We've reached the finals of our startup bracket challenge.
The road to the finals has been paved with upsets, near-ties and some landslide victories – basically, it's been just as exciting as the rise of Tampa Bay's tech scene.
We've got our final face-off now: St. Pete-based Bedrock versus Tampa-based Signature Athletics.
Bedrock has had a bit of a Cinderella story, starting off as one of the lowest seeded companies but quickly crushing the rounds. The company, which was formerly known as XPRO, helps procurement and finance teams recover lost revenue, simplifies payments, minimizes risk and reduces onboarding time. It moved from Colorado to Tampa and in 2022, made the move across the bridge to St. Pete. The company has been tapped as one of the fastest growing companies in the nation, landing on the Inc. 5000 list in 2021.
Signature Athletics is a bit more well-known among our readers. Its founder, Dan Soviero, was an honoree in our 25 Under 25 awards in 2020. The company itself was also dubbed by Tampa Bay Inno as a startup to watch in 2023. The company has had a fast track to growth since its pivot in 2021. It launched a technology allowing parents to directly order their uniforms — as well as team merchandise and some sports equipment — in a way that lets the apparel be made on-demand and entirely in the U.S. In 2022, it closed a $2 million "seed plus" round.
So, we'll ask readers once more: Who would you invest in?
Cast your vote below. You've got until midnight on March 29, with the winner announced March 30.
