The madness is upon us — it's time for the final matchup of the inaugural Houston Inno Madness showdown. We've got two remaining local companies vying for the championship in this last week of voting.
Inno Madness is our friendly, bracket-style challenge where readers vote to advance companies based on one question: Whom would you invest in? Whether you believe in one mission or product slightly over the other or would prefer to back a more established company versus an early-stage startup, how you answer that question is entirely up to you. The bracket is designed to shine a spotlight on innovative local businesses.
After receiving more than 3,400 votes, the semifinals round was our closest round yet. Blockchain technology company Data Gumbo took down material science firm Nanotech Inc. with 51% of the vote. Meanwhile, fintech firm Pronto Pay took the edge over software company HTX Labs by just four total votes.
See the championship participants and cast your vote below. Read the contest rules here.
The goal of Inno Madness is to give a snapshot of some of the most promising companies in Houston. It is by no means a complete list of Houston's best startups or companies. 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 the bracket as just a fun look into local companies you need to know in 2022.
The bracket was assembled after sourcing reader nominations, as well as editorial input from the Houston Inno team. Seeding was loosely determined by fundraising.
The final round begins on March 22, and the competition will conclude with a Houston Inno Madness winner on March 29.
Let's get into the finals...
