Four companies remain in the running to become the 2024 St. Louis Inno Madness champion.
We’ve reached the semifinal matchups in Inno Madness, with the roster of remaining startups full of underdogs. The highest seeded company remaining in the contest is No. 14 Vertigreens. The other semifinalists are No. 15 WingXpand, No. 29 Beacon Tags and No. 32 Connect. 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.
The third round of Inno Madness had the most votes cast so far in this year’s contest, with nearly 1,100 votes. There have been nearly 2,000 votes cast so far in this year’s contest across three rounds.
Our goal of Inno Madness 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.
Semifinal voting in St. Louis Inno Madness begins now and continues through 5 p.m. Wednesday, April 3. 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. Meet the semifinal participants below and read the contest rules here. Readers can cast one vote per round.
Before we unveil the semifinal round 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.
#29 Beacon Tags: The startup has created QR code stickers to help people get back lost items.
MATCHUP 2
#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.
#14 Vertigreens: Vertigreens describes itself as a “neighborhood vertical farm,” using vertical hydroponic technology it says allows it to grow lettuce and herbs.
