Facebook with Latestnigeriannews  Twieet with latestnigeriannews  RSS Page Feed
Home  |  All Headlines  |  Punch  |  Thisday  |  Daily Sun  |  Vanguard   |  Guardian  |  The Nation  |  Daily Times  |  Daily Trust  |  Daily Independent
World  |  Sports  |  Technology  |  Entertainment  |  Business  |  Politics  |  Tribune  |  Leadership  |  National Mirror  |  BusinessDay  |  More Channels...

Viewing Mode:

Archive:

  1.     Tool Tips    
  2.    Collapsible   
  3.    Collapsed     
Click to view all Entertainment headlines today

Click to view all Sports headlines today

100 top startups of 2020, according to VCs

Published by Business Insider on Tue, 24 Nov 2020


<p><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5fbc29dd32f2170011f70c44-1668/top 100 startups 2x1.png" border="0" alt="top 100 startups 2x1" data-mce-source="Shayanne Gal/Business Insider"></p><p></p><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><p>To build a company from scratch and scale it into a solid business is a Herculean feat in the best of times. By most measures, 2020 has not been the best of times.</p><p>But all year long, startup founders still raised capital in Zoom meetings, hired workers they'd never met, and created useful products and servicesin the middle of a pandemic, an election, and a budding civil-rights movement. They showed real grit, from the seed-stage startups to the aging unicorns.</p><p>Over the year, Business Insider published lists of rising startups that collectively featured more than 350 companies in areas like tech, healthcare, retail, and finance, based on recommendations from venture-capital investors.</p><p>Now we've gone back and selected the top 100 most promising from that crop.</p><p>For each startup, we asked the venture capitalist to tell us why they liked it. We noted whether the person had a financial interest in the business and included the company's total funding as reported on <a href="https://pitchbook.com/">PitchBook</a>, a database that tracks such records.</p><p><strong> Here are the 100 startups we've been watching all year, listed in order of least to most capital raised.</strong></p><p><em data-stringify-type="italic">Which startups should we be watching in 2021' Contact startups reporter Melia Russell by email at mrussell@businessinsider.com or on the encrypted-chat app Signal at 603-913-3085. </em><em data-stringify-type="italic">Open DMs on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/meliarobin" data-analytics-module="body_link" data-analytics-post-depth="100" data-uri="f3a041bb1980b424f1a00124365259b1">@meliarobin</a></em><em data-stringify-type="italic">.</em></p><p><strong>NOW READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/who-are-recruiters-for-startups-2020-10" >16 important people to know if you want a job at a growing startup</a></strong></p><h3>Stage Ten: a video-production company for at-home broadcasting</h3><img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5f1088e2f0f419596601f7e9-400-300/stage-ten-a-video-production-company-for-at-home-broadcasting.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Stage Ten's software for digital creators allows them to boost their live video content with broadcast-style features like graphic overlays, watermarks, and lower thirds.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> At least $1 million, according to <a href="https://betakit.com/live-streaming-startup-stage-ten-closes-seed-round-led-by-next-10-ventures/">BetaKit</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Benjamin Grubbs, Next 10 Ventures</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> Live video has taken off during lockdowns, and people are searching for better tools to produce their at-home broadcasts. Founded in 2014, Stage Ten reported <a href="https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/stage-ten-remote-broadcasting-1234784027/">doubling its number of users to 160,000</a> since the early days of the pandemic in March.</p><p>"For years they've been supporting creators on multiple platforms and enhancing their livestreams," Grubbs, the founder and CEO of Next 10 Ventures, said.</p><p>"This year, with COVID-19, a lot of Hollywood productions shut down. People that weren't actually producing livestreams in some ways were kind of forced or nudged that way because of the circumstances, and now they actually have the adoption and the familiarity," he said.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>The Juggernaut: a media company for the South Asian diaspora</h3><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5fb7d31d50e71a00115566f0-400-300/the-juggernaut-a-media-company-for-the-south-asian-diaspora.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:&nbsp;</strong>The Juggernaut is a subscription-based&nbsp;media company working with journalists and illustrators to tell stories of South Asia and its people everywhere.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $2 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/268565-95/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Monique Woodard, Cake Ventures</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> no financial interest</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:&nbsp;</strong>The company has evolved from a free newsletter to a full-stack media company with "thousands of subscribers," and it's growing its subscribers 20 to 30% month over month, founder and CEO Snigdha Sur <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/10/12/the-juggernaut-seed/">told TechCrunch</a> in October. That same month, the Juggernaut received $2 million in funding to grow its full-time staff of three.</p><p>Woodard of Cake Ventures said she had an eye on the startup because of the large prospective audience for coverage of South Asia and the South Asian diaspora.</p><p>"I think there's this big opportunity for the company to go deep into verticals around South Asian culture and hit everything from food to Bollywood to parenting," Woodard said.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Encantos: a kids-focused media company</h3><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5fb579d650e71a001155600e-400-300/encantos-a-kids-focused-media-company.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> <a href="https://www.encantosbrands.com/" data-analytics-module="body_link" data-analytics-post-depth="20" data-uri="55c8392fd780a979c73c96689ae2e94c">Encantos</a> is a 4-year-old education and entertainment company for kids.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $2 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/234848-44/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Monique Woodard, Cake Ventures, and Heather Hartnett, Human Ventures</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investors</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> Demand for edtech has exploded in the past few months amid stay-at-home orders and schools shifting to remote learning, Woodard said.</p><p>Against this backdrop, Encantos introduced in June a new app for its Canticos media brand, which teaches preschool-age kids bilingual, Spanish, and English skills through nursery rhymes and videos. It also has brands to teach kids about food and cultures around the world.</p><p>Encantos hits on two trends: an "increased need for at-home education and multicultural inclusive storytelling for children," Hartnett, a partner at Human Ventures, said.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Players' Lounge: online wagering for video-game players</h3><img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5fb5b65e50e71a0011556194-400-300/players-lounge-online-wagering-for-video-game-players.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Players' Lounge allows video-game players to compete with each other for money. People are matched up and place bets against each other in console or PC games.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $3 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/121708-63/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Fatima Husain, Comcast Ventures</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> Husain, a principal at Comcast Ventures, said the esports market was poised to take off as people spend more time at home during lockdowns.</p><p>"It's been able to engage individuals in a manner that has really kept the consumer growth going well," she said.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Joe Coffee: an order-ahead app for independent coffee shops</h3><img src="https://static5.businessinsider.com/image/5fb6d64732f2170011f70263-400-300/joe-coffee-an-order-ahead-app-for-independent-coffee-shops.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Joe Coffee's app lets coffee drinkers order ahead from their neighborhood caf&eacute;s.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $3 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/232401-97/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Scott Jacobson, Madrona Ventures</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> no financial interest</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list: </strong>"This type of service lets these independent coffee shops compete with the convenience of Starbucks," Jacobson, a partner at Madrona Ventures, said.</p><p>And plenty of people are still going out for coffee in a pandemic. The company said <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2020/joe-coffee-raises-1-3m-mobile-order-pay-business-booms-indie-shops-pandemic/#:~:text=Joe%20Coffee%20says%20sales%20have,said%20in%20a%20news%20release.">sales spiked by 20 times</a> from March to July, when it raised $1.3 million in a round led by Craft Ventures.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Perksy: market research for the mobile generation</h3><img src="https://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5fb5b63d32f2170011f6ff0e-400-300/perksy-market-research-for-the-mobile-generation.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Perksy is a Gen Z-focused research firm that wants to take on giants like Nielsen and Kantar. Perksy uses a mobile app to have people answer survey questions in exchange for points that can be used to buy gift cards. Marketers like Pepsi and Airbnb pay to run surveys and collect sentiment data that can then be used in marketing campaigns.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $4 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/156932-11/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Katie Reiner, Torch Capital</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list: </strong>The app helps marketers collect anonymous and compliant data, which is becoming more important because of data-privacy laws, Reiner said.</p><p>"These large brands have no idea how to target millennials and were out of date," Reiner said. "As we shift toward a generation that's much more data-conscious and have a stigma toward traditional advertising, you get a firsthand view into what this generation wants."</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Monthly: online classes for creative pursuits</h3><img src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5fb6bd5d50e71a001155642e-400-300/monthly-online-classes-for-creative-pursuits.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> <a href="https://learnmonthly.com/">Monthly</a> is an online-education company that offers 30-day creative classes from well-known teachers, with the goal of a completed project at the class' end, such as finishing a realistic painting, writing an original song, or producing a film.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $4 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/186306-58/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Ann Miura-Ko, Floodgate</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> "What is unique about Monthly is how it has created a new pocket of consumer spend, similar to running a marathon but for creative pursuits," Miura-Ko, a partner at Floodgate, said. "You can do this with friends and share your journey on social media."</p><p>"The world's greatest teachers are coming onto this platform to teach creative pursuits with committed students who are expecting to flex their creative muscles and share what they've made with the world," she said.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Vendr: helps businesses buy subscription-based software</h3><img src="https://static5.businessinsider.com/image/5fb5d03550e71a00115561b0-400-300/vendr-helps-businesses-buy-subscription-based-software.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Vendr helps information-technology departments manage the software-buying process, which includes negotiating prices and managing renewals.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $5 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/179288-02/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Rama Sekhar, Norwest Venture Partners</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> no financial interest</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> Vendr, an alum of the startup accelerator Y Combinator, said it more than doubled its revenue and number of customers in the past 12 months, and it is wooing tech investors with its 100% growth rate. The startup <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/06/10/vendr-raises-4m-from-david-sackss-craft-ventures-to-reduce-saas-bills/">raised $4 million</a> in new funding in June.</p><p>"Negotiating contracts, pricing &mdash; Vendr is chipping away at that problem," Sekhar, a partner at Norwest Venture Partners, said.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>SeedLegals: legal services for startups</h3><img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5fac4b0ab09abb001862612f-400-300/seedlegals-legal-services-for-startups.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> SeedLegals is a marketplace for startups to hire a legal team that can help with incorporating their business, raising venture capital, managing their shareholders, and more.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $5 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/171379-09/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Hannah Seal, Index Ventures</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> SeedLegals is a one-stop shop for legal services that all startups require. It simplifies the process of raising money and issuing equity and supplies legal documents such as confidentiality agreements, employment contracts, and shareholder agreements.</p><p>"These are things that almost all companies require and don't necessarily need or want to go to a lawyer and pay thousands of dollars every time for," Seal, a principal at Index Ventures, said. "SeedLegals is changing the way companies manage their funding and talent and recently launched in France to offer the same support to French entrepreneurs."</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Moov: an open-source-software solution for storing and moving money</h3><img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5f9c54446f5b31001172485b-400-300/moov-an-open-source-software-solution-for-storing-and-moving-money.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Moov was built with app developers in mind. It is a banking-as-a-service offering that lets customers quickly deploy solutions to receive funds, store assets, and remit payments.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $5 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/436867-39/company/profile#insights">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Steve Sarracino, Activant Capital</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> no financial interest</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> Sarracino, a founding partner at Activant, said in the next five to 10 years he expected to see "substantial advancements in the infrastructure layer for banking and financial services." He cited nCino's initial public offering in July as evidence of the trend.</p><p>Moov is riding this wave. It raised a seed round in August with <a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/moov-financial-raises-5-5-million-seed-round-led-by-bain-capital-51597755601">plans to hire</a> aggressively.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>uConnect: makes jobs the focus of college degrees</h3><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5fb6da0732f2170011f70279-400-300/uconnect-makes-jobs-the-focus-of-college-degrees.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> uConnect is an app to help students find and understand career-placement results for different colleges and universities. Colleges can also use it for marketing, while existing students can use it to find job fairs and other resources.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $7 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/97641-46/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Kyle York, York IE</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> The closure of college campuses across the country has created the "largest experiment in online learning," Kyle York, a managing partner of York IE, said.</p><p>Colleges have traditionally been a beneficiary of unemployment, as people go back to school to update their skills. But in today's world, colleges may have to justify their costs by sharing job-placement data.</p><p>"To maintain their value, they must prepare and connect their students with the jobs that can advance their lives," York said.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Daily: a one-click videoconference toolkit for developers</h3><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5fb68cb232f2170011f7002c-400-300/daily-a-one-click-videoconference-toolkit-for-developers.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Daily makes it easy for websites to integrate video chatting.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $7 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/155955-52/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Katie Jacobs Stanton, Moxxie Ventures</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> As the coronavirus started to cancel in-person meetings, Daily saw usage spike. Stanton said the startup "could be to video what Stripe is for payments" because it helps customers add a video-chat function with a few lines of code.</p><p>Daily was also nominated for this list by another investor, Freestyle Capital's Jenny Lefcourt.</p><p>"I thought 2020 was their year before COVID-19, but now, as you can imagine, every company needs video-chat capabilities as soon as possible &mdash; and doesn't want to take their communities and traffic off-platform to do Zoom, Google Hangouts, etc.," Lefcourt told us back in March.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Pathmatics: better digital-marketing intelligence</h3><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5fb57ceb50e71a0011556032-400-300/pathmatics-better-digital-marketing-intelligence.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Pathmatics tracks where advertisers spend money and pitches the data to marketers so they can track their competitors and agencies can win new business.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $7 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/55920-43/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Michael Mizrahi, Wavemaker Partners</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> The data firm "provides the guidebook on how to advertise" and solves big issues for marketing agencies, Mizrahi, a partner at Wavemaker Partners, said.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Dumpling: putting gig workers in command of their own clients</h3><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5fb6d95e50e71a00115564f3-400-300/dumpling-putting-gig-workers-in-command-of-their-own-clients.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> <a href="https://dumpling.us/" data-analytics-module="body_link" data-analytics-post-depth="20" data-uri="a3bde07a55a0c1cf903390f8143a2b43">Dumpling</a>'s app for gig workers lets them build their own clientele instead of working for another company, such as Instacart. It is directed at grocery shoppers.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $9 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/264921-40/company/profile#insights">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Ann Miura-Ko, Floodgate</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> "I call them 'the Ironman suit' for the solopreneur," Miura-Ko said. "They started in grocery shopping over a year ago, and you can imagine they are really having a moment right now."</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Pulse: a virtual water cooler for CIOs and other tech procurers</h3><img src="https://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5fb5d1d750e71a00115561b1-400-300/pulse-a-virtual-water-cooler-for-cios-and-other-tech-procurers.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Pulse built a solution to help chief information officers and other tech procurers make buying decisions. It gathers information on the tools, resources, and budgets of their peers.&nbsp;</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $10 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/179871-67/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Rama Sekhar, Norwest Venture Partners</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> no financial interest</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> Pulse asks the experts which technologies they rely on to run their companies and provides recommendations to its community of chief information officers and other leaders.</p><p>"A lot of these CIOs don't buy software unless they talk to each other about it," Sekhar said. "Now that they're all stuck at home &mdash; not convening at <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rsa-coronavirus-attendees-tech-conference-2020-3">RSA</a> &mdash; what Pulse does is it sends a pulse from a mobile phone to your CIO friends. 'What are you using for phishing'' 'What are you using to stop these phishing attacks'' It's taking these formal conversations happening face-to-face and making a cool survey-style way of doing it. You get a quick pulse on what trends are and what kind of buying and purchasing behavior their peers are making."</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Vangst: a talent resource for the cannabis industry</h3><img src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5fac82037f8f4200182a66de-400-300/vangst-a-talent-resource-for-the-cannabis-industry.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Vangst&nbsp;provides recruiting services for cannabis businesses.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $12 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/226936-00/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Karan Wadhera, Casa Verde Capital</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> "We're very excited about this technology, as we've seen a number of vertical hiring platforms achieve considerable traction across various industries like food service, oil and gas, healthcare, and more," Wadhera, a Casa Verde partner, said.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Zoomo: on-demand electric bikes</h3><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5fb6d12532f2170011f7022c-400-300/zoomo-on-demand-electric-bikes.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Zoomo rents and sells electric bikes to customers, businesses, and couriers.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $13 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/327521-17/company/profile#insights">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Olaf Sakkers, Maniv Mobility</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> Zoomo, which was formerly called Bolt Bikes, taps into a massive market for food and package deliveries, Sakkers, a partner at Maniv Mobility, said. The startup helps delivery companies improve profits by allowing their couriers to make more trips per hour.</p><p>"There's a huge market opportunity in each city," Sakkers said.</p><p>Zoomo, based in Sydney, picked up another <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/08/24/with-11-million-in-fresh-capital-bolt-bikes-rebrands-to-zoomo/">$11 million in funding</a> in August.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Narrative: a marketplace for buying and selling data</h3><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5fb57bc632f2170011f6fdab-400-300/narrative-a-marketplace-for-buying-and-selling-data.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Narrative helps direct-to-consumer brands and marketers buy and sell data.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $14 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/174304-90/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Jennifer Lum, Biospring Partners</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list: </strong>Narrative stands out because it stays away from being a data broker, which is a type of company known for murky tactics of collecting and storing data, Lum, a general partner at Biospring Partners, said. It collected <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marketing-tech-startup-narrative-raises-series-a-rolls-out-tool-2020-8">$8.5 million</a>&nbsp;in Series A funding in August.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>MikMak: an e-commerce marketing insights company</h3><img src="https://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5fb6da7f32f2170011f7027e-400-300/mikmak-an-e-commerce-marketing-insights-company.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> MikMak's software lets marketers track sales through digital-ad performance.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $14 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/117591-31/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Liza Landsman, NEA</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> no financial interest</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> In August, MikMak pulled in <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/martyswant/2020/08/03/mikmak-raises-10-million-to-accelerate-e-commerce-platform-and-global-expansion/'sh=5773c3ffb998">$10 million in financing</a>&nbsp;to develop even more tools that help e-commerce businesses drive sales and spend ad dollars smartly.</p><p>"File this under 'necessity is the mother of invention,' and note huge heritage brands getting on board quickly as they address significant revenue gaps during pandemic," Landsman, a general partner at NEA, said. "We firmly believe it will be very hard to put the e-commerce genie back in the bottle when the world returns to 'normal.'"</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Time by Ping: an automated timekeeper for lawyers</h3><img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5fac56c77f8f4200182a6614-400-300/time-by-ping-an-automated-timekeeper-for-lawyers.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Time by Ping uses artificial intelligence to help lawyers track their billable hours in real time across devices, so they can focus on their work instead of the clock.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $16 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/168829-30/company/profile#insights">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Miriam Rivera, Ulu Ventures</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> "People are often working through various devices, often in various places," Rivera, a managing partner of Ulu Ventures, said. "I read legal documents on my phone while I'm at my daughter's games, for example, and sometimes I'm working on a matter on my email while I'm waiting to get my coffee. So there's been a difficulty of tabulating hours, since you're not in a place where that's easy to do. It's easier and more accurate for computer software to see what you're working on and be able to automatically analyze that in for you."</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Whistic: an easier way to vet security vendors</h3><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5fb5d33450e71a00115561b2-400-300/whistic-an-easier-way-to-vet-security-vendors.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Whistic's software assesses the security of third-party software and helps companies streamline requests for reviewing their applications' security.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $16 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/131192-74/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Collin Gutman, SaaS Ventures</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> "IT typically has to do their own security audits on every vendor, then find a way to track and update it," Gutman, a managing partner at SaaS Ventures, said. "Whistic saves IT departments money and time by automating this process."</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Incredible Health: a way to get nurses hired</h3><img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5fb6860d50e71a0011556278-400-300/incredible-health-a-way-to-get-nurses-hired.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Incredible Health is a recruiting service for hospitals that are hiring nurses to screen candidates using automation. It helps them put healthcare professionals to work sooner.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $17 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/178226-11/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Jomayra Herrera, Cowboy Ventures</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> no financial interest</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> Hospitals that use Incredible Health hire a job candidate in 13 days on average, which <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/09/15/incredible-health-updates-its-healthcare-career-platform-to-help-nurse-hiring-cope-with-covid/">can save them millions of dollars</a> on contract workers and overtime costs.</p><p>"With the projected shortage of nurses in the US, Incredible Health plays an important role in ensuring hospitals are well-positioned to fill job vacancies with high-quality candidates quickly," Herrera, a senior associate at Cowboy Ventures, told us <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/future-of-work-startups-success-year-venture-capital-2020-4">in March</a>.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Open Raven: a cybersecurity solution for the cloud</h3><img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5fb67a0b50e71a001155623b-400-300/open-raven-a-cybersecurity-solution-for-the-cloud.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Open Raven's data-security software prevents cybercrime. It helps customers locate their data and protect it by alerting security teams about possible breaches.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $19 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/294389-83/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Bucky Moore, Kleiner Perkins</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> Kleiner Perkins led a <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200616005080/en/Open-Raven-Raises-15M-Series-A-Funding-to-Prevent-Cloud-Breaches-Driven-by-Modern-Complexity">$15 million financing</a> for the company in June, allowing it to expand its ranks of engineers, customer-support associates, and salespeople.</p><p>"As enterprises accelerate digital-transformation initiatives to bring more of their business online and meet customers where they are today, they are creating more data than ever before, and much of which resides in the cloud," Moore said. "Open Raven provides an open-source solution to gaining visibility into and securing this data."</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Food52: an online destination for home cooks</h3><img src="https://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5fb532e5e74fa70018b83184-400-300/food52-an-online-destination-for-home-cooks.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Food52 is an online community for at-home cooking that curates recipes and products.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $19 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/54329-95/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Mike Kerns, TCG Capital Management</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> Food52 has been publishing recipes and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/food52-founders-blog-readership-growth-strategy-content">food-related content</a> for more than a decade, but Kerns, a managing partner at TCG Capital Management, said the company was poised to take off as people spend more time in their kitchens because of lockdowns.</p><p>"The reality is people are cooking more at home," Kerns said. "They are investing more in understanding new types of cooking and cuisines. And they're caring more about where the food is coming from."</p><p>Kerns is also encouraged by Food52's growing line of branded kitchen and home products, given that people are visiting department stores and the usual home-goods retailers less.</p><p>"We find it a unique company in that it's a true content and commerce company," Kerns said.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Headset: a solution for cannabis data and market intelligence</h3><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5fac84c97f8f4200182a66e3-400-300/headset-a-solution-for-cannabis-data-and-market-intelligence.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Headset collects real-time sales data from cannabis dispensaries and provides market intelligence to the budding weed industry in the US and Canada.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $19 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/121833-01/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Emily Paxhia, Poseidon Asset Management</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> Headset's "data is immensely useful as investors, as a CPG brand, as a retailer," said Paxhia, whose firm participated in the company's $3 million funding round in August. The tech startup will use the funds to expand into other states and provinces where cannabis is legal &mdash; making its dataset even richer.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>ChartHop: an automated organizational chart</h3><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5fb7d92650e71a0011556720-400-300/charthop-an-automated-organizational-chart.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> ChartHop is a management app that aims to modernize and automate a company's organizational chart, making the whole process more transparent.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $19 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/279702-46/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Dasha Maggio, Felicis Ventures</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> no financial interest</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> The company is trying to bring transparency to an aspect of running a company that is typically opaque and difficult to analyze. Maggio said "people data, especially organizational structure and design, is one of the final frontiers of company data."</p><p>ChartHop <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/charthop-raises-14-million-series-a-led-by-andreessen-horowitz-to-bring-organizational-management-out-of-the-dark-ages-301118634.html">raised two rounds of funding</a> this year from Andreessen Horowitz, Cowboy Ventures, Flybridge Capital, and others, alongside 40 C-suite executives who acted as angel investors.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Vercel: a cloud service that optimizes development for front-end teams</h3><img src="https://static5.businessinsider.com/image/5fb5cb9d50e71a00115561a1-400-300/vercel-a-cloud-service-that-optimizes-development-for-front-end-teams.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Vercel allows developers to build, scale, and host web apps for the cloud without having to set up servers.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $20 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/167175-28/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Aaron Jacobson, NEA</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> no financial interest</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> "Jamstack, which is a new, modern way of building websites and apps, has reached a tipping point," Jacobson, a partner at New Enterprise Associates, said.</p><p>"Vercel is a pioneer of this movement and has developed an easy-to-use all-in-one Jamstack solution for developers to deploy static and dynamic websites at global scale," he said.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Modern Fertility: arming women with information about their reproductive health</h3><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5fb6dd8e50e71a0011556506-400-300/modern-fertility-arming-women-with-information-about-their-reproductive-health.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Modern Fertility makes a home testing kit that measures hormones related to fertility, helping women make decisions around when to start their families.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $21 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/184548-97/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Rebecca Kaden, Union Square Ventures</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> "COVID has accelerated many elements of remote health and interest in wellness," Kaden, a managing partner at Union Square Ventures, said.</p><p>"We are all learning firsthand how important it is and also have more questions than ever before on our own bodies," Kaden said. "Modern Fertility has seen great growth in their at-home hormone test and pregnancy and ovulation tests, but they've also seen an exciting uptick in their community &mdash; women wanting to dive in, share, and learn from each other."</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Fast: a faster way to shop online</h3><img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5fa449dff7d1cb0019e3a067-400-300/fast-a-faster-way-to-shop-online.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Fast is building tools for online shopping. It lets customers check out with one click via their Fast logins, so they don't have to punch in their credit-card information.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $22 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/343034-20/company/profile#insights">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Mark Goldberg, Index Ventures</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> Fintech startups are bringing in record sums of venture capital this year as investors hope to cash in on trends like online shopping, digital banking, and contactless payments during the pandemic. Fast <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/startup-fast-new-funding-billion-valuation-2020-11">is said to be negotiating</a> new funding at a unicorn valuation.</p><p>"Amazon has shown us the power of a seamless checkout experience, but for millions of merchants the experience is still painful," Goldberg, a partner at Index Ventures, said. "Fast is building a universal one-click login and payments experience to fix this."</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Bryter: a no-code solution for automation decisions</h3><img src="https://static5.businessinsider.com/image/5fac587898669500182b5803-400-300/bryter-a-no-code-solution-for-automation-decisions.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> The German startup Bryter provides a no-code solution for law firms and corporate regulatory departments to build tools to automate their workflow and make decisions faster.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $24 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/277379-29/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Hannah Seal, Index Ventures</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list: </strong>Bryter pulled in $16 million in a fundraise that took place entirely over videoconferencing during the pandemic, and it will use the money to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bryter-pitch-deck-raises-16-million-for-us-expansion-2020-6">expand</a> into the US.</p><p>The startup has an "edge" over competitors because it was created by former lawyers, Seal said. "They know how to speak the language of lawyers."</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Bloomscape: direct-to-consumer houseplants</h3><img src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5fb7cf7532f2170011f70446-400-300/bloomscape-direct-to-consumer-houseplants.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Bloomscape is a direct-to-consumer plant retailer, which ships plants from its greenhouses in Michigan.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $24 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/229882-87/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Natalie Dillon, Maveron</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> no financial interest</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> As the pandemic forces more people to stay home, Bloomscape has reported <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plant-companies-like-the-sill-grow-alongside-home-improvement-industry-2020-6">a surge in sales</a> of houseplants, though the startup declined to share a specific amount.</p><p>Companies like Bloomscape that "easily enable people to bring nature into their homes" will perform well in lockdowns, Dillon, a principal at Maveron, said.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Papaya: a painless way to pay bills</h3><img src="https://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5fac3a2fb09abb00186260bb-400-300/papaya-a-painless-way-to-pay-bills.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Based in Los Angeles, Papaya allows customers to pay any bill, from utilities to parking tickets, from their mobile devices. Users only need to take a picture of the bill.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $25 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/167176-81/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Charles Birnbaum, Bessemer Venture Partners</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> "It's a pretty magical customer experience, and they have quietly built one of the most exciting new consumer fintech products in a while," Birnbaum, a partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, said.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Fyllo: a cannabis marketing company</h3><img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5fac847d7f8f4200182a66e2-400-300/fyllo-a-cannabis-marketing-company.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Fyllo is a marketing service for cannabis brands.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $28 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/279942-22/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Jordan Tritt, Panther Opportunity Fund</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> no financial interest</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> Fyllo is "quickly becoming the market leader in programmatic advertising," Tritt, a principal at Panther Opportunity Fund, said. He likes that the company is creating a "compliance layer" that ensures customer advertising adheres to local regulations, he said. According to Tritt, it's also a plus that the startup was founded and run by experienced adtech executives.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Flowhub: retail software for cannabis shops</h3><img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5fac7ff698669500182b58b9-400-300/flowhub-retail-software-for-cannabis-shops.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Flowhub is a retail-management platform for cannabis dispensaries.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $30 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/88645-15/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Narbe Alexandrian, Canopy Rivers</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> no financial interest</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> "They have the DNA of a Silicon Valley company, they're led by a strong entrepreneur, and they're tackling the POS segment in a way I haven't really seen before," Alexandrian, the president of Canopy Rivers, said. "They're heavily focused on data and aim to make retailers smarter. I think that's something we can all get behind right now as the industry matures."</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Digits: an expense tracker for small businesses</h3><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5fa1773f1df1d50018218859-400-300/digits-an-expense-tracker-for-small-businesses.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Digits makes a dashboard for monitoring expenses at startups and small businesses. It uses machine learning to plan for recurring charges and detect fraud.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $32 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/340840-90/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> David Hartwig, Sapphire Ventures</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> no financial interest</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:&nbsp;</strong>Digits broke out of stealth mode this year and is already "disrupting the financial sector," Hartwig, a managing director at Sapphire Ventures, said.</p><p>The startup's offering is unique because it doesn't force customers to switch financial-service providers but instead "sits on top of a company's existing accounting package," he said, adding that it analyzes the company's spend across banks, payroll, revenue sources, credit cards, and more.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Cellink: a new kind of battery pack for electric vehicles</h3><img src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5fb6d7a032f2170011f70269-400-300/cellink-a-new-kind-of-battery-pack-for-electric-vehicles.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Cellink makes flexible wire harnesses and battery circuits for electric and autonomous vehicles. The company says its wire harnesses are 75% lighter and take up 90% less volume than those used in a typical vehicle.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $33 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/122619-61/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Dan Ratliff, Fontinalis Partners</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> Cellink's wire harnesses are appealing to electric-vehicle and battery-pack manufacturers that need to reduce weight and improve thermal conductivity, Ratliff, a principal at Fontinalis Partners, said. But Cellink isn't entirely dependent on an electric-vehicle revolution, as its products can also be used in gas-powered vehicles.</p><p>"It's a company that straddles the electric-vehicle and combustion-engine markets," Ratliff said. "But some of the selling points, I think, get really ramped up when you think primarily about just EVs going forward &mdash; the need for lightweighting, the need for all these other attributes that their technology allows for."</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Hasura: a tool to help companies make powerful queries on their data sources</h3><img src="https://static3.businessinsider.com/image/5fb67c3750e71a0011556247-400-300/hasura-a-tool-to-help-companies-make-powerful-queries-on-their-data-sources.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Hasura is a web-application server that connects to a company's databases and provides an instant method of searching through the data using GraphQL, an open-source query language created by Facebook.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $36 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/174523-69/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Eric Anderson, Scale Venture Partners</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> no financial interest</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> "Users are calling it the next Heroku," Anderson, a principal at Scale Venture Partners, said, referring to the developer tool that Salesforce bought for $212 <a href="https://www.wired.com/2013/11/heroku1/">million</a> in 2011. It allowed workers to build, run, and operate applications in the cloud.</p><p>In September, Hasura got a fresh <a href="https://hasura.io/blog/announcing-our-series-b-25m-financing/">$25 million in financing</a> from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Vertex, Nexus, and others to build new database integrations and hire more engineers.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Enthera Pharmaceuticals: a biotech that's transforming therapies for common diseases</h3><img src="https://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5fb434de1c741f0019aca46e-400-300/enthera-pharmaceuticals-a-biotech-thats-transforming-therapies-for-common-diseases.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Enthera is an Italian biotech working to cure Type 1 diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease by stopping the death of stem cells.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $36 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/231303-43/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Graziano Seghezzi, Sofinnova Partners</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list: </strong>Enthera is the product of academic research from two Italian professors on ways to regenerate stem cells. It "was a project that, when we saw it, was in no way backable by a VC," Seghezzi, a managing partner at Sofinnova Partners, said. Instead, Enthera joined a biotech accelerator in Milan that was started by Sofinnova and later spun out.</p><p>Seghezzi said its recent Series A round was the largest ever for an Italian biotech company and would support ambitions to start human testing for its first drug candidates.<br /><br />"What we are going for is something that could, if it works, cure the disease," he said, referencing both Type 1 diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Solo.io: a modern API infrastructure company</h3><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5fb6826f50e71a0011556269-400-300/soloio-a-modern-api-infrastructure-company.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Solo.io builds Gloo, a software tool to "glue" apps together when those apps are built from an infrastructure design method called service mesh. Service mesh is a concept of the cloud-computing era. It helps all the services needed to run an application talk to each other.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $36 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/187895-26/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Astasia Myers, Redpoint Ventures</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> "Service-mesh offerings are very fragmented," Myers, a principal Redpoint Ventures, said. She cited a <a href="https://thenewstack.io/survey-results-service-mesh-useful-for-security-observability-and-traffic-control/">February report in the New Stack</a> that suggested 46% of organizations in a survey that were familiar with service meshes said they were trying out or planned to implement service meshes in the next 12 months. She added that they "are nice catalysts for Gloo."</p><p>In October, Solo.io <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/10/01/2102230/0/en/Solo-io-Bolsters-Company-Product-and-Cloud-Native-Community-Innovation-with-New-Funding-Round.html">closed on $23 million</a> in new funding from Redpoint and True Ventures.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Karat: a technical recruiting service</h3><img src="https://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5fb5b68132f2170011f6ff0f-400-300/karat-a-technical-recruiting-service.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Karat conducts first-round technical interviews via video, relying on a network of experienced engineers to assess candidates.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $41 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/110691-46/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Parker Barrile, Norwest Venture Partners</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> investor</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong> "Karat combines technical rigor with a human touch in a way that's ideal for an increasingly flexible world still fundamentally driven by tech talent," Barrile, a partner at Norwest Venture Partners, said.</p><p>Through the pandemic, Karat has conducted thousands of online video interviews for clients like Indeed, Roblox, Wayfair, Pinterest, and Intuit. It was well-positioned to help human-resources teams keep working during work-from-home mandates.</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Hipcamp: 'the Airbnb of the outdoors'</h3><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5fb69b5350e71a001155632f-400-300/hipcamp-the-airbnb-of-the-outdoors.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> <a href="https://www.hipcamp.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-analytics-module="body_link" data-analytics-post-depth="40" data-uri="9eec300ef39ed5b00f2ffdda4383f4ce">Hipcamp</a> is a database that connects travelers with hosts for outdoor stays in areas like RV parks, cabins, tree houses, and campsites.</p><p><strong>Total funding raised:</strong> $41 million, according to <a href="https://my.pitchbook.com/profile/85445-92/company/profile">PitchBook</a></p><p><strong>Recommended by:</strong> Natalie Dillon, Maveron</p><p><strong>Relationship:</strong> no financial interest</p><p><strong>Why it's on the list:</strong>&nbsp;Social distancing has accelerated the business of outdoor experiences, making Hipcamp &mdash; the "Airbnb of the outdoors" &mdash; especially popular with consumers.</p><p>"COVID has sparked a greater appreciation for the outdoors as a safer location to gather with friends and relaxing, an alternative to confined home and office space," Dillon said. "Companies like Hipcamp that allow people to explore the great outdoors and travel safely resonate with consumers more than ever."</p></p><br/><br/><h3>Coder: a better way to configure, secure, and scale development environments</h3><img src="https://static2.businessinsider.com/image/5fb681ff50e71a0011556267-400-300/coder-a-better-way-to-configure-secure-and-scale-development-environments.jpg" alt="" /><p><p><strong>What it does:</strong> Coder makes tools that help developers working remotely set up and secure all their processes.</p><p><strong>Total funding rai
Click here to read full news..

All Channels Nigerian Dailies: Punch  |  Vanguard   |  The Nation  |  Thisday  |  Daily Sun  |  Guardian  |  Daily Times  |  Daily Trust  |  Daily Independent  |   The Herald  |  Tribune  |  Leadership  |  National Mirror  |  BusinessDay  |  New Telegraph  |  Peoples Daily  |  Blueprint  |  Nigerian Pilot  |  Sahara Reporters  |  Premium Times  |  The Cable  |  PM News  |  APO Africa Newsroom

Categories Today: World  |  Sports  |  Technology  |  Entertainment  |  Business  |  Politics  |  Columns  |  All Headlines Today

Entertainment (Local): Linda Ikeji  |  Bella Naija  |  Tori  |  Pulse  |  The NET  |  DailyPost  |  Information Nigeria  |  Gistlover  |  Lailas Blog  |  Miss Petite  |  Olufamous  |  Stella Dimoko Korkus Blog  |  Ynaija  |  All Entertainment News Today

Entertainment (World): TMZ  |  Daily Mail  |  Huffington Post

Sports: Goal  |  African Football  |  Bleacher Report  |  FTBpro  |  Kickoff  |  All Sports Headlines Today

Business & Finance: Nairametrics  |  Nigerian Tenders  |  Business Insider  |  Forbes  |  Entrepreneur  |  The Economist  |  BusinessTech  |  Financial Watch  |  BusinessDay  |  All Business News Headlines Today

Technology (Local): Techpoint  |  TechMoran  |  TechCity  |  Innovation Village  |  IT News Africa  |  Technology Times  |  Technext  |  Techcabal  |  All Technology News Headlines Today

Technology (World): Techcrunch  |  Techmeme  |  Slashdot  |  Wired  |  Hackers News  |  Engadget  |  Pocket Lint  |  The Verge

International Networks:   |  CNN  |  BBC  |  Al Jazeera  |  Yahoo

Forum:   |  Nairaland  |  Naij

Other Links: Home   |  Nigerian Jobs