
- Nano Catalytics is research company developing a chemistry activation platform.
- Hearty is a LinkedIn alternative — where connections are built using personal recommendations — and recruiting company.
- 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.
- Lerch is a mobile event app that combines order-ahead technology with venue GPS. It's a recent Techstars Tulsa alum.
- 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.
