May the best Midwest Startup city win. 🔥

⏰ Midwest Minute 

It’s that time of year again—Midwest Madness is back for its fifth annual tournament! What started in 2021 as a fun way to showcase startup ecosystems across the region has grown into a full-blown battle for Midwest startup bragging rights (and a party in the winning city). Each year, 64 cities go head-to-head in a bracket-style showdown, with votes deciding which startup hub comes out on top. Past champions include Bloomington, Columbia, and last year’s surprise winner, State College, which pulled off a last-minute upset against Fargo. This year, the competition is as fierce as ever—will a reigning powerhouse take the crown, or are we in for another Cinderella story?

How it works: The tournament follows our annual Midwest City Rankings, highlighting top startup and VC ecosystems. Cities advance through LinkedIn polls, with each round narrowing the field until we have a 2025 Midwest Madness Champion. And for the most dedicated fan? Polls will be posted over the next few weeks, region by region, so make sure to vote! Curious about who’s currently in the lead? The full bracket and all active polls can be accessed here. Who are you backing this year? Will an underdog rise, or will we see a repeat winner? Vote, rally your city and may the best Midwest Startup city win!

📖 Want the full rundown? Check out our blog post. Region B, C and A polls are all live! Region D voting opens tomorrow!

Have any insights into the Midwest ecosystem or a funding announcement to share? Want to share your 2025 Midwest Madness bracket? Send us an email: [email protected] 

📰 Notable News

Exits

• Lincoln-based Guardify acquired Engage Vision for an undisclosed amount

• Kansas City-based Buzz was acquired by Pay Ready for an undisclosed amount

Startup Funding

• Nerdio - $500M Series C from General Atlantic, Lead Edge Capital and StepStone | Chicago

• 4C Medical - $175M Series D led by Boston Scientific Corporation | Minneapolis

• Shoulder Innovations - $40M Series E led by USVP | Grand Rapids

• Vermillio - $16M round led by Sony Music Entertainment and DNS Capital | Chicago

• Daupler - $15M Series B led by Aqualateral | Kansas City

• C2N Diagnostics - $10M round from Samsung | St. Louis

• Entegrata - $4.5M Seed led by Chicago Ventures | Indianapolis

• Nimblemind AI - $2.5M round led by Bread & Butter Ventures | Chicago

• Unvale - $1.8M Pre-Seed from investors like Antler, Graham & Walker, Ganas, LongJump | Chicago

VC Funds

• Bread & Butter Ventures - $40M FIV | Minneapolis

Other News

• Midwest Madness Turns Five: Celebrating a half-decade of startup city showdowns!

• Here’s why Google pitched its $32B Wiz acquisition as ‘multicloud’

• What's driving Wisconsin's emergence as a data center hot spot?

• Network effects: Well-connected VCs see lower failure rates, better returns

• Report ranks Omaha in top 10 emerging tech talent markets in North America

• ‘The word is out’: Sports Tech HQ gains momentum in business attraction

• Chicago-based venture firm adds Indianapolis-based partner

• Midwest-focused M25 rolls out new venture partners across region, adding high-profile STL founder

📆 Mark your Calendar

Need to fill your social calendar? We’ve scoured newsletters, scanned LinkedIn and found some of the latest tech + startup events in the region. Know of any upcoming events and want to share them in our next newsletter? Send us an email: [email protected]