After three rounds of voting, just four companies remain in Minne Inno's Tech Madness tournament.
Financial-technology startup Sezzle swept Recovree, which had previously managed to pull off two big upsets against MN Cup winner HabitAware and well-funded ag-tech company Conservis. Sezzle received the most votes in the Elite Eight and next faces Upsie, a local Techstars alum that made it to last year's championship.
But legacy guarantees nothing in Tech Madness. Retail startup Branch, which made it to the Final Four in 2018, was defeated by St. Paul-based artificial intelligence startup Structural this round. It was a tight matchup. Structural came out on top by just nine votes.
Structural next faces off against Dispatch, which also had a close game in the Elite Eight. Dispatch came out on top against ClickSwitch by only five votes.
And that brings us to the Final Four.
Remember, to determine the outcome of each matchup we want you to ask yourselves this question: Who would you invest in? This can be interpreted a number of different ways. Is this about which startup could deliver the highest return? Who you think is the safest bet? Or is it about supporting a project or mission you’re passionate about? However you want to interpret that question is up to you.
The Final Four has the tightest voting window of the tournament. You have just over TWO days to get your brackets sorted this round. So cast a vote for your favorite startup then share the bracket with your friends.
Read more about the Tech Madness Final Four below the bracket.
Structural: Structural is a SaaS startup that aims to give businesses greater insight into their workforce by analyzing data contained in human-resources systems and employee-created profiles. The company raised $2.5 million in 2018 from a group of investors that included Rise of the Rest. Structural is led by tech veterans Scott Burns and Chip House.
Dispatch: High-tech delivery service Dispatch raised $7.8 million in late 2018. Dispatch targets companies that need to deliver products like auto parts, construction materials, paint and HVAC components to customer sites. The company’s tech lets suppliers orchestrate deliveries without owning their own fleet of vehicles or employing drivers.
Upsie: A Techstars Retail alum, Upsie makes a mobile app that lets consumers compare, buy and track extended-service warranty plans. The company closed on a $1.7 million round of funding last year led by an investor group that included Techstars.
Sezzle: Sezzle, a startup that makes it easier for consumers to pay for online purchases in installments, closed on more than $100 million in financing in 2018. More than 500,000 users have signed up for Sezzle’s service since it launched 18 months ago.
