There weren’t any close matchups in the first round of Inno Madness, the Sacramento startup community’s bracket challenge competition.
The first 16 companies went head-to-head, and the winners included artificial intelligence technology companies and companies related to beverages. The highest-scoring company, with 73% of votes in its matchup, was Auburn-based HuLoop Automation, the developer of AI-powered and no-code workflow automation software.
The eight companies that won the first round will go head-to-head through subsequent rounds of voting by our readers. At the end of voting, we'll announce our overall Inno Madness winner. Along the way, local startups and tech companies will get a little ink to let the ecosystem know more about them.
There is no prize money, and there will be no pitches. It's just for fun and glory. And a little attention for the Sacramento region's startups. Here are the official rules.
Voting for the second round is open now. The second round runs through March 26.
The AI contingent was pretty strong in the first round and featured five companies using AI in completely different ways, including OnSight Technology, the maker of AI-enabled robots; Unstructured, the developer of platforms that guide generative artificial intelligence to access relevant data; Rhombus, the maker of AI-enabled security and monitoring systems; Pair Anything Inc., which uses AI to pair wine with food; and HuLoop Automation.
The other victors in the first round included EV Life, which is a platform for consumers to research EVs and find subsidies and financing; Invasive Species Corp., a company developing biological controls to replace chemicals in agriculture and water systems; and Oobli, which makes sweet proteins to replace sugar in soft drinks and chocolate.
