How Startups are Changing the World for the Better
We explore how startups are changing the world, one stellar idea at a time, and how you can join them. Get inspired to make your positive impact now:
People in the know always talk about how startups are changing the world.
From creating products that revamp the workforce to cleaning up the environment with the latest tech, what startups lack in size or funding, they more than make up for in grit, resiliency, and innovation.
So are you just as small but mighty?
Whether you’re a startup founder or eager to make a positive impact with your work for one, you can be part of how startups are changing the world.
We’re highlighting the remarkable strides some of the top startups are making right now. So grab some inspiration for your own mission, or get ready to spruce up your resume and join them.
5 Ways Startups Are Changing the World As We Know It
What’s one of the best tips from founders and CEOs to launch a successful startup? Create something meaningful that leaves the world better than you found it. That means:
1. Building Greener Solutions
Some of the top UK startups that are changing the world have Mother Nature’s best interests at heart. They craft solutions to help companies go green, clean up existing pollution, and protect the environment now and well into the future.
Ecochain is a startup that shows businesses how to reduce their environmental footprint.
Their innovative software provides organizations with real-time data on their environmental footprints. Then, using either a top-down or bottom-up approach, teams can collaborate to find the best solutions to remedy anything that comes up.
The more businesses tackle their environmental footprint, the cleaner our environment will become. The Ecochain team’s making a positive impact and leaving their own lasting ecological impressions, which matter far beyond their excellent business metrics.
Check out these awesome green startups you should know about next!
2. Prioritizing Value Alignment
Value alignment is when a company’s mission and goals line up with its employees’ values, ethics, and goals. And it’s one of the key differences between working at a startup versus a big corporation.
Many startups use their values and mission statements as their North Star, rather than chasing profits and dollar signs. That doesn’t mean they don’t work hard to make money; it’s just not their sole focus.
So people usually gravitate to startup jobs because they believe in the mission, product, service, or founder.
Sigma Labs is a great example of a startup backed by solid values.
The high-performance tech consultants believe “having any meaningful impact almost always requires sustained effort and excellent work — so it is really important that we care deeply about finding the right answers.”
Having values like these attracts candidates who share the same beliefs. Passion, intellectual curiosity, a strong desire to learn, grit — these are some of the best characteristics a startup employee should have.
Startups like Sigma Labs motivate teams to solve challenges and drive inventions that take humanity into the future.
3. Carving Out Better Work Environments
People spend most of their lives at work. But traditional workforce practices leave many feeling unseen, unvalued, underappreciated, and burned out on stress.
Most startups are disrupting the traditional workplace by focusing more on their team’s mental health. This might include unlimited vacation days, wellness stipends for meditation classes, or in-office yoga.
Cosuno believes a better work environment starts with mutual respect.
Their flat-hierarchy and zero bureaucracy principles ensure everyone on their team feels equally seen, heard, valued, and included. Cosuno encourages all its team members to speak up and share their diverse perspectives at all times.
The team also believes anyone should be able to move up the ladder without having to play office politics.
Unsurprisingly, many of the best startups feel the same way about these principles. So they’re all a collective kickstart to improving the work environment of the future.
Psst! Learn what else to expect when working at a startup here.
4. Driving Greater Accessibility
Thinking outside the box to solve specific problems plaguing the world is literally the definition of a fantastic startup. And that’s exactly what the team at Optimile is up to.
Their ingenious technology provides mobility as a service (MaaS), helping people easily switch between transportation modes to find the perfect route to get them to their destination.
This simple yet brilliant approach makes the world much more accessible to people with different abilities. It opens up doors some may never thought possible to create truly life-changing experiences.
5. Building Community Support and Giving Back
You’ll find loads of startups that spend their time building incredible communities. These aim to welcome people, connect them, and create healthy, long-lasting relationships.
Take the Peanut app, for instance. Their team created a safe space for women to meet and find support when they need it most. Women can speak freely, encouraging and empowering each other when they might not have anyone in their life to do so otherwise.
Bonfire is also focused on building up community support. Their team hopes to inspire a kinder world. So users can design, sell, and promote custom products for fundraising efforts.
The idea is to create and sell goods that local communities will love, which builds support for the area. It’s a clever way to make an impact and change the world one community at a time.
Giving back is a core value for the We Make Websites team too.
They encourage employees to take up to three days per year to get involved in voluntary community projects. And this startup boasts a 95% employee retention rate as a result.
Startups that prioritize community-building and have active give-back strategies uplift their workforce and provide for underserved groups in need. They also attract investors who want to be a part of their good vibes, allowing teams to do more good in the world.
Want To Be Part of How Startups are Changing the World?
We hope these examples of startups changing the world motivated and energized you to make some positive changes.
Startup founders: Use these strategies as inspiration or forge your own path to solve one of the world’s woes. Making our planet a better place to thrive should be a core value at any startup (and it pays back dividends tenfold).
Let people know what you stand for, and you’ll attract more incredible talent for your team, especially if you post your jobs on Unicorn Hunt. Our +10,000 unique monthly users will be eager to join your ranks if their hard work will make a difference in the world.
Want to work for a startup changing the world? You’re in the right place! We post hundreds of new positions each month on our magical beast of a startup job board. Find jobs that speak to your higher calling, and learn how to stand out from the competition to land them.
