The Sacramento Business Journal Launches the Inno Madness Startup Competition

The Sacramento Business Journal’s Inno section has launched a new competition called Inno Madness to highlight the innovative technology companies and startups that drive the region’s economy. The competition is in a bracket-style format featuring 16 companies that will go head-to-head in subsequent rounds of voting.

The readers will determine the winner of the competition by voting for their favorite startups. The event is a chance for local startups and tech companies to gain recognition and publicity. There are no cash prizes, and participants do not need to pitch their ideas. It’s mainly for fun and glory, and to raise awareness about the Sacramento region’s startup community.

Voting for the first round is currently open and will run until March 14th. The official rules are available on the Inno Madness website.

Here are the 16 companies participating in the competition:

Adload Technologies Inc. – brings roadside billboard advertising to the roadway using digital screens for big rigs with a revenue-sharing model for the trucks’ owners.
Advanced Farm Technologies Inc. – creates robotic fruit harvesters that can automatically sense and pick ripe fruit using cameras and color sensors.
Azra Games – a gaming studio that uses blockchain technology to create immersive science fiction fantasy role-playing games with characters that players can own, collect, and trade.
Bekonix Inc. – developing a no-code platform to help people build smart hardware and software for internet-connected devices without any coding.
Buzly – a social app that allows college students to find information about their school and other students, school events, clubs, and social events, with colleges paying for access to the service.
California Cultured – develops lab-generated chocolate and coffee made from cell cultures to produce sustainahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-custer/ble compounds free from deforestation and child labor in the chocolate and coffee industries.
EyeRate Inc. – develops reputation management software that pays retail employees for good customer reviews.
GameMic Inc. – developed an app that allows anyone to produce live audio broadcasts at school sporting events using their smartphone.
Grin – built a platform that manages logistics, record keeping, analytics, and payment for influencer marketing, providing systems to manage that kind of advertising for direct-to-consumer clients and influencers.
Hamama – makes kits for people to grow microgreens in their own home using seed quilts, trays, and no watering after initial soaking.
Japa Inc. – developed parking intelligence hardware and software coupled with an app that allows users to find vacant parking spaces more efficiently using sensors.
Matrubials Inc. – developing antibacterial therapies from milk products for use in healthcare, using milk antimicrobial peptides that are selective and kill harmful bacteria while leaving helpful bacteria intact.
PairAnything Inc. – has an app that helps users pair food and wine, helping wineries and restaurants increase beverage sales.
ReviverMX Inc. – developed digital license plates for cars and trucks that automatically renew registration and include geo-tracking, toll payment, and other features.
StyleForIt – an online consignment store for plus-size women’s fashions that allows buying and/or selling with shipping and payment processing support.
uProfyt – supports nonprofits, companies, and government entities with managing financial data and reporting, finding and writing grant proposals, and grant management compliance.

To vote for your favorite startups, click here. There are no cash prizes, and participants do not need to pitch their ideas. It is purely for fun, glory, and to highlight the innovation economy of Sacramento. The first round of voting is open now and will run until March 14th.