As St. Louis Inno put together its annual Startups to Watch list for 2024, a key component of our selection process is determining the companies we believe will reach critical milestones in the year ahead. Given the precarious nature of startups, there’s no sure bets, but several of the companies chosen for our 2023 list proved they were worth watching last year. Here’s a look back at some of the biggest headlines from last year that were generated by companies on our 2023 Startups to Watch list.
Peptyde Bio acquired by Boston-area firm
Peptyde Bio, a St. Louis-based agriculture technology startup developing natural fungicides, was acquired in December by Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Invaio Sciences.
Peptyde was spun out of research at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in Creve Coeur. The acquisition marked the first startup exit for the Danforth Technology Co. (DTC), a subsidiary of the Danforth Center focused on helping Danforth Center scientists commercialize their research and technology. DTC launched in 2022, and Peptyde Bio was the first startup it established.
Drone startup WingXpand moves into new HQ
St. Louis startup WingXpand, which has developed an expandable drone designed to fit inside a backpack, moved its headquarters in 2023 to Ranken Technical College as it formed a workforce partnership with the education institution. The headquarters inside the Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center at Ranken’s campus in North City includes the startup's manufacturing operations. Another highlight for WingXpand in 2023 was being named a a winner of the U.S. Army’s xTechSearch 7 technology competition.
Inclusively raises $13M to help workers seek accommodations
St. Louis-based startup Inclusively, which makes software to help employers manage staff with workplace accommodations, raised $13 million to deploy a new technology platform it launched.
Inclusively said in November 2023 it raised $13 million in a Series A funding round led by San Francisco-based Firework Ventures. The Series A funding for Inclusively comes as it has expanded its technology, launching a new “workplace personalization product” called Retain, designed to help all employees at a company request workplace accommodations. In addition to employees with disabilities, Inclusively said Retain can help employees with accommodations in areas such as mental health, immigration, veteran status and caregiving.
Solis Agrosciences hires new CEO
The former head of St. Louis investor BioGenerator Ventures joined local agriculture startup Solis Agrisciences as CEO. The company in January announced Charlie Bolten, former president of BioGenerator, had been selected as its new leader. Solis, founded in 2022, is a business-to-business company that provides technology and research services for agriculture companies and researchers. Bolten had existing ties to Solis, which launched out of BioGenerator with Bolten as one of its co-founders and a board member.
Check out profiles on the 2024 Startups to Watch at the links below:
