Our St. Louis Inno Madness competition is here. And we've got 32 local startups vying for the coveted title of 2022 Inno Madness champion.
Inno Madness is our friendly, bracket-style challenge where readers vote to advance companies based on one question: Who 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 32 innovative, fast-growing local businesses.
The bracket is assembled based on reader nominations, as well as editorial input from the St. Louis Inno team. Seeding was determined based on the amount of funding raised by each company and name recognition of the businesses nominated. 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 St. Louis. It is by no means a complete list of St. Louis' best startups, which is a testament to the size of St. Louis' tech scene. It's also not just a list of the 32 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, technology-enabled companies you need to know in 2022. For another look at local companies worth keeping an eye on, check out St. Louis Inno's inaugural Startups to Watch list, which published last week and features 10 disruptive local startups.
First-round voting begins now and continues through 7 p.m., Monday, March 7. Readers can cast one vote per round. We'll open up voting round by round, ultimately crowning an INNO MADNESS winner at the end of the month.
Let's get into Round 1...
Meet the Players:
#1 Wugen: Founded in 2018, Wugen is developing “off the shelf” cell therapies to treat various cancers. The startup, which has raised $208 million, was created via technology licensed from Washington University and is developing so-called natural killer (NK) and T-cell therapies.
#2 Geneoscopy: Geneoscopy, founded in 2015, last year started enrolling patients in its CRC-PREVENT clinical trial, which aims to determine the safety and efficacy of its screening test for colorectal cancer. In 2021, the startup closed on $105 million in financing to advance its technology.
#3 Balto: Founded in 2017, Balto has developed “real-time call guidance” software used by contact centers. Its technology is designed to provide real-time guidance and coaching for customer service agents and sales representatives while they are on calls. It has raised $52 million from investors.
#4 Summersalt: Founded in 2017, Summersalt is a women’s apparel company that launched with an initial focus on swimwear and has since expanded into other clothing categories that include loungewear, knitwear, sleepwear, intimates and activewear. The startup has raised $26 million in venture funding since its founding.
#5 FinLocker: Founded in 2014, FinLocker has developed a software platform it describes as a “personal financial management tool” designed to cull a user’s financial data and ease the process of getting approved for loans such as mortgages. It raised a $19.8 million Series A round in 2020.
#6 KNOWiNK: KNOWiNK, founded in 2011, is a provider of election technology used by over 1,500 voting authorities in more than 30 U.S. states. The company’s flagship product is Poll Pad, which allows election jurisdictions to replace the paper-based voter check-in and verification process with an electronic alternative.
#7 CoverCress: The startup has developed a new rotational, oilseed cash crop to provide winter and early spring soil cover between corn harvest and soybean planting. The crop, based on the native plant pennycress, can generate revenue as animal feed and high-protein meal. The plant’s low carbon intensity oil is also expected to be used to produce fuels. It has raised $22 million. CoverCress was among St. Louis Inno's 2022 Startups to Watch.
#8 OptiFunder: Founded in 2018, OptiFunder has developed a technology system designed to provide an algorithm to optimize where non-bank mortgage originators in the residential mortgage industry fund their loans. It says its technology also automates document and data submission between the mortgage originators and their warehouse lenders. It recently raised $25 million.
#9 Clever Real Estate: Clever’s real estate platform connects sellers with local real estate agents who then list the seller’s home for a flat fee of $3,000, or 1% for homes over $350,000. It raised a $8 million Series B funding round in December 2021.
#10 Advocado: Founded in 2017, Advocado has developed a cross-media data management technology platform used by brands, media companies and advertising agencies and designed to boost advertising performance. It recently raised $10 million and made a pair of acquisitions.
#11 NanoGuard Technologies: Founded in 2014, NanoGuard’s agtech platform seeks to improve food freshness and safety and also mitigate food waste. It closed a $6 million financing in 2019.
#12 SentiAR: It develops visualization technologies for surgical use. Its CommandEP system provides physicians with a holographic guidance system for invasive cardiac procedures. The product allows surgeons to see 3D real-time holograms through a wearable headset while conducting procedures. SentiAR closed a $5.1 million Series A financing in 2021 and was named to St. Louis Inno's 2022 Startups to Watch list.
#13 Drive Social Media: This marketing and technology company uses social media to connect businesses and consumers. It is one of St. Louis' fastest-growing companies and had revenue of more than $27 million in 2021.
#14 Rezilient Health: Founded in 2016, Rezilient has developed robotic telehealth technology and a cloud platform that allows doctors to perform medical services remotely at health care clinics it's currently establishing. It closed a $2.5 million seed round in 2021 and named a semifinalist in the $10 million ANA Avatar XPRIZE contest
#15 Mission Control: Founded in 2018, Mission Control has developed technology designed to help organizations and intramural sports groups host esports recreational leagues. In July 2020, it announced it had raised $1.75 million in a seed financing round. Last year, it announced it inked a partnership with Plano, Texas-based movie theater chain Cinemark Holdings (NYSE: CNK)
#16 GiftAMeal: Launched in 2015, GiftAMeal has developed an app that provides a meal to someone in need each time a user takes a photo on its app at a partner restaurant. The startup works with local food pantries to distribute the meals. In 2021, it raised $500,000 from investors to pursue growth in new cities.
#17 Avise: Avise has developed finance software to help companies with accounting. It says its software “delivers the tools to enable all businesses to utilize their financial data with the granularity and flexibility they need.” It has raised $5.5 million.
#18 Filament: Filament specializes in designing, facilitating and hosting in-person and virtual meetings.
#19 Provider Pool: Founded in 2019, Provider Pool has developed software to create a marketplace of health care professionals to match with job opportunities in hospitals and nursing homes. It won an Arch Grant in 2019 and recently received $100,000 in follow-on funding from the local nonprofit. In 2021, Provider Pool also got a $100,000 capital infusion from Google’s Black Founders Fund.
#20 Eemerg Roadside Assistance: Founded in 2018, Eemerg Roadside Assistance has developed a roadside assistance marketplace app that connects customers with car issues directly to service providers. It has raised about $250,000 in funding and named as one of St. Louis Inno's 2022 Startups to Watch.
#21 HomeTraq: Founded in 2017, HomeTraq has created a home showing app designed to help users find agents to schedule a home showing. It was selected for the Capital Innovators startup accelerator in 2019 and won an Arch Grant that same year.
#22 IncentiLock: IncentiLock provides software available for companies, consulting firms and government agencies. The technology is designed to manage and track economic development tax credits and incentives and to calculate headcount benefits. It won an Arch Grant in 2018.
#23 Venku: Venku is a marketplace for outdoor experiences. The company has developed a technology platform that it says is designed to make it easy for people to find and book top-rated outdoor activities like hunting, fishing and camping from vetted hosts. It was selected for the Capital Innovators startup accelerator in 2019.
#24 Hum Industrial Technology: Founded in 2019, Hum Industrial Technology is developing wireless technology and predictive analytics for railroads, rail shippers and car owners. It won a 2020 Arch Grant.
#25 Phas3 Health: It has developed a mobile and web application that facilitates remote cardiac rehabilitation. The startup developed out of research the two co-founders did together at Saint Louis University on smartphone-based medical devices. It won an Arch Grant in 2019.
#26 Total Orbit: Total Orbit has created an education and training platform used by hospitals. It received a $50,000 grant from Arch Grants in 2021.
#27 Cangea: The startup Cangea has a software suite it says offers the ability to quickly create custom, multi-layer and multi-party payment algorithms with unique rules, such as so-called “smart contract,” and send to the blockchain. It has raised $1.5 million.
#28 Speak Information Technologies: The startup, led by a group of students from Washington University, is a clinical documentation software company aimed at helping health care providers streamline data entry and administrative tasks. It has raised $22,000 in non-dilutive funding from competitions.
#29 EduRain: EDUrain has created an all-in-one software platform for students to apply for financial aid, scholarships, grants and off-campus housing.
#30 Biz Video School: The company has developed an online school for real estate agents and the real estate workforce to help them use video in their communication and marketing efforts.
#31 Connect Video: The company provides cost-effective video production services for businesses. It says its services include writing, editing and producing the final product.
#32: Approach Dating: The startup has created a dating app it says partners with local businesses to facilitate dates.
Read contest rules here.
