The underdogs continue to rack up wins in St. Louis Inno Madness.
Of the eight companies advancing to the Inno Madness quarterfinal round, six have seeds of No. 25 or higher. The top seed remaining in this year’s contest is No. 12 GiftAMeal, which was runner-up in St. Louis Inno’s 2023 Inno Madness contest. As a reminder, seeding in the bracket was determined based on the amount of funding raised by each company and name recognition of the businesses nominated.
More than 200 individuals cast votes in the second round of this year’s St. Louis Inno Madness. Like the contest’s first-round, several matchups were nail biters and decided by only a few percentage points. The matchup between No. 14 Vertigreens and No. 30 TeaVoila was decided by just six votes.
The close matchups and hundreds of votes highlight the goal of Inno Madness, which is to give a snapshot of some of the most-promising tech companies in St. Louis. This contest is by no means a complete list of St. Louis' best startups, which is a testament to the size of St. Louis' tech scene. The bracket is meant to represent the full breadth and diversity of the ecosystem. In the end, look at the bracket as a fun look into local, technology-enabled companies you need to know in 2024.
Quarterfinal voting in St. Louis Inno Madness has begun and continues through 5 p.m., Sunday, March 31. In this competition, we're asking voters 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. Readers can cast one vote per round.
Meet the quarterfinal round participants below and read the contest rules here.
Before we unveil the quarterfinal bracket, we’d like to provide a tip of the cap to the companies that won’t be advancing to the next round. Thank you for your participation and for adopting the spirit of Inno Madness through your friendly competition and efforts to get out the vote for your companies. We hope to see you again in the bracket next year and encourage you to vote for your fellow local startups throughout the rest of this year's contest.
MEET THE PLAYERS
MATCHUP 1
#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.
#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.
MATCHUP 2
#29 Beacon Tags: The startup has created QR code stickers to help people get back lost items.
#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.
MATCHUP 3
#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.
#26 Impact Marketplace: Impact Marketplace has developed a platform it says uses artificial intelligence to help development projects secure New Markets Tax Credits.
MATCHUP 4
#14 Vertigreens: Vertigreens describes itself as a “neighborhood vertical farm,” using vertical hydroponic technology it says allows it to grow lettuce and herbs.
#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.
