Tampa's biggest tech conference, Synapse Summit, hopes to spark many things, from awareness to a community of tech peers. But one part of the event directly acknowledges regional startups: competitions.
Each year, Synapse hosts the Innovation Awards, a startup competition to spotlight Florida talent, and a Synapse Innovation Challenge, which evaluates proposed solutions to an announced world issue. This year's $50,000 Synapse Innovation Challenge comes from a partnership with Tampa General Hospital for improving health care access to cancer detection.
Tampa Bay Inno rounded up all the startups looking to present their ideas through the coming events.
The Innovation Awards finalists
The Innovation Awards highlight five categories: community impact, emerging technology, early-stage tech startups, innovative products and growth-stage companies. An assortment of regional executives and investors selected several companies, listed below, that will present on the main stage at the Innovation Showcase of the Synapse Summit. Category winners will be decided after the presentations.
- Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay, nominated for community impact: This nonprofit organization works with counties throughout the Tampa Bay area to educate students on work skills, financial planning and academic decisions.
- Ocean Rescue Alliance International, nominated for community impact: This Hollywood-based nonprofit seeks to leverage techniques, like implementing artificial structures as new reefs, to improve marine health.
- National Energy USA, nominated for emerging technology: This Pensacola-based consulting company seeks to provide environmental expertise for regulatory compliance, natural resource management, greenhouse gas reduction, sustainability and energy efficiency.
- SynMatter, nominated for emerging technology: This Orlando-based company maintains a laboratory at Space Florida-run Space Life Science Lab and is synthesizing materials, such as corrosion protection, corrosion detection and anti-biofouling applications.
- Expanded Existence, nominated for a tech startup that is less than 2 years old: This Orlando-based startup is seeking to develop AI and mixed reality software for health care and operation room environments.
- WellConnector, nominated for a tech startup that is less than 2 years old: This Tallahassee-based healthtech startup wants to build a platform that will make visits to a new hospital or doctor more efficient.
- Home Lending Pal, nominated as an innovative product: This Orlando-based company has created a platform to help prospective homebuyers find lenders and mortgage options.
- SprainGo, nominated as an innovative product: This Tampa-based, University of South Florida-born product is a homeopathic gel for inflammation reduction. Its inspiration comes from founder Caleb Williams' family lineage from Trinidad.
- DirectMail2.0, nominated as a high-growth company: This Clearwater-based marketing service works to track marketing campaigns and make them more effective by providing outreach analytics of various communication channels.
- Kash Tech LLC, nominated as a high-growth company: This Lake Mary-based IT consulting firm markets to companies breaking into applying data analytics to their enterprise.
Tampa General Innovation Challenge finalists
The TGH-Synapse partnered challenge has been in the works since November 2023. The challenge sought innovative solutions to rural health care access, focusing on reducing cancer mortality. In many ways, the challenge and $50,000 prize are a way to incentivize and "gamify" innovation, as John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General, said in a release.
Finalists for the program were selected from 75 applications and are set to present at the Synapse Summit. The winner will be chosen at the summit.
- Tappt Health: This Boca Raton-based company markets its remote medication monitoring platform to help patients with chronic diseases remember and access their medications.
- Reimagine Care: This Nashville-based company has a platform that facilitates cancer patient treatment from the home.
- Gabbi: This Portland-based company has made waves in its regional tech community for its platform that helps facilitate patient education and care about breast cancer.
- Aayu and Box: This company provides a monthly subscription service of diagnostic tools, multilingual information pamphlets and QR code referrals for screening and education, according to a release.
As part of the Synapse adjacent Innovation Week, this group of students will exhibit their startups as part of a local entrepreneurial contest. Tampa-based nonprofit Next Generation Tech 360 hosted a competition between 125 students, and five teams were chosen to compete for the $10,000 award with a 30-minute pitch on April 2. These chosen youth teams will also be exhibiting at Synapse after practicing their networking skills at Embarc Collective event on Feb. 26.
- College Knowledge: Five Strawberry Crest High School students are building a platform to connect college students with advice-seeking high school students.
- Cultural Insights: Three Strawberry Crest High School students are developing an app for teen immigrants to navigate issues faced in assimilating to society.
- New2Fit: Three Palm Harbor University High School students are creating a workout planning and gym-locating app. The app also seeks to connect those interested in fitness.
- Shelf Sense: Four Palm Harbor University High School students are building an app that uses machine learning and cameras to tell supermarket shelves when a product is running out.
- Teens Next Door: Three Blake High School students are working on an app to connect teen entrepreneurs as they pursue starting companies.
