Our St. Louis Inno Madness competition is back. This year, we’ve got 32 local startups vying for the coveted title of 2023 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.
We debuted Inno Madness in 2022, with Business Video School being our inaugural champion.
This year’s bracket has been 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 2023. For another look at local companies worth keeping an eye on, check out St. Louis Inno's 2023 Startups to Watch list, which was published last month and features nine disruptive local startups. St. Louis Inno will recognize its 2023 Startups to Watch April 4 at an in-person celebration.
First-round voting for Inno Madness begins now and continues through 3 p.m., Monday, March 20. Readers can cast one vote per round. We'll open up voting round by round, ultimately crowning an Inno Madness winner in early April.
Let's get into Round 1...
MEET THE PLAYERS
#1 Arcadian Infracom: Founded in 2018, Arcadian develops and operates long-haul fiber networks for use by technology companies and carriers. Arcadian's key focus is serving rural and tribal lands in an effort to boost broadband access in underserved areas. Arcadian in 2021 secured $140 million in financing to move forward with its first fiber routes.
#2 Geneoscopy: Gastrointestinal health startup Geneoscopy has developed an at-home, preventive screening test for colorectal cancer. Geneoscopy in January released results of a clinical trial, saying its test “can accurately detect if people have cancer and if they have advanced adenomas that put them at higher risk of developing cancer.” It closed on a $105 million funding round in 2021.
#3 Capacity: Founded in 2017 by local entrepreneurs David Karandish and Chris Sims, Capacity has developed an AI-enabled “help desk” technology that’s designed to capture and collect an organization’s information from various sources to automate support for employees or customers. It expanded in January with the acquisition of St. Louis-based text messaging software startup Textel.
#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 Aptimmune: Aptimmune is a developer of vaccines for the swine industry. Its vaccines seek to provide protection from Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus and influenza. It has raised nearly $17 million through equity and convertible note funding.
#6 Plastomics: Founded in 2017, Plastomics is developing a new method of delivering traits into a plant that it says will increase yield and better stave off pests and diseases. The company is targeting its technology for use in commercial row crops, including corn and soybeans. Plastomics has raised more than $10 million from investors.
#7 Inclusively: Launched in 2019, Inclusively has developed a jobs platform that helps companies find employees with disabilities, chronic illnesses and military veterans. Its software allows job applicants to choose and identify accommodations they will need for job interviews and on the job with companies. Inclusively raised a $3.5 million seed round in 2020 and recently closed a $4.3 million financing round.
#8 CuriMeta: The startup is focused on using aggregated and de-identified patient data from health systems to create datasets that life science researchers and manufacturers can use to bring new therapeutics and treatments to market. CuriMeta, which publicly launched operations in 2022, announced in August it raised $6 million in a seed funding round led by BJC HealthCare and Washington University School of Medicine.
#9 Solis Agrosciences: Solis, which developed out of St. Louis startup creator and investor BioGenerator, is a business-to-business company that provides technology and research services for agriculture companies and researchers. Solis offers what it describes as an end-to-end “plant pipeline as a service” that helps companies develop and implement new crop traits. It has raised $5.5 million from investors.
#10 Impetus Agriculture: Founded in 2018 by BioGenerator, The Yield Lab and the venture arm of seed supplier KWS, Impetus Agriculture is developing technology to create novel insect control products. Its goal is to enhance protein technology that has been used in previous pesticide products so that it's more effective at mitigating pests. Impetus has raised $5 million from investors.
#11 Rezilient Health: Rezilient provides concierge primary care to employers and individuals through its CloudClinics. It describes its CloudClinics as a “hybrid approach” to telehealth, with a physical location for patients to visit and technology allowing doctors to provide care remotely. Rezilient raised $2.5 million from investors in August 2021.
#12 SwipeSum: Financial technology startup SwipeSum provides software-focused payments consulting services for businesses. It recently earned a spot on Inc.’s Midwest list of fast-growing companies, with 608% growth in revenue over a two-year period.
#13 Atlas Digital Group: Founded in 2018, Atlas has developed an e-commerce platform, called Core, designed to help internet providers to grow and maintain their customer base. It recently closed on a $2 million seed financing, bringing its total capital raised to $5 million.
#14 ScholarPath: ScholarPath has developed software to be used by schools as well as what it calls providers — employers, universities and military recruiters — to connect students with career and postsecondary education opportunities. It has raised $3 million from investors.
#15 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.
#16 Peptyde Bio: Peptyde Bio is developing natural fungicides to protect crops from disease. It is focused on discovering and designing novel antimicrobial peptides, which are proteins that plants naturally produce and that protect them from diseases. Peptyde Bio, spun out of research at the Danforth Center, closed on a $1.2 million pre-seed financing in 2022.
#17 Flipstik: Flipstik gained prominence in November 2020 after appearing on ABC reality television show “Shark Tank.” It has developed a patented, reusable adhesive that attaches to a phone’s cover and can serve as a kickstand as well as be used to stick a phone to a flat surface. Its product allows users to complete tasks such as watching videos, taking selfies and using GPS hands-free. Flipstik closed on a $1.2 million funding pre-seed funding round in late 2022 to expand its product line.
#18 Rebundle: Founded in 2019, Rebundle manufactures and sells plant-based braided hair extensions that are made from banana fiber, as well as non-toxic dye, grapeseed oil and aloe vera juice. Rebundle, which made St. Louis Inno’s 2021 Startup to Watch list, in November relaunched sales after a nine-month pause to improve its product.
#19 Honeymoon Chocolates: Honeymoon is a maker of healthier chocolate, selling “bean to bar” chocolate that includes no refined sugar and is sweetened using only raw honey. It is pursuing expansion through a launch of new alcohol and food offerings, adding a cafe inside its Clayton brick-and-mortar storefront and factory.
#20 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.
#21 Dataplant: Dataplant has created customer management software to automate insights that companies can use to interact with customers to help them retain revenue. Its software is designed with artificial intelligence to create analysis and reports companies can use to manage their customer base. Dataplant in 2022 closed on a $500,000 seed funding round led by the seed stage fund of St. Louis-based venture capital firm Cultivation Capital.
#22 Hive Medical: Hive has developed a sensor that allows doctors to monitor patients’ IV infusions remotely. It is a member of the 2022 cohort of nonprofit startup funder Arch Grants.
#23 Approach Dating: Approach has developed a dating app designed to lessen the digital requirements of online dating, seeking to enable quicker in-person meetups for those who connect through the app. Instead of its users swiping left or right on profiles, Approach Dating’s app displays a radar map showing nearby users and allows for sending an invitation — a so-called “nudge” — to meet in person with those who interest them.
#24 WingXpand: It has created a drone it describes as a “plane in a pack,” with a portable design using patented technology that allows its wings to be stored in a backpack and expand to a seven-foot wingspan. WingXpand is a member of the 2022 Arch Grants cohort and was selected last year as one of 12 companies to participate in the TechStars LA & Space Accelerator program.
#25 Pivto Digital Learning: Pivto is an educational technology company that creates digital learning programs for the health care industry. Its content has ranged from video and simulation training for employees to continuing education programming for medical professionals. It is a member of the 2022 Arch Grants cohort.
#26 EDUrain: The startup has developed a marketplace designed to be used by colleges and universities to assist students with securing off-campus housing. Its platform provides students with a free credit building program.
#27 VertiGreens: VertiGreens is a hydroponic farming company focused on using shipping containers to grow herbs and greens.
#28 ChiChi: Founded by Washington University students, ChiChi makes and sells high protein chickpea oatmeal.
#29 GreenFrame: GreenFrame is a new tool meant to change the way consumers shop for cannabis. It allows shoppers to scan a QR code – branded with a green frame around it and displayed on retail signage or cannabis product packaging – to explore different strains of cannabis.
#30 UFab: UFab is creating a circuit board printing device it says will enable users to make circuit boards “quickly and cheaply from home.” It is a member of the 2022 Arch Grants cohort.
#31 Posie Pots & 3D Prints: The business creates and sells flowerpots it describes as a “luxury custom self watering planter.” It received a $50,000 grant in December 2022 from the UMSL DEI Accelerator.
#32 Real Document Solutions: Real Document Solutions provides order management software for businesses.
