10 Startup Companies to Be Inspired By

By Mariliana Fotopoulou | Monday, 17 August 2020 | Business

Startup companies are becoming more and more popular, now that technology has evolved, granting many opportunities to budding entrepreneurs and developers. While there may be competition with new startup companies, so may just be the latest phenomenon that will be loved globally. What really makes a company stand out is the great respect and treatment that they have towards their employees and the success that is measured for them.

We have narrowed down ten startup companies that you should be inspired by to start your own company.

Allbirds

This New Zealand and US footwear company is ticking all the boxes needed for a startup company in this generation. Their footwear products are environmentally friendly and are known to have used materials such as bioplastic, sugar cane, and even eucalyptus in their products. The company was originally founded in 2014, but after six years of hard work and recognition, they brought a total valuation of $1.4 billion. They currently have offices in San Francisco, and they are known to sell products directly to customers, without any middlemen needed.

Chime

Chime is a US company that is an alternative to a traditional bank. Every time you use the debit card that Chime provides, they will charge the merchant a small fee. The company publicly launched on the Dr. Phil show in 2014 but was originally founded in 2013. The total assets from 2019 are $5.8 billion, and the company now has just around 1,000 employees. The online banking startup company also gave $1,200 stimulus checks during the beginning of the pandemic to its customers.

Udemy

The online US startup company started in 2010, but after years of hard work, they finally have 50 million students and 57,000 teaching instructors on their online teaching platform. Udemy is an online teaching platform that features over 65 different languages and can be used by anyone in the world. There are now over 295 million courses on the platform, with some contributing towards certifications for students.

Lemonade

This New York-based company started out in 2015 and specializes in property and casualty insurance. They offer insurance for all property types not just for the US, but also for the Netherlands and Germany. Their success came through as a company when they had huge investors backing them up, such as Sequoia Capital and Softbank. They currently have a total of 329 employees in the company.

Organifi

Founder Drew Canole was inspired to start the superfood company Organifi after facing a horrible experience with his health and lifestyle. Organifi specializes in healthy products and protein shakes that are plant-based. The products help people detox, get fit, and even get a better night’s sleep.

XFL

XFL is an American startup company that has just been purchased by the actor Dwayne Johnson for $15 million. This American football league was founded in 2018 and was due to play in teams this year. However, due to the current situation with the pandemic, the games were canceled.

Cameo

This startup company is based in Chicago and initially founded in 2016, but launched in 2017. It is an online entertainment platform that consists of video sharing. It soon became popular amongst celebrities as a platform for sending personal videos to their fans. There are now over 30,000 celebrities using this platform.

Poshmark

This online company was originally founded in 2011, but in 2017 the company raised $87.5 million from investors for the company, which was mainly led by Temasek. The company specializes in having a marketplace where users sell new and second-hand clothing online. As of 2019, they now have 300 employees, and the company came to a total valuation of $600 million.

Dataiku

Dataiku is a cloud computing company that has brought in a huge success. It was founded in 2013, but the company expanded rapidly, with over 400 people employees and offices in the US and Europe, Australia, and Asia. In 2019, the company had reached a unicorn status in investments after the funding was backed up by Alphabet Inc. They are now at a total valuation of $1.4 billion as a company.

Duolingo

This US startup company is a website and app that allows users worldwide to learn different languages. The company started in 2009, but it was released publicly in 2012. However, with its most recent success, it now has 95 different language courses, covering 38 languages and 300 million users worldwide. In 2018, their revenue was $36 million, and they currently have over 200 employees working for this company.