The first round of Triangle Inno’s 2022 Inno Madness bracket challenge saw a handful of matchups come down to just a few percentage points in terms of vote margins.
Round 2 voting is now underway and will run through Tuesday, March 15. The updated bracket is below.
Inno Madness launched March 1. It's a bracket-style challenge where readers vote 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. The bracket is designed to shine a spotlight on 16 innovative, fast-growing local businesses. Read the contest rules here.
More than 1,200 votes were cast in round 1, and there were surprises, as some seasoned local startups were bested by less tenured companies. Such was the case with 16-seed Connect Cause, which got 51 percent of the vote to beat 1-seed Spiffy, the brainchild of serial entrepreneur Scot Wingo.
Similarly, 2-seed Pryon was topped by 15-seed Snthesis Inc., which took 54 percent of the vote.
The biggest winner, in terms of percentages, was BlueRecruit, which beat Cycle Labs with nearly 60 percent of the vote.
Other round 1 results:
- Green Places, with 51 percent of the vote, topped The Convoy.
- Homecloud, with 56 percent of the vote, beat MemberHub.
- Gemelli Biotech, with 52 percent of the vote, prevailed over Rxperius.
- Tellus Therapeutic beat Rowned by scoring 55 percent of the vote.
- Without A Trace Foods – the sole consumer product company in the contest – bested Finmark, with 57 percent of the vote.
Round 2 voting is underway through March 15. Here's the updated bracket.
To learn more about each company, click on the name in the bracket above or the list below.
Meet the remaining players:
Gemelli Biotech: Gemelli is a biotechnology firm that specializes in the microbiome and IBS diagnostics.
Tellus Therapeutics: Tellus Therapeutics is using technology licensed from Duke University to develop a treatment for babies born at risk of brain injury.
Green Places: Green Places looks to simplify sustainability for businesses through a software platform that allows firms to calculate their carbon footprint, set reduction goals and keep track of their progress.
BlueRecruit: BlueRecruit is a staffing firm created as a "better way for tradespeople to find work," without them having to craft a resume or fill out a complicated application.
HomeCloud: HomeCloud is looking to rethink "a neglected piece of the homebuying process" by creating a certified record of a home’s condition and making it available to homeowners through an app.
Without A Trace Foods: Without a Trace is a snack company that creates packaged snacks without any traces of nuts, wheat, eggs, milk and other common allergens.
Snthesis: Snthesis works to convert research data "into one harmonized, searchable knowledge graph."
Connect Cause: Connect Cause works with nonprofits to improve their technologies.