Our Medtech Startup Showdown is ready to kick off for 2017! Upstart medical device companies will face off against each other tournament-style and we're asking you, our readers, to select which ones will advance.

Here's how it works:

We put out a call for medical device startups to enter, and MD+DI's editors narrowed the field to sixteen. We've paired them off in brackets, and now you get to vote for your favorites. Each week's winners will make it to the next round of the tournament.

After each weekly voting period, we'll announce which startups received enough votes to make it to the next round.

Round 1 voting will be open until end of day on Sunday, March 26. Round 2 will open on Monday, March 27. We'll announce the champion Monday, April 17, and the winner will be profiled on MD+DI. 

Please note that the contest is best viewed on a laptop, computer, or table. Full content cannot be viewed on a smartphone.

Here's the current bracket:

(click to enlarge)

Click here to see the entrants and cast your vote. 

[Image courtesy of QIMONO/PIXABAY]