- We asked over two dozen venture capital investors to tell us which startups are going to boom in 2019.
- We asked them to name startups in their own portfolio they were particularly excited about.
- But we also asked for the names of startups they think will do well that they have not invested in, but are hearing great things about.
- What follows is a list of the startups, tackling everything from consumer health goods to life-saving drones, that are being buzzed about by tech's venture capital insiders.
You don't have to be an industry insider to know about tech companies with popular products like Snapchat or Facebook.
But what about the up-and-coming tech startups that could become tomorrow's market leaders?
We asked more than two dozen venture capital investors to name the startups they believe are going to boom in 2019. After all, VCs are the experts scouting the landscape every day and hunting for the next big thing — if anyone has a finger on the tech innovation pulse, it's them.
We asked the VCs to name a startup in their own portfolios they were particularly excited about for 2019.
But for every startup in their own portfolios, the VCs also had to name one they had no financial interest in. The best VCs are passionate about startups and meet more than they can fund, and we wanted to go beyond their immediate portfolio of investments.
What follows is a compelling list of startups set for success in 2019. They range from fledgling companies working on a seed round to well-established companies that have raised many millions, but which are still flying under the radar. The funding information is according to Crunchbase and Pitchbook, keepers of such records.
SEE ALSO: 44 enterprise startups to bet your career on in 2019
AdQuick: an easier way to buy outdoor ads
Startup: AdQuick
VC: Niki Pezeshki, Felicis Ventures
Relationship: No relation. Just thinks it's cool.
Total raised: $3 million
What it does: AdQuick offers a marketplace for buyers and sellers of outdoor ad space.
Why it's hot in 2019:"AdQuick is a mainly ex-Instacart team that is tackling the archaic world of outdoor advertising," says Pezeshki. As Google and Facebook continue to dominate online advertising, "many direct-to-consumer companies will start to look for ways to reach consumers in other ways."
Alma: co-working space for mental health therapists
Company Name: Alma
VC: Hayley Barna, First Round
Relationship: Investor
Funding:$4.5 million
What it does: Alma is a co-working office space specifically for mental health providers that includes access to the tech they need to power their practices. It opened its first facility in New York.
Why it's hot in 2019:"60 million people suffer from mental illness," Barna says and Alma offers therapists a "beautifully designed space, friendly digital tools and a supported community of therapists."
Applied Intuition: simulation software for self-driving cars
Startup: Applied Intuition
VC: Arif Janmohamed, Lightspeed
Relationship: No relation. Just thinks it's cool.
Total raised: $11.5 million
What it does: Build autonomous simulation software for autonomous vehicles.
Why it's hot in 2019: Before more autonomous vehicles enter the public roads, their makers need specialized and heartier simulation software to test them. "A massive problem for the 21st century with an incredible team tackling a complex and high-value challenge," says Janmohamed.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider