Then there were eight. On Tuesday night, the dust settled on the second round of the 2024 KY Inno Madness competition.
Out of the startups remaining, three of them are a seven seed or lower, led by No. 8 Dais out of Region A. After defeating the defending champion (No. 1 Feedcoyote), the Louisville-based adaptive rideshare startup won in convincing fashion by gathering 87% of the vote against No. 5 PrognostX Health.
Dais will take on No. 3 Limitless Minds for the right to advance out of Region A and into the semifinals, after the mental fitness-focused startup won by a narrow margin versus NX Prenatal, getting 52% of the vote.
We are down to just two No. 1 seeds after HANDLE Global, based out of Norton Commons, fell to the hands of No. 4 Hempwood, after the Murray, Kentucky-based wood alternative startup captured 54% of the vote.
HempWood will take on Louisville-based No. 3 Rivergreen Cocktails in Region B in the highest-seeded quarterfinal matchup of the competition. Rivergreen, a producer of gin-based ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, knocked off Covington, Kentucky-based No. 2 Nichefire after it took home 58% of the vote.
In Region C and Region D, we will have two matchups of No. 1 seeds going against No. 7 seeds.
In Region C, top-seeded Better Blend out of Covington got the better of No. 5 OrganiLock by winning 55% of the vote. Better Blend will take on No. 7 Craftech Innovations, which defeated Bowling Green, Kentucky’s No. 3 Lunae by capturing 64% of the votes.
Finally, Liberate Medical — the top seed in Region D — will take on No. 7 BlackBox Energy Systems. The medical device startup out of Crestwood, Kentucky, defeated No. 5 Real-Time Safety Solutions out Bowling Green by the thinnest of margins: 51%.
After taking part in the competition’s first tie-breaker in the first round, Black Box Energy Systems had a much easier time against Lexington’s VRTogether, a six seed, by getting 68% of the vote.
Out of the eight teams remaining, five are from the Louisville metro area — and three were named among our 2024 KY Inno Startups to Watch (Limitless Minds, Rivergreen Cocktails and Dais).
Below you can see other results in an updated bracket. CLICK HERE TO VOTE in the third round!
Voting will close on Tuesday, March 19, at 11:59 a.m. To help you prepare for the next round of voting, we have included information about each company below.
Meet the remaining players
Better Blend (Covington, Kentucky) — A healthy smoothie shop chain that has begun to expand across Kentucky and beyond. The store’s signature “blends” are made with clean protein, greens, oat powder, flax seed and vitamins.
Liberate Medical (Crestwood, Kentucky) — The company is the producer of VentFree, a noninvasive nerve and muscle stimulator that synchronizes with breathing treatments to help prevent respiratory muscle atrophy in mechanically ventilated patients.
Limitless Minds (Louisville) — Limitless Minds is a performance solution for performers at work, training the mind of the “corporate athlete” to perform at the highest levels. The company places an emphasis on mental fitness through a platform helping elevate performance, while reducing the cost of a non-resilient team, by bringing together coaches, behavioral science and technology.
Rivergreen Cocktails (Louisville) — The premium, canned cocktails are made with real fruit juices, natural sweeteners and sparkling water. With an alcohol beverage volume (ABV) of 12%, they are crafted to taste like a cocktail you would order at a bar or restaurant, but offer the convenience of a can.
HempWood (Murray, Kentucky) — The company creates the only carbon-negative — and the only no-waste — flooring in the country. It does so by using the stems of hemp plants and soy-based glue and putting them together using specially designed machines that exert lots and lots of pressure, making a material that is 20% harder than hickory.
Craftech Innovations (Louisville) —The company’s primary focus is assisting auto body technicians to repair vehicles to a level of quality indistinguishable from original equipment manufacturer.
BlackBox Energy Systems (Owingsville, Kentucky) — The startup is developing NEMo (Nautical Electric Motor), which is described as being a more efficient motor for an underwater training target. The company’s patented motor technology has proven to be more efficient across a wider range of power levels than traditional motors. In addition, it is smaller, lighter and uses up to 80% less copper to create the same level of power.
Dais (Louisville) — Dais is the first application and web-based platform that provides on-demand, wheelchair-accessible and adaptive rideshare services exclusively for power or manual wheelchair users and individuals with limitations in mobility.
