Our St. Louis Inno Madness competition is back. This year, we’ve got 32 local startups vying for the coveted title of 2024 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 and Arcadian Infracom winning the contest in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
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 2024. For another look at local companies worth keeping an eye on, check out St. Louis Inno's 2024 Startups to Watch list, which was published last month and features 11 disruptive local startups.
First-round voting for Inno Madness begins now and continues through 5 p.m., Sunday, March 25. 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 Capacity: Led by serial entrepreneur David Karandish, Capacity has developed an AI-enabled technology that’s designed to capture and collect an organization’s information from various sources to automate support for customers and employees. Capacity, which has raised more than $60 million from investors, has acquired two St. Louis-based companies since the start of 2023.
#2 SteadyMD: SteadyMD provides health care organizations with clinicians and technology to run telehealth operations. Its customers include health care groups, employers, diagnostics companies, pharmacies, health care payers and digital health companies. It raised a $25 million Series B round in 2021.
#3 Balto: Balto has developed “real-time call guidance” software used by contact centers. Its technology is designed to provide guidance and coaching for customer and sales agents while they are on calls. It raised a $37.5 million Series B funding round in August 2021.
#4 Tcare: Tcare provides an evidence-based analytics program that allows social workers, care managers and care coordinators to help family members and caregivers responsible for seniors. It works with managed care organizations and government agencies as well as health, life and long-term care insurance carriers. In 2022, Tcare raised $17 million in a Series A funding round led by New York-based American Family Ventures.
#5 Ideate Medical: Ideate Medical has created a sterilization technology and system to sterilize endoscopes used in endoscopies, the nonsurgical procedures that examine the digestive tract. It has raised $9.5 million in funding from St. Louis Arch Angels and Arsenal Capital Management.
#6 HabiTerre: HabiTerre makes technology designed to provide environmental and productivity data for the agriculture industry. Its technology uses remote sensors, scientific models and artificial intelligence to generate insights and analysis for growers. It has raised $2.2 million from investors.
#7 Saluna: Saluna is seeking to create new non-THC/CBD varieties of industrial hemp, with a focus on allowing growers to use the crop as a grain crop in place of crops like corn and soybeans. It launched in 2023 with funding from St. Louis-based holding company Hermann Cos. and BioSTL’s BioGenerator Ventures.
#8 Playbite: Playbite has created a mobile app that includes more than 40 “fun and simple” games and is designed to be a mobile arcade. It raised $1 million in October in a funding round led by Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm Grishin Robotics.
#9 VetVerifi: VetVerifi has created software to provide verification of pet medical records. The idea is to allow pet services providers, such as groomers and pet hotels, to easily access records from a veterinarian clinic to verify a pet’s medical records, including vaccinations. It has raised $1.3 million in pre-seed funding.
#10 Bold Xchange: Bold Xchange has created software designed for sales representatives to send e-gift cards from local businesses to clients and customers. It raised a $510,000 funding round in 2023.
#11 AirSeal CardioVascular: AirSeal is developing a blood test it says is designed to detect and diagnose cardiovascular disease. Airseal recently was awarded funding by Missouri Technology Corp.
#12 GiftAMeal: 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.
#13 Forcyte: The firm developing a portable power system designed to provide energy in harsh environments, including military settings and natural disasters. Forcyte launched out of the National Security Innovation Network Defense Innovation Accelerator program. It has raised $605,000 from family and friends.
#14 Vertigreens: Vertigreens describes itself as a “neighborhood vertical farm,” using vertical hydroponic technology it says allows it to grow lettuce and herbs.
#15 WingXpand: WingXpand 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 an 8-foot wingspan. WingXpand was a member of the 2022 Arch Grants cohort and was selected that year as one of 12 companies to participate in the TechStars LA & Space Accelerator program.
#16: EDUrain: EDUrain has developed a platform it says allows students to “easily search for off-campus housing, build credit, and find scholarships.” The startup in 2023 was selected for the Build in Tulsa Techstars Accelerator program. It has raised $405,000.
#17 Ice Cream for Bears: Ice Cream for Bears makes ice cream it says is sweetened using just honey, with its products including no refined sugars. Its ice cream is sold in locations of Fresh Thyme and Sprouts Farmers Market.
#18 Antiger Therapeutics: Antiger Therapeutics is a biotechnology company working to develop precision immunotherapies for transplant recipients who reject their transplant. It is also targeting therapies for autoimmune diseases, including Type 1 diabetes and celiac disease. Antiger has received $272,503 in grant funding from the National Institutes of Health.
#19 Gateway Quantum Electronics: The firm is focused on developing hardware products for quantum computing. It won a $75,000 grant last year from local nonprofit Arch Grants.
#20 Real Document Solutions: Real Document Solutions provides order and vendor management software for businesses. It received a $50,000 grant in January from the UMSL Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center’s Anchor Accelerator program.
#21 Honeydew: Honeydew has created a virtual dermatology practice designed to increase access to medical care to help patients treat chronic skin conditions, including acne, eczema and psoriasis. Honeydew in November won a $75,000 grant, plus $25,000 for relocation, from local nonprofit Arch Grants. Honeydew relocated to St. Louis from New York.
#22 uFab: UFab has developed a circuit board printer it says allows for rapid manufacturing of circuit boards. It was part of the 2022 Arch Grants cohort.
#23 Anigent: Anigent has developed software designed to help health care facilities and organizations mitigate drug diversion, which involves health care workers taking drugs from medical facilities for their own use. The startup was created from software spun out of Mayo Clinic.
#24 Top Tutors for Us: Top Tutors has created an online standardized test preparation and tutoring service that connects minority high school students with minority tutors currently enrolled in college. It has self-funded its operations.
#25 King of the Curve: The startup has created a mobile app that can be used to study for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), as well as other standardized tests. King of the Curve has been awarded funding from Missouri Technology Corp. and Arch Grants.
#26 Impact Marketplace: Impact Marketplace has developed a platform it says uses artificial intelligence to help development projects secure New Markets Tax Credits.
#27 Sustain-a-Plate: Sustain-a-Plate provides “smart barcodes” it says are designed to provide data to help food retailers track items and sell them before they go bad.
#28 Another Reality Studio: Another Reality Studio develops virtual reality, augmented reality and 3D technologies for businesses.
#29 Beacon Tags: The startup has created QR code stickers to help people get back lost items.
#30 TeaVoila: The tea company sells what it describes as “eco-friendly products,” including organic loose tea leaves and compostable cups with tea inside of them.
#31 OvuMap: OvuMap says it is developing “wearable reproductive hormone monitors for on-demand, data-driven cycle tracking” for women.
#32 Connect: The startup has developed a platform aimed at forging connections between students and alumni of the institution they attend. Its platform is used by the Ritenour School District.
