LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, announced today the 2020 LinkedIn Top Startups list, identifying the top 50 emerging and growing startups in the U.S. The Top Startups have pivoted successfully to meet the challenges of the pandemic, the rapidly changing world of work and the evolving needs of consumers, with health care, real estate, digital content and e-learning industries booming on this year’s list.“This year’s Top Startups list is a reflection of how work is changing, which industries are emerging and growing and where people want to work now”
Topping the U.S. list are home ownership startup and newcomer Better.com (#1), restaurant delivery innovator DoorDash (#2), commission-free trading platform Robinhood (#3), industrial IoT solutions leader Samsara (#4) and data analytics company Databricks (#5).
“This year’s Top Startups list is a reflection of how work is changing, which industries are emerging and growing and where people want to work now,” said Jessi Hempel, senior editor at large at LinkedIn. “The honorees on this year’s list have all faced numerous, unanticipated challenges through COVID-19 and have demonstrated their resilience and continued innovation by not letting the pandemic slow them down. In fact, all of the startups on the list are hiring amid a difficult economy, and are doubling down on their employees by investing in ways to help them stay connected, engaged and healthy as the companies grow.”
Key trends from the Top Startups list include:
- REVOLUTIONIZING TRADITIONAL HEALTH CARE. As the demand for telehealth grew, so did digital pharmacies Capsule (#15) and Alto Pharmacy (#49), which bring medical necessities direct to consumers. Carbon Health (#40) and Curative (#17) both pivoted to tackle pandemic-driven health care needs and advances in COVID-19 testing. Companies are investing in the wellbeing of their employees more than ever, with Sana Benefits (#44) helping small businesses keep their employees healthy and Modern Health (#16) de-stigmatizing mental health at work. All of these companies are new to the list this year.
- GIVING CONSUMERS MORE CONTROL. The top three startups, and many others on the list, are giving consumers greater control over important aspects of their lives -- from where they live, to how they invest, to what (and how) they eat. Newcomer to the list Better.com (#1) is making the home buying process easier and more accessible. Thanks to an uptick in home buying and nesting, Bungalow (#45) and Brooklinen (#7) also join the list this year. DoorDash (#2) has not just surged in demand for restaurant delivery, but has flexed during the pandemic to deliver essentials. Dutchie (#12) brings cannabis home and Deliverr (#20) helps online shoppers get their goods fast. Financial services continue to go DIY, with Robinhood (#3) and Brex (#14) both returning to the list.
- ENGAGING IN THE NEW ONLINE LIFE. With people spending more time at home and online, many of this year’s Top Startups reflect the needs of those virtual lives. E-learning continues to grow, aiding in career pivots and employee enrichment, thanks to companies like MasterClass (#32), Guild Education (#31), A Cloud Guru (#28) and Upkey (#24), all new to the list. Consumers are keeping entertained and fit virtually with on-demand content from newcomers Quibi (#19), P.volve (#38) and NTWRK (#29), which merges arts and commerce. Cameo (#27) returns to the list for the second year with its celeb-centric video platform.
Here are the top 10 companies on the list, and what to know about them:
- Better.com, debuting in the top spot, has seen a 200% increase in demand for its digitized homeownership products, funding $8 billion in loans since March. In that time, the company has hired and onboarded more than 1,500 employees virtually.
- DoorDash, which filed to go public in February, has expanded into pharmacy and grocery offerings with the launch of DashMart virtual convenience stores, and has delivered millions of pounds of food to those in need with Project DASH.
- Robinhood makes its third consecutive appearance in the top 10. The fintech company recently announced a $200 million Series G funding, part of which will be invested in its Learn resources, which have seen a 250% increase in daily visits since January.
- Samsara is supporting many essential service industries with its internet-connected sensor systems. The company has been hyper-focused on keeping its employees connected and productive from home with town halls, leadership training, virtual yoga and cook-offs -- even providing iPads for employees’ kids to learn remotely.
- Databricks was prepared for a business slowdown, thanks to founder Ali Ghodsi’s “sky is falling” data-based modeling around worst-case scenarios. Following a $6.2 billion valuation in 2019, the company is currently hiring for almost 150 roles on LinkedIn.
- Outreach is no stranger to pivoting, with the founders changing the company focus from HR to enterprise sales when they were two months shy of running out of seed money.
- Brooklinen has moved beyond its core sleep and bedding products into a range of goods around comfort at home, all direct-to-consumer, and raised $50 million in March to expand abroad.
- Attentive has nearly doubled in size this year. The personalized mobile messaging platform has embraced a “survival of the fastest” mindset, quickly launching a COVID-19 microsite, interactive virtual events and self-care kits for customers.
- Loom had remote-first as part of its culture from the outset, leaning heavily on the asynchronous communication they’re innovating themselves. The company announced a $29 million funding round in late May with a $350 million valuation.
- Verkada is breaking through the traditional physical security industry, securing a Series C round of $80 million in January at a $1.6 billion valuation. The company recently shifted attention from retail to health care facilities where remote monitoring and building security solutions are needed.
Top Startups is based on a four-pillar methodology and billions of actions taken by the 706+ million members on LinkedIn. The full U.S. list can be viewed here. To learn more or take part in the wider conversation on social media, search @LinkedIn and #LinkedInTopStartups.
LinkedIn Top Startups List Methodology
The Top Startups list is part of the LinkedIn List franchise, an ongoing editorial series that celebrates professionals and companies making an impact in the professional world. To be eligible for the U.S. Top Startups list, a company must be independent and privately held, have at least 50 employees, be no more than seven years old, be headquartered in the U.S. and have a minimum of 15% employee growth over the time period. LinkedIn evaluated key factors for ranking including interest in the company, employment growth, engagement with employees, job interest and ability to attract talent from the LinkedIn Top Companies list. The timeline measured was January through July 2020. Top Startups is a global list that includes rankings for Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Italy, Singapore, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. LinkedIn Lists are fueled by exclusive LinkedIn data mapping the professional landscape from LinkedIn’s global news team.
