Getting in on the ground floor is always exciting. Few things are better in professional life than the feeling that comes from working at an up and coming company. The rocket ship ride of buzz and growth is a nice adrenaline rush when you get it, but how exactly does one find these companies? We’ve got you covered.
Up and Coming Companies To Watch
- Shipwell: Austin, Texas
- LogicGate: Chicago
- Wurk: Denver
- CREXi: Marina del Rey, CA
- BentoBox: NYC
- Dave: Los Angeles
- Tock: Chicago
- Mothership: Remote
Without further delay, here are 52 up and coming companies doing big things.
Remote
Mothership
Location: Fully Remote
What it does: Mothership’s groundbreaking technology is unlocking the world’s potential by making freight delivery more efficient. Started in 2017, we’re backed by some of venture capital’s best investors and have already become the logistics backbone for many of today’s most innovative companies.
Writer
Location: Remote
What it does: Writer is the leading AI writing platform for teams. We empower GTM leaders to build a consistent brand across every customer touchpoint. Our automated language generation and writing suggestions make it possible for teams to accelerate content, align brand and empower more writers across all types of content and communications.
Smarter Sorting
Industry: Cleantech + Data + Retail
Founded: 2015
What it does: Smarter Sorting uses machine learning to help retailers and consumer packaged goods brands reduce their environmental footprints. Its platform uses granular data about consumer products to help companies make smarter decisions about how they should be handled, marketed and disposed. The company also partners with Feeding America to reduce waste through donations to hunger-relief organizations.
Austin
BeatStars
What it does: Since 2008, BeatStars has been the pioneering and go-to online music marketplace to connect millions of recording artists and music producers worldwide. BeatStars is also the leading artist discovery tool for all the major and independent labels. Most recently, BeatStars partnered with Sony Publishing to launch its publishing arm on the platform.
AdAction
What it does: AdAction is an innovative mobile app media company partnering with leading app developers, Fortune 100 brands, and quality publishers to create successful performance marketing campaigns across iOS & Android platforms. Since 2013, AdAction’s had one of the highest client retention rates in the industry and averages over 8 million monthly installs.
Shipwell
What it does: Founded in 2016, Shipwell is a shipping logistics platform that gives businesses access to instant quoting and booking, as well as real-time shipment tracking. The company’s platform — embraced by more than 1,000 customers — has been used by global brands like Dasani, Samsung and Shell, to find optimal shipping rates and track products around the country.
Elligo Health Research
What it does: Founded in 2016, Elligo Health Research makes a platform that helps doctors find clinical trials for eligible patients, cross-referencing study criteria with health records. The company recently raised $20 million to improve clinical trial participation.
Boston
Tulip
Industry: IoT + Manufacturing Tech
Founded: 2014
What it does: MIT-born startup Tulip creates apps for the Industrial Internet of Things. No coding is required and the apps help manufacturers increase productivity and digitize factories. Just ask New Balance, Nautique and Kohler — all adopters of Tulip.
Chicago
LogicGate
Industry: Regtech
Founded: 2015
What it does: LogicGate makes a user-friendly SaaS platform to help businesses operationalize and automate risk compliance. The drag-and-drop interface lets user design their own workflow and requires no knowledge of coding.
Jiobit
Industry: IoT + Wearables
Founded: 2015
What it does: Jiobit is the first of its kind patented location sharing platform, enabling the longest lasting and smallest real-time location products (indoor or out) with best-in-class security. Featuring a host of encryption and security technologies, Jiobit is trusted by pet owners and families, with usage in every populated continent in the world.
Ascent
Industry: Regtech + AI
Founded: 2015
What it does: Ascent combines AI and software to help businesses automate regulatory compliance. The platform automatically delivers customer-specific regulatory obligations and will alert teams to changes that impact their work.
Tock
Industry: Food + Software
Founded: 2015
What it does: Tock’s management platform assists restaurants, wineries and events companies with reservations, scheduling and customer communication.
DAIS Technology
Industry: Fintech + IT
Founded: 2016
What it does: DAIS Technology is working to create an “internet of insurance” to help carriers and agents work more efficiently. DAIS has already raised more than $22 million and employees roughly 100 people.
The Mom Project
Industry: HR Tech
Founded: 2016
What it does: The Mom Project is a digital marketplace that matches skilled parents (dads can join, too) with flexible employers. Founder and CEO Allison Robinson started The Mom Project after reading a study that found 43 percent of skilled women leave the workforce after having a child
Colorado
Wurk
Industry: Cannabis + Regtech
Founded: 2015
What it does: Denver-based Wurk makes a human capital management platform for the growing cannabis industry. The software helps companies handle administrative tasks like payroll and hiring, while also providing compliance solutions in an industry with rapidly changing regulations.
Radar
Industry: Blockchain + Fintech
Founded: 2017
What it does: Radar is a blockchain company that makes a decentralized platform for the Ethereum market where holders, buyers and sellers of cryptocurrency can trade without the need for exchanges or middlemen.
Well Data Labs
Industry: Energy + Data
Founded: 2014
What it does: Well Data Labs is a modern web application built to manage, analyze and report technical well data. We’ve worked side-by-side with drilling engineers, completions engineers, data scientists, and other industry experts to make a tool that gives you what you need to know quickly and efficiently.
Quantum Metric
Industry: Data + AI
Founded: 2015
What it does: Quantum Metric’s platform combines big data and machine learning to give companies actionable insights into customer experiences. The Utah Jazz and LegalZoom are just a few of the global brands using the company’s real-time software.
FoodMaven
Industry: Food
Founded: 2015
What it does: FoodMaven’s online marketplace helps fill gaps in the food supply chain by connecting large service kitchens (think restaurants, hospitals and schools) with ways to purchase surplus goods and imperfect produce destined for the landfill.
Backbone
Industry: Fashion
Founded: 2014
What it does: Backbone’s name is apropos, as the company’s platform aims to help the consumer goods industry streamline design and production processes — the spine of the fashion world.
Stateless
Industry: Cloud + IT
Founded: 2016
What it does: Stateless is turning traditional networking on its head by abandoning the network state in favor of the cloud. The network-as-a-service provider’s solutions are ahead of the curve in a multi-billion dollar industry ripe for innovation.
Los Angeles
CREXi
Industry: Real Estate + Data
Founded: 2015
What it does: CREXi’s commercial real estate marketplace uses big data to create tools that simplify the transaction process for brokers.
Relativity Space
Industry: Aerospace + Hardware
Founded: 2015
What it does: Relativity Space uses 3D printing to quickly scale rocket building. By using 3D printing materials, the company is autonomously building rocket parts 10x faster than average. It’s all part of the company’s plan to make humanity multi-planetary sooner rather than later.
CAIS
Industry: Fintech
Founded: 2009
What it does: CAIS is the leading alternative investment platform for financial advisors who seek improved access to and education about alternative investment funds and products. CAIS streamlines the end-to-end transaction process through digital subscriptions and provides an industry-leading learning system that helps advisors improve client outcomes.
Beyond Limits
Industry: AI
Founded: 2015
What it does: Beyond Limits develops machine learning and deep learning AI software tools for an array of industries. For example, aerospace companies have used the software to process their findings in outer space, while energy companies use it to track oil supplies.
Girlboss
Industry: Media
Founded: 2017
What it does: Founded by New York Times best-selling author Sophia Amoruso, Girlboss is building a social network with content and resources for women who want to focus on their careers, finances and wellness.
HopSkipDrive
Industry: On-Demand + Family
Founded: 2014
What it does: HopSkipDrive is a ride service for kids, and a potential godsend for busy parents. The company’s “CareDrivers” are rigorously vetted and chosen to shuttle children to their destinations.
Mythical Games
Industry: Blockchain + Gaming
Founded: 2018
What it does: Founded by former Activision studio head John Linden, Mythical Games is fusing blockchain and gaming, capitalizing on the huge trend of “player-owned economies.”
NEXT Trucking
Industry: Logistics + On Demand
Founded: 2015
What it does: NEXT Trucking connects companies who have goods to move with freight transportation fleets. The company has moved over $50B in cargo to date.
Signal Sciences
Industry: Cybersecurity + Cloud
Founded: 2014
What it does: Cybersecurity company Signal Sciences creates software that shields web apps, APIs and cloud-based systems. More than 10,000 applications have been protected and companies like Adobe and WeWork are using Signal Sciences.
Thrive Market
Industry: Food + On-Demand
Founded: 2015
What it does: The food delivery market may be crowded, but ThriveMarket is focused on leading a much-needed niche: healthy, natural foods. The company allows subscribers to shop a bevy of all-natural goods at a discount, with personalization options for a range of diets including vegetarian, gluten free and keto.
Protecht
Industry: Events + Fintech
Founded: 2016
What it does: Formerly TicketGuardian, Protecht works with ticketing platforms, event organizers and attendees to make the process of going to a live event more efficient.
Spring Labs
Industry: Blockchain + Fintech
Founded: 2017
What it does: Spring Labs is using blockchain to power and protect the sharing of credit and identifiable information between financial institutions. The company’s use of distributed ledger technology helps them share valuable information without sharing any underlying source data.
NYC
BentoBox
Industry: Food + Software
Founded: 2013
What it does: BentoBox works with the hospitality industry, helping restaurants manage their online presence and connect with customers.
Cityblock Health
Industry: Healthcare Technology
Founded: 2017
What it does: Brooklyn-based Cityblock Health helps underserved populations get primary, behavioral and social services care. Cityblock’s platform connects users with the care they need most in the area where they live.
Cockroach Labs
Industry: Cloud + IT
Founded: 2015
What it does: Cockroach Labs has built an open-source SQL database that automatically scales and repairs itself. Its resilience is bug-like, but in a good way.
DailyPay, Inc.
Industry: Fintech + HR
Founded: 2015
What it does: Ever wanted to get paid sooner? DailyPay makes that happen. The company’s software builds a balance for active hours worked that employees can transfer to their bank accounts at any time.
Grailed
Industry: Fashion + E-commerce
Founded: 2015
What it does: Focused on menswear, Grailed is a peer-to-peer fashion marketplace where users can buy and sell pre-owned clothing. With thousands of designers and low fees, Grailed is the place to go to find everything from hoodies to tailored formal wear.
Kindbody
Industry: Healthcare Technology
Founded: 2018
What it does: Fertility startup Kindbody helps women find IVF and egg-freezing solutions, as well as general education about their reproductive health.
NS1
Industry: Software + IT
Founded: 2013
What it does: NS1 is modernizing Domain Name System (DNS) and traffic management tech for more flexibility. The company’s customers include Salesforce, LinkedIn and Dropbox.
Simon Data
Industry: Adtech + Data + AI
Founded: 2015
What it does: Simon Data uses AI-powered algorithms to analyze marketing and advertising campaigns, providing better and faster insights for customers.
Spruce
Industry: Real Estate + Fintech
Founded: 2016
What it does: Spruce’s software builds a friction-free and transparent mortgage closing process. By working with lenders, Spruce makes the entire process completely digital. Where do we sign?
The Farmer’s Dog
Industry: Food + Pets
Founded: 2014
What it does: The Farmer’s Dog takes your pet’s diet seriously by providing all your beloved critters with good food. The company develops fresh human-grade grub and delivers it your door.
Unacast
Industry: Data
Founded: 2017
What it does: Data startup Unacast uses location data to provide customers with better insights. Its “Real World Graph” shows both conversions and customer mobility, a powerful combo for businesses.
Zipari
Industry: Healthcare Technology + Insurance
Founded: 2014
What it does: Think Salesforce for health insurance. Zipari builds tools that maintain healthy relationships between insurance providers and customers.
Covera Health
Industry: Healthcare Technology + Data
Founded: 2017
What it does: Covera Health is using data science to help radiologists make better diagnoses. Some clinical studies show diagnostic errors can be as high as 40 percent. Covera Health aims to change that, starting with the ubiquitous radiology field.
Seattle
Intercept Games
Location: Seattle, WA
What they do: Located in Seattle, Washington, Intercept Games is a development studio currently focused on the creation of Kerbal Space Program 2. We have a deep passion for space, simulation, strategy and, of course, all things video games. Our studio prioritizes an inviting and diverse workplace that pushes creativity and passion for what we do, resulting in games that we can truly be proud of.
Upbound
Industry: Cloud + IT
Founded: 2018
What it does: Upbound is the industry’s first platform for building internal cloud platforms. Designed around control planes, Upbound offers a new methodology for building an internal cloud platform, purpose-built for your organization. Customers can build, deploy, manage, secure and use their platforms all from a single point of control. Upbound is designed for enterprise, ensuring performance, multi-tenancy and security. Built on the popular open-source Crossplane project, platforms running on Upbound evolve with customers as business requirements change — customers never have to re-platform again. With Upbound, businesses deliver value to customers faster, see higher employee productivity, and reduce the costs of running applications.
New Engen
Industry: Adtech + AI
Founded: 2016
What it does: New Engen’s marketing platform uses deep learning to assess the success or failure of strategies across keywords and search, e-commerce and social media. If something’s working or not working, New Engen adjusts the resources accordingly.
Pivotal Commware
Industry: AI + Hardware + IT
Founded: 2016
What it does: Pivotal Commware builds holographic beam forming (HBF) antennas and radios. The adoption of HBF is a necessary step in making 5G technology widespread, and this company is doing its part to make it happen.
Polly
Industry: IT
Founded: 2015
What it does: The world of work has gone digital and Polly builds software to help teams measure how it’s going. Want to know more about the efficiency of using Slack in your workflow? Polly will help you out.
Images via featured companies, social media and Shutterstock.