In 2017, we’ll likely see the IPO of Snap, the relaunch of SpaceX Falcon 9/Heavy, and maybe, just maybe, even the first Hyperloop trip.
But if you are looking to get in early on the next amazing company with a ton of upside, you’ll have to look at earlier ideas. Here are my list of startups to work at in 2017, balancing both stability (i.e. they’ve raised a round) and upside (i.e. it’s still not too big yet).
For this list, we used Mattermark data and narrowed it to the sweet spot of companies with $10m < capital raised < $100m and have 20 < number of employees < 200. They all have a growth score of over 500 on Mattermark and the list is fenced around Silicon Valley (Bay Area).
Number 10: Doctor On Demand
Thinking of driving to the doctor’s office? Nah, just turn on your device and start chatting with your doctor. Doctor on Demand decreases the friction to access care when you need it. This concept will only continue to grow as more users experience care in this way.
Leadership: Hill Ferguson.
Funding: $87M; Shasta Ventures, Jump Capital, GV, Andreessen Horowitz, TomorrowVentures.
Employees: 200.
Number 9: Patreon
While the Internet has democratized content and media, it makes no attempt to evaluate or curate the quality and the inspiration of all the content out there. Patreon gives consumers a way to vote with their wallet and also unleashes the best creators by giving them a sustainable way to create new ways to delight and entertain us. We are just at the beginning of this Megatrend of more individuals sharing their talents with the world and having a way to be supported for their work.
Leadership: Jack Conte, Sam Yam.
Funding: $47M; Index Ventures, CRV, SV Angels, Thrive Capital.
Employees: 103.
Number 8: Segment
Sadly, most companies still run on spreadsheets, a multi-decade old technology. Thankfully with Segment, you can now organize all of your customer data and integrated into every marketing and customer application. Today, 7,000 companies use Segment which only means that millions of companies are not using Segment. The ocean for growth should be pretty endless for the foreseeable future.
Leadership: Peter Reinhardt
Funding: $43M; YC, New Enterprise Associates, General Catalyst, Accel, Kleiner Perkins, Thrive Capital.
Employees: 115.
Number 7: Matterport
Have you ever wanted to teleport? Well you still can’t, but you can have the next best thing with Matterport. The company creates immersive 3D spaces so real that it feels like you are actually there. You can get really lost just touring all of their amazing 3D worlds. As mixed reality continues to grow, Matterport is well positioned as the leader of its category.
Leadership: Bill Brown.
Funding: $56M; Greylock Partners, Lux Capital, YC.
Employees: 170.
Number 6: Honor
Awarded the “best new startup of 2015", Honor is taking a fresh look at the senior care industry. As the baby boomer generation set to ride off into the sunset, the necessity of a smart, personalized and more human service will be in very high demand.
Leadership: Seth Sternberg, Sandy Jen
Funding: $62M; Andreessen Horowitz, Kapor Capital, Thrive Capital.
Employees: 141.
Number 5: Branch Metrics
When the world first made apps, we made them live in siloed boxes. That made no sense since we already had this thing called the Internet that had hyperlinks crawling all over it. Branch Metrics unleashes the full power of apps by powering the linkage between mobile apps. The company has more than doubled in size over the past year and is still small and nimble compared to the massive mobile opportunity they are tackling.
Leadership: Alexander Austin
Funding: $53M; New Enterprise Associates, Founders Fund, Cowboy Ventures.
Employees: 151.
Number 4: Ozy Media
Ozy is a digital media platform redefining culture for the Change Generation, the group of educated and edgy consumers that make up the bulk of digital global citizens. In addition to reaching tens of millions with its daily stories that are ahead of the curve, Ozy brings together its community at its annual Ozy Fest in NYC and produces thought provoking television shows like The Contenders — 16 For 16. They are constantly on the look out for creative talent.
Leadership: Carlos Watson (@carloswatson) and Samir Rao (@vrsamir)
Funding: $25M; Emerson Collective, Axel Springer, GSV Capital.
Employees: 71.
Number 3: Earnest
Student loan debt in the U.S. is greater than credit card debt. That’s shocking. Now you can do something about it. Earnest gives out loans based on merit and uses data to effectively hand out loans with rates that are appropriate to the individual. Earnest will even help you refinance loans you’ve had for years (President Obama had student loans until he was 42). Hey, that’s the true meaning of paying it forward.
Leadership: Louis Beryl.
Funding: $90M; First Round, Andreessen Horowitz, Battery Ventures, Maveron.
Employees: 176.
Number 2: Zipline
I wrote about Zipline in a previous post as one of the most exciting tech companies to watch. It’s also one of the most exciting places to work on a mission that transforms the lives of the most vulnerable. Plus you get to work with catapults and drones. And I hear they have a sweet pad in Half Moon Bay.
Leadership: Keller Rinaudo, William Hetzler, Keenan Wyrobek
Funding: $45M; Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, GV.
Employees: 41.
Number 1: Flexport
It’s not every day that a startup can talk about its market opportunity in terms of trillions of dollars. Flexport is bringing global trade into the 21st century and has in 3 short years expanded to offices in New York, Amsterdam, Hong Kong, and ShenZhen. And oh boy are they hiring.
Leadership: Ryan Petersen
Funding: $92M; Founders Fund, GV, First Round, YC, Bloomberg Beta.
Employees: 200.
Company data from Mattermark with these criteria:
$10m < capital raised < $100m
20 < number of employees < 200
Growth score > 500
Bay Area
As of November 20, 2016
