2019 will be a good year for startups. With industries inching towards an AI-first world, it is truly a great time for tech startups to make their mark. As artificial intelligence and robotic process automation pave the way to the future, venture capitalists have a bird’s eye view of the tech world.
Novel ideas are flooding the industry every day and investor funding helps make them a reality. Artificial intelligence startups, augmented reality startups and fintech startups are becoming increasingly popular with investors thanks to the latest technological advancements. Listed below are 5 tech startups that are currently making a splash.
1. Shippo
Shippo is a cloud-based e-commerce shipping service that connects customers with the best shipping rates. This enables them to carry out tasks like printing labels, and tracking packages, among other things. The American software company currently supports more than 35,000 customers. Founded in 2013, till date they have secured $29.3 million in 8 funding rounds. The funding was lead by SoftTechVC, Bessemer Venture Partners and Union Square Ventures.
Shippo offers services for online marketplaces, e-commerce businesses, and platforms to integrate shipping with different carriers. This is done through API and web applications. The application also helps users create labels, compare shipping rates, return labels, as well as generate international customs documents. Some of Shippo’s partners and customers include GOAT, Etsy, eBay, Weebly, GoDaddy, Unilever, Shyp, hims and Tuft & Needle.
About Shippo
Founded by Simon Kreuz and Laura Behrens Wu, Shippo is headquartered in San Francisco, California. As CEO and co-founder, Wu was part of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 2017 Enterprise Technology list. After a series of funding rounds, it was announced that Shippo had raised nearly $30 million by December, 2017.
The company actively provides services in 196 countries around the world. It reportedly sends millions of packages worldwide and is used by over 35,000 businesses. It claims to be the number one cloud-based shipping software.
Features
- Offers customizable solutions for logistics providers, marketplaces, platforms and e-commerce retailers
- Provides access to a vast network of more than 50 carriers around the world
- Makes the handling of billing easier for customers
- Offers an option to use web app and print labels in minutes or connect with API for personalized solutions
- Provides a seamless shipping experience to meet customer needs such as a hassle-free return policy and up-to-date transparent tracking information
Shippo offers a free account for new users and provides useful features such as a learning, help and resource centre. The application is one of eBay’s Guaranteed Delivery Program shipping partner platforms. Visit the Shippo website to learn more.
2. Gladly
Founded by Joseph Ansanelli, Dirk Kessler, and Michael Wolfe, Gladly creates highly-personalized, modern experiences for customers. From hospitality and retail to financial services and travel, the company provides targeted solutions. The main difference in Gladly’s unique service is that they have simplified the process of connecting customers with the right agents. This helps the agents secure all the necessary information and tools required to provide the best possible customer support.
Headquartered in San Francisco, the tech startup was funded by Greylock Partners in 2015. Gladly’s efficient services have already been incorporated by companies like JetBlue. Till date, Gladly has raised $63 million in 3 rounds and employ over 50 people. They have been credited with revolutionizing the customer support system.
Features
- SaaS deployment: Frequent, cost-free upgrades without IT maintenance
- Smart AI and machine learning built-in features
- Data management through secure architecture and high availability
- Easy integrations with key customer systems using Gladly’s REST-based APIs
- Stringent data security standards to protect customer data
- Enterprise-grade platform with global, multi-tenant scalability
Gladly provides support channels such as email, phone (voice and SMS), chat and social media all in one platform. The company prides itself on being a platform with people at the heart of it. Gladly is an enterprise-ready support platform that is built to scale for B2C enterprises.
Visit the Gladly website for more information about their services.
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3. Zapier
Zapier is a web-based service that helps connect business software with each other. It automates the process of data transfer to save users time and resources. The American corporation was co-founded by Mike Knoop, Bryan Helmig and Wade Foster. The company had initially raised $1.3 million in a seed round in 2012, and have since remained profitable. Zapier’s clients include Buzzfeed, Adobe, Spotify and FOX to name a few.
Zapier allows end users to integrate web applications. Based in Sunnyvale, California, the company is yet another success story to come out of Y Combinator. Zapier has been described as a translator between web APIs. Currently, it employs a workforce over 125 employees in the United States and 13 more countries where Zapier operates.
Features
- Integration functionality helps link over 1000 web apps to share data
- Automation allows users to share information between apps using workflows called Zaps
- Helps to build processes without using code
- Helps to start workflows using any application
- Ability to finish routine tasks automatically
- Free sign up and option to choose from the basic free forever and premium plans
Learn more about Zapier’s features on the official website.
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4. GitLab
Developed by GitLab Inc., the DevOps solution is a one-stop-shop for business. GitLab is a direct competitor to GitHub, and both applications are web-based Git repositories. The company has progressively been making a name for itself. Some of GitLab’s clients are NASA, IBM, Sony, Bayer, Boeing, Nasdaq and SpaceX.
Headquartered in San Francisco, GitLab was founded by Sytse Sidbrandij, Dmitriy Zaporozhets in 2013. Till date, the company has raised $45.6 million in around 5 rounds of funding. Google Ventures led the most recent round. Over the years, GitLab has secured funding from Khosla Ventures, GV and August Capital.
The software uses an open-core development model. As such, the core functionality is released under an open source MIT license. However, the additional functionality is released under a proprietary license. GitLab Inc. is a remote-only company and currently operates in more than 41 countries and regions with over 300 employees.
Features
- Cycle Analytics
- DevOps Score
- Authentication and authorization
- Audit Management
- Project Management
- Agile Portfolio Management
- Kanban Boards
- Service Desk
- Create snippets and Wiki
- Source Code Management
- Code Review
- Continuous Integration
- Performance Testing
Visit the GitLab website to know more about their products.
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5. BigID
Founded in 2015 in New York, BigID provides a way for companies to identify and find their most sensitive data. With GDPR making headlines all across the world, BigID is definitely the need of the hour. Data privacy software became one of the most sought after categories after European GDPR data privacy rules were imposed in May, 2018.
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Thanks to the boom, BigID raised $30 million from investors like Scale Venture Partners as well as the investment arms of SAP and Comcast. BigID aims to transform the way enterprises protect and manage the protection of personal user data. Currently, the company has offices in the United States and Israel and operates across the data security, identity and governance markets.
Features
- Advanced PII/ PI Discovery
- Find and inventory all personal customer data at scale
- Map data and flow to enable new analysis
- Build & Measure Data Risk KPIs by data location, access, sensitivity, consent etc.
- Enhance governance through better analysis and monitoring compliance of regulations
Visit the BigID website to learn more about how the successful startup functions.
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Conclusion
The year 2019 is surely a promising one for startups that have done well in the last few years. Armed with the experience of founders and leaders, the reputations of investors and funding raised with valuations, the best is yet to come for startups like Zapier, Gladly and Shippo. The fintech industry is also thriving with startups like Circle, Trussle, TrueLayer, Mozo and Receipt Bank, all set to make waves in 2019.
SEE ALSO: Top AI Predictions for 2019
Some other companies like Nurx, Biome Makers, Platform Science, Paladin, Kolide and NPM are listed among the top enterprise startups to watch out for this year.
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