Our Houston Inno Madness competition is here. And we've got 16 area startups vying for the coveted title of 2024 Inno Madness champion.
Inno Madness is our friendly, bracket-style challenge where readers vote to advance companies based on one question: Which 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 16 innovative, fast-growing local businesses.
Vote in Round 1 at the end of this story.
The 16 companies were nominated by founders, investors and organizations around Houston as well as editorial input from the Houston Inno team. Some might be familiar names to Houston Inno readers, while others more likely are new faces. Seeding was determined randomly. 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 Houston. It is by no means a complete list of Houston's best startups, which is a testament to the size of Houston's innovation scene. It's also not just a list of the 16 most-funded startups in the region.
Instead, the bracket is meant to represent the full breadth and diversity of the ecosystem. The selected companies represent an increase in early-stage startups in the Bayou City, as well as the region’s innovations in industries such as climate technology and business-to-business software.
In the end, think of the bracket as just a fun look into local tech companies you need to know in 2024.
First-round voting begins March 21 and continues through March 27 at 11:59 p.m. Readers can cast one vote per round. We'll open up voting round by round, ultimately crowning an Inno Madness winner on April 25. Subscribe to The Beat newsletter to follow along.
Let's get into Round 1 …
Meet the players:
- Aeromine: Aeromine uses a “bladeless wind turbine” to help commercial properties meet increasing demands for renewable energy.
- Arden: Arden is developing a platform that allows users familiar with traditional — or Web2 — internet to make the jump to Web3.
- Astronaut: Astronaut is a software company developing an artificial intelligence assistant for online community management.
- Blue People: Blue People is a software-as-a-service company creating artificial intelligence solutions for a variety of industries and use cases.
- Biosfera: Biosfera converts carbon dioxide into isoprene, a chemical used to manufacture rubber and solvents, both reducing emissions and creating value from waste.
- Capwell: Capwell offers a solution for oil and gas wells emitting methane, allowing companies to detect and destroy methane emissions at the source.
- Corrolytics: Corrolytics produces an AI method for detecting and tracking corrosion in real time, allowing asset owners to make rapid decisions.
- Ema: Ema is a conversational AI platform that aims to help women with health concerns by providing targeted recommendations based on input.
- Farlite Solutions LLC: Farlite Solutions neutralizes aerosol pathogens, such as measles, influenza and Covid-19, in indoor spaces with a customized UV light solution to reduce the probability of becoming infected while visiting a protected space.
- GigaDAC: GigaDAC is pioneering a method to build carbon dioxide direct air capture systems at a gigaton scale.
- Helix Earth Technologies: Helix Earth Technologies uses NASA-developed technology to improve air conditioning and carbon capture processes through its filtration system.
- Hertha Metals: Hertha Metals aims to decarbonize steel manufacturing, tackling scope 1 to scope 3 carbon emissions.
- Intention: Intention is creating a carbon impact investment platform that allows investors of all sizes to launch and track their own climate infrastructure portfolios.
- Mars Materials: Mars Materials is developing a technology to address CO2 emissions by sequestering the gas in carbon fiber and wastewater treatment.
- Molecule: Targeting commodities trading, Molecule’s software platform automates risk analysis and other complex calculations for hedge funds, trading companies and financial services funds.
- Upgrade Boutique: Upgrade Boutique creates customized wigs and has a tech marketplace to sell them. Its clients include Simone Biles and Taraji P. Henderson.
Read contest rules here, and vote in the survey below.
