Pacific Business News’ second annual Inno Madness challenge continues, with four companies left to compete for the No. 1 spot.
Inno Madness is a bracket-style competition among businesses in the tech and innovation space. Readers vote to advance companies based on this question: Which would you invest in? How you answer that question is entirely up to you — you may consider a company’s mission, its product, its potential for growth, or maybe you just think they sound like the most exciting business.
The participating companies were assembled from reader nominations, as well as editorial input from the PBN staff. Seeding was determined randomly.
The contest launched last month with eight companies, and four companies emerged as the winners of the first round. Now, those four companies are facing off in two new matchups, which you can see and vote on below.
But first, learn more about each of the remaining participants.
Ai.Fish - a software startup dedicated to creating a more sustainable world for marine life and fisheries using cutting-edge artificial intelligence and computer vision technology
What are your biggest plans for your company this year?
Jimmy Freese, CEO: Our most significant plans for this year revolve around successfully carrying out a contract we've recently secured with Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Our focus will be on incorporating artificial intelligence, particularly computer vision, into the nation's fisheries.
What is one thing you want voters to know about your business?
Freese: We want people to know that our mission is to leverage cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to address pressing issues in marine sustainability and conservation. As a company founded by ocean enthusiasts, our passion for preserving the marine environment drives our commitment to developing solutions that protect and sustain our world's oceans.
Pawniolo Pets - an agricultural company that creates healthy, nutritional pet food and treats made from Hawaii-grown livestock
What are your biggest plans for your company this year?
Miki Vericella, co-owner: This year we are excited to be switching our current treat packaging to a more sustainable option. Our current packaging we use is both reusable and recyclable, but we have always acknowledged that it needs to be better. We are very happy to have found a company to source custom-printed home compostable bags that we know our customers will appreciate. It is a bigger expense, but we believe that if more brands demand more eco-conscious packaging alternatives, the cost will be more affordable in the future. We are equally excited to be working with a local design agency to bring our ideas and vision for our rebrand to life.
What is one thing you want voters to know about your business?
Vericella: We want people to know that our mission goes much deeper than pet food. We are not only trying to offer local, fresh, and species-appropriate food and treats to your pet. We are also trying to solve some current issues in our food system and support our fellow local ranchers, farmers, and hunters along the way. In January of this year, we committed 1% of our sales to organizations that align with our mission and values.
Parklinq – a Hawaii-based parking company that specializes in “rates for residents,” offering locals preferential rates or complimentary parking through smartphone-based ID verification
What are your biggest plans for your company this year?
Tyler Saenz, CEO and product architect: This year, Parklinq has ambitious plans, including expanding our innovative, patent-pending Rates for Residents program to three Mainland cities, and promoting our unique camera-based enforcement portal to security companies and property managers in areas where full-service parking management isn't required, but enforcement remains crucial.
What is one thing you want voters to know about your business?
Saenz: We'd like voters to understand the profound impact Hawaii locals have had on our business model. In our early stages, we discovered a potential $30 million in annual unrealized parking revenue. This revenue could be generated by converting free parking lots to paid parking lots, without charging locals. Consequently, we combined our digital parking program with a digital ID verification system, giving birth to the world's first free and discounted locals parking system. Parklinq estimates the development and patenting costs for this technology at $229,500, with an ongoing expense to Parklinq of $1-2 per verification.
While costly for us to operate, this system enables expansion into tourism-based parking lots, where paid parking wouldn't be viable without complimentary local parking. Our Rates for Residents program has experienced significant success, with 62,401 Maui residents registering by scanning their driver's licenses for free parking. This approach allows us to grow in tourism-based parking lots while continuing to acknowledge and support our local community with complimentary parking.
Shaka Guide - a startup that creates self-guided audio tours that play stories automatically as visitors drive and is now expanding to all National Parks
What are your biggest plans for your company this year?
Andrew Fowers, co-founder: This year we plan to launch 20 new tours across the U.S. in places like Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Teton, and the Blue Ridge Mountains! We're really excited to continue our expansion.
What is one thing you want voters to know about your business?
Fowers: We'd love voters to know our commitment to responsible tourism. Not only does a portion of each sale go to a local nonprofit, we believe that by sharing stories people will develop a deeper connection and respect for the places they visit. We also share safety information and responsible travel tips throughout our tours — we feel strongly about educating travelers when they visit Hawaii and our National Parks.
Round 2 voting is now live and will continue through 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 16.
Read the contest rules here, and when you’re ready, vote on the Round 2 matchups by clicking the link below.
Don’t forget to check back next week for the results — and to vote for the next round!
