As a prominent hub for innovation, New York City boasts a dynamic startup scene. In fact, the Big Apple is home to over 6,300 startup companies. This fact means it’s the second largest startup ecosystem in the world. In 2017, investments for startup companies in New York reached over $12 billion. Though often compared to Silicon Valley, New York has many distinguishing qualities that make it one of the best places to launch a startup and for creating the top startups in NYC.
A Vibrant Landscape that Breeds Success Creating Top Startups in NYC
Startup companies in New York City enjoy several advantages other than the growing venture capital spending. The city’s famous grid and population density provide accessibility and convenience. Clients, investors, partners, and talent are mostly a few subway stops away. The tight-knit community leads to faster deals and better collaboration.
Another notable advantage that New York City has for startups is its diversity. The city has an eclectic mix of industries. This includes finance, media, and fashion, among many others. As a result, startup companies in New York City have ample ground for cross-pollination of ideas. There is also greater demographic diversity than anywhere else. The workforce there has talented individuals across genders and races. A study even named New York as the best city worldwide for starting a female-led company. While many criticize Silicon Valley for being homogeneous, New York City entrepreneurs have exposure to a breadth of views. They get a better perspective when it comes to running their businesses.
New York Startups Fuel Innovation
Moreover, New York’s ecosystem fuels innovation. This case is vital to the success of many startup companies. Ajay Singhal, a local entrepreneur, and partner at On the Right Track Systems Inc. describes the business landscape in this way:
“The vibrancy offered by New York City is unique. Its no-nonsense, fast-talking, straight-to-the-point, business-friendly environment is what sets it apart and makes it a major international destination.”
The Bold Business staff compiled our list of the Top 12 Startup Companies in New York. In conducting our research, we considered a number of factors including but not limited to:
- Revenue and the potential to create future revenue
- The leadership of the organization
- Social Impact the business is making
- How they rank in the competitive landscape
- The uniqueness of the solution
- Traction of the brand or product
Top 12 Startup Companies in New York
Building communities with innovative shared workspaces
WeWork Companies Inc. provides collaborative office spaces to a community of entrepreneurs, freelancers, startups, small companies and large enterprises. Miguel McKelvey and Adam Neumann founded the 8-year-old company. As a leader in the “space as a service" segment, WeWork uses data to shape its offices. Such data includes information on work habits and areas of high productivity. With a total of $12.1 billion in funding, WeWork aims to position itself as the foremost expert on offices. It’s one of the most popular startup companies in New York. As of September 2018, the company became the largest holder of real estate in Manhattan. WeWork’s customer base includes Microsoft, Salesforce, Samsung and Facebook.Providing flexible, custom built offices
Knotel Inc. seeks to reinvent the commercial real estate market by leasing custom-built spaces under flexible terms for a markup. With its Agile HQ™ Platform, the company offers scalable and adaptable office space solutions that can grow or shrink on demand, based on the needs of its clients. Founded by Amol Sarva and Edward Shenderovich in 2016, Knotel has raised a total of $160 million from A-list investors. It's also one of the fastest-growing startup companies in New York, with a 318 percent growth rate for 2018. The company also operates in San Francisco, Los Angeles, London, Berlin and São Paulo. Knotel’s member network includes Starbucks, Netflix and The Body Shop.Cutting down waste by matching truckers with shipments
Trucking is a fragmented industry. In fact, truckers in the U.S. drive over and above 29 billion miles with empty or partial truckloads. Transfix Inc., one of the top startup companies in transportation today, aims to solve this. Its app helps match carriers with freight, thus saving time and cutting down waste. Machine learning powers the company’s fleet management system. It enables users to track shipments, chat with drivers, and even calculate fuel taxes. Founded by Drew McElroy and Jonathan Salama in 2013, Transfix has a total of $78 million in funding. Barnes & Noble, Unilever and Anheuser-Busch are among Transfix’s roster of clients.Ensuring women have access to high-quality health care
Maven Clinic Co. is part of a growing list of startup companies in New York that provide health care services through a mobile app. The company is focused on women, run by women, and funded by women. Founder Kate Ryder built Maven on the belief that health care is a necessity, not a luxury. The platform connects users to a network of 1,300 health specialists. It also allows them to book video appointments and receive prescriptions 24/7. Since launching in 2015, Maven has delivered care to almost 200,000 patients. It continues to boost its services with a total financing of $42 million. It’s one of the top startup companies today with women at the core of operations.Modernizing weddings with technology
Zola Inc. first launched as an e-commerce site for wedding registries. It allows users to build personalized pages. Notable features include digital gifts and group gifting. Founded by Shan-Lyn Ma and Nobu Nakaguchi in 2013, the startup has recently expanded into an all-in-one wedding planning platform. Now, couples can also build websites, manage guest lists, and track RSVPs. Zola continues to grow as one of the most successful startup companies in New York, having raised a total of $140.8 million.Improving dental health at a lower cost
Traditional braces can cost up to $3,000 to $4,000. Candid Care Co. Inc. provides a more affordable alternative: a subscription for clear aligners at only $88 a month. It’s one of the startup companies currently shaking up the dental industry. Candid also diagnoses, treats and monitors orthodontic cases through modern telehealth practices. The direct-to-consumer approach eliminates the need for dental visits to straighten teeth. Moreover, the insurance plans of a number of patients even cover part of the cost. Launched in 2017 with Nick Greenfield as the founder, it’s among the startup companies in New York to watch out for. Candid has raised a total of $17 million from its investors, which also include orthodontistsBringing a high-flying sport into the mainstream
Drone racing is gaining worldwide popularity. Currently, the most established player in the space is Drone Racing League Inc. (DRL). DRL features custom-built, remote control drones that race through three-dimensional courses. Speeds reach up to 90 miles per hour. During the league's most recent season, over 75 million fans tuned in to watch online and on TV via ESPN. Launched in 2015, DRL has technology at the center of its operations. It even recently launched an autonomous racing series using artificial intelligence. With total funding of $32 million, DRL have sponsors and investors that include Sky UK and the U.S. Air Force. The company founded by Nicholas Horbaczewski is not only considered as one of the top startup companies in New York, but it’s also known as an international leader in drone racing.Connecting athletes to fans through engaging stories
Former Major League Baseball player Derek Jeter teamed up with Jaymee Messler to build The Players' Tribune. The new media platform allows athletes to tell first-person stories directly to fans. It also creates podcasts, videos, player polls and other written pieces. The Players' Tribune Inc. is now one of the most well-known startup companies in the field. Featuring topics across different sports, it engages fans with unique insights from athletes. The Players' Tribune is one of the startup companies in New York poised for success, with investors including sports personalities such as Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and Blake Griffin. The company has raised a total of $58 million since its launch.Automating the medical insurance process
Eligible Inc. connects health care systems to insurance payments through modern APIs. It determines whether a patient's insurance will cover a doctor visit. Founder Katelyn Gleason saw the need to organize the process. Many patients were paying more just for filling out the wrong forms. Now, the company's software automates eligibility for over 2,000 insurance companies. They cover more than 90 percent of the insured U.S. population. Zocdoc, Cleveland Clinic and Oscar are among those who use Eligible's service, with investments amounting to $25.2 million. Eligible saves money for patients, doctors and insurance companies alike. This makes it one of the top startup companies in the medical billing space.Reinventing emergency medicine in nursing homes
Call9 Inc. powers health care service that delivers emergency care in nursing homes and rehabilitation centers. The startup's high-touch technology platform makes this possible. Upon activation, Call9's on-site clinical care specialists rush to the patient's bedside to provide medical attention. The platform minimizes unnecessary hospital visits in 80 percent of patient encounters. This number leads to an estimated $8 million in savings per year. Its innovative model defines new standards for telemedicine. Call9, considered as one of the most notable startup companies in New York, was founded by Xiao Song Mu and Timothy C. Peck, MD. It has raised $34 million since launching.Using technology to humanize health insurance
Oscar Insurance Corp. is a disruptor in health care insurance. Most insurers generally use medical data for billing purposes. Oscar, on the other hand, shares it with patients. Its app enables users to track doctor visits, drug purchases and lab work. In addition, the platform provides telemedicine services. The insurance company has received praise for its tech-savvy, customer-centric business model, making it one of the leading startup companies in the medical space. Currently valued at $3.2 billion, Oscar's investors include two branches of Google's parent company, Alphabet. Joshua Kushner, Mario Schlosser and Kevin Nazemi are the founders of the 6-year-old startup.Transforming the home finance process
Better Mortgage Corp. is on a mission to make home finance better for all Americans. It offers affordable, accessible and transparent lending services to prospective home buyers. The company digitizes every step of the financing process through better.com, an intuitive online platform. With Vishal Garg as the founder and CEO, Better has raised a total of $45 million since its launch. It's one of the fastest-growing startup companies in New York. In fact, it was able to increase its customer base by roughly 400 percent year-over-year in 2017. With the ability to perform pre-approvals within the span of three to five minutes, Better is among the top startup companies today that are helping people take control of one of the most important financial decisions they will ever face in their lives.New York Startups Offer Continuous Growth in a Dynamic Ecosystem
A strong cycle of talent and capital is what makes a startup ecosystem successful. The steps include discovery, funding, scaling and exiting. Such cycle continues to grow and gain momentum in New York. It accounts for the expanding list of the city’s flourishing startups.
Startup companies in New York can expect more promising investments ahead. “NYC is creating the infrastructure to grow industries of the future,” says Ryan Birchmeier, spokesman for the New York City Economic Development Corporation.
“This work is focused on ecosystem building that will attract new venture capital investment, grow startups, increase international expansions and create good-paying jobs for New Yorkers.”