Round 5 update
With more than 18,200 votes in the round, RoadSync earned the most votes out each of the four startups.
Now No. 7 RoadSync is up against No. 10 Gimme Vending in the final match.
Gimme Vending eked out a win over DefenseStorm by just five votes. The final winner will be announced April 2.
Good luck to the final two!
Round 4 update
We’ve got more than 17,00 votes going into the semifinals of Tech Madness.
Every race was close, but DefenseStorm, RoadSync, Gimme Vending and Hermeus are the only startups left in the competition.
Keep an eye on RoadSync, which is consistently pulling a high number of votes, and underdog Gimme Vending, seeded at No. 10.
Vote in round five until March 29.
Round 3 update
A cybersecurity startup. A sustainable chicken feed company. A hypersonic jet manufacturer. What do these all have in common? They’ve made it to the round four of Tech Madness.
With more than 15,500 votes in Tech Madness, the bracket com petition is now a battle of the underdogs. No. 2 Flock Safety — the last of the top-seeded companies — narrowly beat No. 6 Padsplit to make it into this round.
No. 5 Groundfloor may be the one to watch in round four. In this round, the fintech startup got more than 300 votes, more than any other startup.
Round 2 update
It was the round of upsets.
None of the No.1-seeded companies are in the game. Flock Safety is the only No. 2 seed to make it to round three — and even that match-up was a close call.
With more than 12,600 votes overall, each round seems to be getting even tighter. No. 14 ParrotMob beat No. 6 Verusen by one vote. No. 7 Loyal bested No. 2 CallRail by 4 percentage points.
Tech Madness reigning champion ViZZ, seeded No. 9, is still going strong.
Round three voting is open until March 22.
Round 1 update
More than 8,000 votes were cast in round one of Tech Madness. Thirty-two startups are now in the second round.
Our No. 1-seeded companies are still in the game, but the votes are closer than you may think, and we did see some initial upsets. Keep rooting for your favorite startup. Round two voting is now open until March 18.
Let the games begin.
With your help, we’ve scouted and seeded 64 startups and technology-enabled companies in the Atlanta ecosystem for our annual Tech Madness, bracket-style competition.
Each week, a new set of companies will advance in the competition based on your votes until one startup is left standing. Last year, ViZZ, a software company that builds virtual experiences, took home the metaphorical trophy.
Vizz is back in the game this year. Will they keep their title, or will a new startup emerge victorious? That’s up to you to decide.
To determine the outcome of each matchup, ask yourself:
- Which startup you would invest in. It’s up to interpretation for how you choose.
- Which startup could deliver the highest return?
- Which is the safest bet?
- Whose mission are you most passionate about?
Remember, this is a friendly competition. We’re not voting against one company or another but rather for which company we feel most aligned. The goal is to raise awareness for the companies in our ecosystem, so feel free to get your friends involved to cast their votes as well.
The companies were based on nominations and editorial choice. The seeding is based mostly on venture funding and supplemented with other metrics, such as stage and headcount.
Voting for the first round is open now until March 14. We’ll post the next round on Monday, March 15. For a full roster of companies, scroll down to below the voting platform.
Here’s the schedule:
- Round 1 voting March 9-14
- Round 2 voting March 15-18
- Round 3 voting March 19-22
- Round 4 voting March 23-25
- Round 5 voting March 26-29
- Round 6 voting March 30-April 1
- Winner announced April 2
