Tech Madness is in full swing. And the upsets are already rolling in.
Round 1 of voting in our inaugural Tampa Bay startup tournament closed on Thursday afternoon, narrowing the bracket of 32 local companies to 16.
Among the upsets and close calls were:
- 8 seed Atmos upset 1 seed vXchnge, taking 64% of the vote.
- KnowBe4 edged out Knack by just 1 vote
- FairWarning barely won over underdog Docola, winning by just 2 votes
- 5 seed SiteZeus edged out 4 seed SavvyCard by just 1 vote
- Underdog 6 seed PikMyKid knocked out 3 seed Venuetize, taking 70% of votes
- 5x5 Technologies overtook Webtalk by just 1 vote
As a reminder, this is a friendly competition intended to put a spotlight on some of the region's most interesting and promising startups. The startups in the bracket were nominated by the community, and readers vote to advance the winner by picking the companies they’d most want to invest in.
The answer to that question – who would you invest in? – can be based on whatever metrics you find important. It could be the ones you expect to have the best return — or maybe it's those you’re most passionate about and want to see succeed.
However you view it, all we ask is that you vote and encourage your friends and co-workers to vote as well.
Remaining Companies and Matchups:
Atmos Home: The maker of a smart home hub that allows users to manage and control all of its connected devices. Telepathy Labs: Delivers interactive voice and chat-bot technology to industrial and enterprise markets
Harvest Croo: A maker of agricultural robotics. KnowBe4: An integrated platform for awareness training combined with simulated phishing attacks.
FairWarning: Delivers information security intelligence and insights for Salesforce, Office 365, and Electronic Health Records. Washlava: A platform connecting owners and users to new laundry technology for an easy, cashless experience.
Intrinio: A financial data platform built for people who refuse to settle for average data. Peerfit: A digital health platform that connects employers and carriers with personalized fitness experiences.
Vology: A leading Managed IT Services Provider, delivers end-to-end solutions to design, build, monitor and protect your network. SiteZeus: The maker of Location Intelligence for multi-unit brands, powered by A.I.
Perch Security: Perch provides everything needed to mount a cyber defense with curated community intelligence and participate with your sharing community. ReliaQuest: A pioneer in IT security solutions, ensures organizations remain secure and compliant as the IT world changes.
A-LIGN: A security and compliance solutions provider. 5x5 Technologies: A firm that develops technology to support commercial use of unmanned aerial systems
PikMyKid: A school safety platform providing dismissal automation, panic button, parent engagement & traffic solutions for schools. Homee: Providers of an all-in-one, on-demand property maintenance services platform and mobile solution.
Round 2 starts now and runs through March 20.
