Some 137k startups are created every single day, according to Microsoft, many of which are new tech startups looking to innovate and disrupt the industry.
However, 90% of startups fail, often because they run out of money or are outcompeted in the market. For investors, choosing the right tech startups requires a lot of research, luck, and trial and error.
Despite the failure rate, tech startups have the potential to find major success, by going public or even becoming unicorns. With just 1.2k+ unicorns globally, finding the next big tech startup is rare but can really pay off.
Table of Contents
- Tech Startup Definition
- Top Tech Startups
- Conclusion
What Are Tech Startups?
A tech startup is an early-stage company that is focused on technology-based products and/or services. Startups are created by one founder, or a few co-founders, and usually rely on funding from friends, family, angel investors, VC firms, or even crowdfunding.
The founders are usually focused on turning the business from an idea and a business plan into an established business that develops, markets, and sells tech-related products and services.
What Qualifies as a New Tech Startup?
A new tech startup is a company in the early stages of development that might have pre-seed, seed, or series A, or B. (Companies with series C, D, or E funding, or ones that have reached the initial public offering (IPO) stage are typically later in development.)
Some examples of top tech companies that began as startups include Uber, Airbnb, Netflix, and Meta.
10 Top Tech Startups
1. Jasper
Valued at $1.5B, Jasper is a fast-growing unicorn. The company makes artificial intelligence accessible to the average individual or company, which can use the tech to create or adapt content to fit the tone of the creator or brand. Jasper also offers team collaboration services, language translation, and a new product that helps users build marketing campaigns.
- Year founded: 2021
- Location: Austin, Texas
- Industries: Generative AI
[Note: The founders of Jasper are featured in season 3 of the HubSpot for Startups and LinkedIn documentary series “Spiraling Up.” Season 3 is streaming online now.]
2. Vendr
Vendr helps businesses purchase and manage SaaS (software as a service) platforms. Another unicorn, Vendr is valued at $1B+ after raising $150m+ in Series B funding.
Whether you’re an ecommerce brand or a brick-and-mortar store, SaaS programs can play a major role in running and growing your business. Finding the most efficient software, and using it alongside other software, can be challenging for businesses. That’s where Vendr comes in.
It finds SaaS platforms at fair prices that are best suited for a company’s needs. Vendr says it has helped its customers save $250m+ so far.
- Year founded: 2019
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- Industries: SaaS
3. Wonolo
For employers, finding workers isn’t always easy, especially for seasonal work, temporary positions, or one-off gigs. Wonolo aims to change that by connecting businesses directly to available and qualified job seekers, to reduce the time employers spend sifting through resumes and scheduling interviews.
Its platform also offers an efficient payment method for employees, a major pain point many gig workers often face. In 2021, Wonolo raised $140m for its platform, which has helped fill 3m+ jobs.
- Year founded: 2014
- Location: San Francisco, California
- Industries: Staffing, HR
4. Skio
With 2.1m+ daily active users on Shopify, Skio set out to make it easier for businesses on Shopify to offer subscription-based products and services. The service is also designed to improve conversion, with features like one-click purchases and passwordless login capabilities.
Top brands using Skio include Liquid IV, Milk Bar, and Siete Foods.
- Year founded: 2021
- Location: New York, New York
- Industries: Ecommerce
5. FlyFin
The number of freelancers in the US alone is expected to reach 86.5m by 2027, according to Statista, when freelancers and gig workers could comprise ~51% of the country’s workforce.
FlyFin is a fintech company that uses artificial intelligence to file taxes for freelancers and gig workers. The service checks for deductions to maximize returns, calculates quarterly tax estimates, and helps users file taxes quickly and accurately — with certified public accountants (CPAs) available to help every step of the way.
FlyFin has raised $8m+ so far and is valued at ~$100m.
- Year founded: 2020
- Location: San Jose, California
- Industries: Fintech, AI
6. Landing AI
The AI industry, valued at $136B+ in 2022, is expected to grow at a CAGR of 37.3% through 2030. Landing AI is showing promise, already landing clients like Intel and Ford. Its software helps companies quickly build and test computer vision AI, which can analyze digital images and videos for important or meaningful data.
The startup was founded by Andrew Ng, whose prior projects include cofounding edtech platform Coursera and serving as the founding lead of Google Brian. In 2021, it raised $57m in Series A funding.
- Year founded: 2017
- Location: Palo Alto, California
- Industries: AI, automotive, retail, healthcare, agriculture
7. Waymark
With marketing pros honed in on video, Waymark is focused on helping users create valuable video content. The service collects information about your business, then uses artificial intelligence to develop advertising videos.
According to Waymark, this reduces the time required to create a video by 94%. Gray Television Stations and Spectrum Reach recently partnered with Waymark to produce commercials.
- Year founded: 2017
- Location: Detroit, Michigan
- Industries: AI, advertising, marketing
8. Snackpass
Food ordering app Snackpass specializes in quick-service restaurants and their customers. It doubles as a social app, where users can see what their friends are eating, order as a group, or gift meals to others.
It uses AI to make ordering and picking up more efficient. Its recent Series B round saw $70m in investments, valuing the company at $400m+.
- Year Founded: 2017
- Location: San Francisco, California
- Industries: AI, social media, food delivery
9. Streetbeat
Streetbeat helps the average person invest in the stock market by using AI to generate suggested investment portfolios suited to specific interests.
Its AI collects data from stock price changes, analyst ratings, and even news articles to help rebalance users’ portfolios. The company recently partnered with ChatGPT for its SmartPilot investment service, and experienced 1.1k% YoY growth in January.
- Year founded: 2021
- Location: Palo Alto, California
- Industries: Fintech
10. Serve Robotics
Serve Robotics was first developed by Postmates, a food delivery startup that was acquired by Uber in 2020. The company’s fleet of delivery robots that travel on sidewalks.
The robots collect smaller deliveries, like groceries or takeout, and deliver the items to nearby consumers. Over the past year, Serve Robotics and Uber Eats have partnered with 200+ restaurants in Los Angeles to pilot the program, and now plan to scale up to 2krobots in cities around the US.
- Year founded: 2017
- Location: San Francisco, California
- Industries: AI, food, retail
Tech Startups Are the Future
Of the millions of global startups, many are disrupting the tech industry. From ecommerce to HR, B2B to B2C — tech startups can innovate in many different fields.
Today, ~7.1% of startups are in fintech, and ~5% in artificial intelligence. Fintech and AI startups are projected to grow in the near future, especially as 60% of founders believe AI is the most promising new technology in the industry, and many new tech startups today are already integrating AI into their businesses.
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