9 Award-Winning Companies to Watch in 2024

Every March, the Oscars celebrate excellence in the film industry. Since its establishment in 1929, it has evolved into a pinnacle of recognition, saluting excellence across various categories. 

Echoing the highest honor in cinema, Built In is shining the spotlight on companies that are revolutionizing technology. From cutting-edge startups to industry titans, these companies have garnered attention in recent years for shaping the digital frontier.

Consider this a nod to this year’s show — minus the golden statuettes. 

 

What They Do:  As a trusted provider of corporate food solutions, ezCater is purpose-built for business. Its corporate food platform and flexible, scalable food solutions allow organizations to centralize and track their food spend, and fulfill everything from daily employee meals to client meetings and company all-hands.

 

 

Why ezCater: At ezCater, the team fosters a culture of authenticity and interest in employees’ personal pursuits. Senior Manager, Learning and Development Josh Levine said this environment encourages discussions about hobbies and activities outside of work which enhances the workplace dynamic. 

 

 

What They Do: Sojern is the number one travel marketing platform built to drive travelers from dream to destination by activating multi-channel branding and performance solutions for more than 10,000 travel companies around the globe. 

 

 

Why Sojern: Sojern's company culture distinguishes itself from others. Employees have expressed that the company promptly responds to feedback and actively seeks improvement opportunities during retrospective meetings, fostering a strong sense of teamwork. 

 

 

What They Do: Cie is a venture studio that serves as an innovation lab and accelerator for bold entrepreneurs who want to transform disruptive ideas into thriving ventures.

 

 

Why Cie: Cie helps enterprise companies bring ideas to life, so it should come as no surprise that the company places high value on continuous learning and knowledge sharing to help its teams stay ahead of the curve. 

 

 

What They Do: Kin + Carta works with businesses to develop personalized plans for embracing cloud platforms and state-of-the-art technologies. 

 

 

Why Kin + Carta: Kin + Carta isn’t just recognized nationally but across the globe, as well. In 2020, the company set a five-year goal to achieve Great Place to Work certification in each of the countries it operates. In 2023, it exceeded expectations and hit its goal. From acquisitions and embracing hybrid-first working to an ever-shifting tech landscape, new office locations and a refreshed brand, its commitment to its people never wavered, and it continually sought new ways to offer experiences that inspire and support.

 

 

What They Do: Duo Security transforms security from the ground up by solving the world’s most pressing geopolitical challenge — safe, secure information access. It engineers its business to enable our customers to easily address their ever-evolving security challenges.

 

 

Why Duo Security: Innovative is how many employees have described the company culture at Duo Security. What does this look like in practice? Head of Data Engineering John Napier said key signs include open communication, constructive feedback and robust support among teammates and across organizations, encouraging responsible risk-taking by providing space for creative solutions and experimentation without repercussions. “People need to feel like they have agency to experiment with new ideas without fear of blame or punishment if they don’t work out.”

 

 

What They Do: Grindr is a location-based social networking application for gay, bi, trans, queer people and other members of the LGBTQ+ community.

 

 

Why Grindr: At Grindr, every month is Pride Month. Besides serving 4.5 million LGBTQ+ people around the world every day, the company spreads equality through its advocacy program year-round. Some of their actions include in-app HIV testing reminders and providing users with sexual health information. 

 

 

What They Do: DRW is a diversified trading firm that combines technology, research and risk management to capture trading and investment opportunities.

 

 

Why DRW: DRW sets early career employees up for growth by providing them opportunities to flash their potential and materially contribute to their teams. Quantitative Researcher YuanHao Li said DRW’s onboarding process proved invaluable in helping him get acclimated. “It’s new hire learning program went above and beyond by featuring talks from seasoned traders and researchers across diverse markets,” he told Built In. “This multifaceted approach significantly broadened my horizons and provided the tools and training I needed to be successful.”

 

 

What They Do: Named one of the top 10 Credit Union in California by Forbes, First Entertainment Credit Union has been the financial ally since 1967 for the creators of entertainment and those who support them. 

 

 

Why First Entertainment: First Entertainment Credit Union’s commitment to nurturing career growth across the team is central to the company’s mission. VP of Strategy Daniel Arita said: “We foster an environment of continuous learning and professional development to empower our teammates to reach their full potential. Our organization offers stability, competitive compensation and growth for those looking to advance within the financial services industry.”

 

 

What They Do: Origami Risk is a leading provider of integrated SaaS solutions for risk management, insurance, safety and compliance. 

 

Why Origami Risk: Origami Risk believes that important decisions and solving difficult problems are handled best as a team. Service Delivery Manager Amanda Robertson considers her team her subject matter experts, and she talks to them in both one-on-one and team settings to gather feedback on what their challenges are around an issue, promoting a feeling of being part of the change.