I’m working on a new Big 50 startup report. This report will feature in-depth coverage of the 50 coolest tech startups founded in the last five years. If your startup was founded in 2010 or before, sorry, but you’re a bit too gray for this report. By now, VCs and your target market should already know about you.
In the past, my Big 50 reports have focused on specific industry sectors, such as Big Data, cloud, and mobile. This one is different. While the focus is still on tech and tech-powered startups, we’re going horizontal rather than vertical this time around.
That said, I will only be considering tech startups or truly tech-powered ones. In other words, if you have a franchise idea for food trucks that depends on a mobile app, it’s still a food truck franchise. The tech is incidental to what you do. However, if you’ve developed an open food truck app platform, one that tracks and maps all the trucks in your area, while wrapping some sort of analytics around the data you’re pulling in, that’s a truly tech-powered startup. Tech is central to your value proposition, so my team and I will at least give it a look.
The other big change from my recent reports is that this one will be far more interactive. In the past, I’ve experimented with surveys and voting, but this report will offer you more chances to make your voice heard.
Industry Sectors Survey
For starters, even though this is a horizontal report, we won’t be able to cover everything. The initial plan is to narrow the report to several key industry sectors, the ones with the most upside in the coming year or two. My short list as of now includes:
- Big Data
- Mobile
- Internet of Things
- Robotics/drones
- Artificial Intelligence/Machine learning
- Augmented/Virtual Reality
- Cryptocurrency
- Cyber-Security
- New Media/Broadcasting/Marketing
- Sharing Services (i.e., Uber, Airbnb, WeWork)
- Smart Cities
In fact, I’ve set up a survey, so you can give me your feedback. Vote for the sectors you think we should focus on as we compile the Big 50, and let me know of any sectors you think I missed. Go here to complete the survey. It shouldn’t take longer than a minute or two.
Nominating a Startup – Notes on Process
To nominate a startup, simply fill out this newly streamlined questionnaire: Nominate a Startup for the Big 50-2016. It shouldn’t take longer than 5 minutes – if that.
You don’t have to be affiliated with the startup to nominate it. Even if you simply know of a cool startup, one that you really like, feel free to nominate them. You’ll be asked fewer questions – hey, you don’t work there, after all – but your nomination will throw their hat in the ring.
I’ve updated the startup questionnaire to be much shorter than previous versions. In-depth questions will only pop up if you work for the startup or handle PR for them (and it should only take 5 minutes, tops, to complete, regardless). Otherwise, I’ll just collect a couple of bare-bones answers, so my team can start researching these startups ourselves.
Deadline for all nominations: 2/5/16
Best of luck,
Jeff
You must be logged in to post a comment.