Unique startups. The most successful startups in the world. Sofa? No, the bean is furniture made of thin air
Ideas for startups: the “freshest” ideas from all over the world - 3 keys to success + TOP 5 ideas from all over the world + 3 startup ideas from Russian developers.
Why startup ideas are they becoming increasingly popular in the business sphere and bringing owners a lot of capital?
First of all, because they offer completely new, innovative solutions for current problems people.
Therefore, it is quite logical that in search of inspiration for creating your own startup, you should not rush “deep into history.”
Follow trends, fashion trends, what is actually in demand now.
This article, which brings together the main business trends and forecasts regarding future discoveries in the market of entrepreneurial “art,” can help you with this.
What is a startup?
Before talking about startup ideas, it’s worth defining what we mean in general.
Most people have only a general understanding of startups. That’s why some believe that this is the name given to new resources on the Internet, while others believe that this is a business created by young people without experience.
There is some truth in this. However, the concept itself is broader.
Startup is a business idea that is based solely on the use innovative technologies or implementation absolutely new products.
That is, the composition of the team and the format of the company do not matter (startups often begin to develop without being officially registered).
The main thing is that the team helps solve some problem of humanity by offering something unique.
Also distinctive features startup speakers:
- limited money to start;
- starting work from scratch;
- Most often, startup partners were previously connected by some kind of relationship (worked together, studied together).
And although the world learns about such companies in their first steps, when the market position is not yet strong, only those companies that have already manufactured a product can be called startups.
The development or “raw” project is only the basis for creation, but not the startup itself.
What is the key to success of a startup idea?
If you analyze the ideas behind startups that have been particularly successful, you can identify several common features.
Conventionally, they can be called “secrets of success.”
Factors on which the success of a startup idea depends:
What exactly do you think about the idea that became a startup?
Do you think it can bring in a lot of money?
Or are you really “on fire” and confident that this business will be useful to people and become innovative?
Only in the second case does the startup really have a chance of success.
If you don't have a genuine interest, you can quickly burn out.
Moreover, startups rarely bring immediate profit.
A lot depends on the team.
It is obvious that a team of like-minded people working on the same wavelength can do more than one person.
Don't try to put everything on your shoulders.
You should not calculate how many people will have to divide the profit, but take care of the perfect quality of every detail.
Youth is a plus.
Let this statement sound like discredit.
But the fact remains: investors are more focused on investing in the young and ambitious.
Let people with experience do their job - lead large organizations and share knowledge with others.
For those who no longer consider themselves a “young man”, but are eager, let us clarify: success in business has no age restrictions.
Do you have any doubts? Look at this picture:
TOP 5: global startup ideas
As a rule, startups are concentrated in the field of IT technologies. We decided to create a selection of ideas that were created and brought to life by ordinary people.This step is intended to inspire you to realize own ideas, even if there is no special education or many years of work experience.
1. An eco-friendly idea: a special shampoo
"Nephentes" looks like an enema or something.
In fact, this startup idea can have a significant impact on the environment.
Few people think about it, but ordinary plastic bottles from "" are harmful to environment product. The decomposition period of one bottle can be hundreds of years!
Do you remember how much you use them throughout your life?
According to the idea of this startup, manufacturers produce products in huge containers, pouring the required portions into customers’ “Nephentes” bottles.
It is curious that the design does not even involve the use of a lid! The neck is simply bent and inserted into the compartment.
Another plus: you can finally use 100% of the product, including what usually remains at the bottom.
2. Indian startup idea
If you think that all that India can do is dance and make films, then you will be surprised - quite a few startup ideas have been created in this country.
Interestingly, there is even a kind of analogue of the American Silicon Valley.
In addition, India is really interested in the issue of the huge amount of garbage on the streets. Innovative ideas appear regularly.
For example, an edible spoon is an excellent alternative to plastic utensils. After eating, you can eat it as a dessert or, of course, just throw it away.
Obviously, such “material” as flour decomposes as quickly as possible and is absolutely harmless to nature.
The creators also assure that vegetarians can safely eat the product. And in the future there are even plans to develop a gluten-free version.
3. Idea for junk food lovers
Who among us is not familiar with such a problem: you carefully take chips or something else greasy, and your fingers get so dirty that you have to go wash them.
And you need to be extremely careful not to catch or stain anything!
A startup has appeared in Italy, the idea of which is to create finger pads. They are very thin, but the latex fits tightly around your fingers.
Thanks to this, consumers can safely enjoy the goodies and then simply throw away the “attachments.”
It is assumed that these devices will not be sold on their own, but as a set with chips, nuts or similar food for which they were invented.
4. Startup: “folding” napkins
But the idea of this startup is designed for higher cuisine – that is, for restaurants. It appeared as a reaction to the fact that ordinary napkin holders are already becoming an obsolete item.
But napkins pressed into a small round “puck” are a different matter. To use such a thing, visitors must immerse the “tablet” in an antiseptic solution.
And immediately the fabric unfolds, acquires a pleasant smell, and even becomes a “killing weapon” for harmful microbes on your hands.
Don't immediately assume the increased costs for owners: these towels are not disposable. So the startup idea will not harm your wallet or the environment.
5. Startup idea with social value
Often startups are still called upon to solve global problems, and not just improve the already comfortable life of consumers.
For example, a special supermarket was created in Denmark – “WeFood”. Its concept is that they sell goods here that cannot be displayed on “decent” shelves.
Incorrect labeling, torn packaging, an approaching expiration date, or even being out of date - all of these are usually reasons for writing off, returning, or even disposing of goods.
Meanwhile, even in Denmark there are many people who have to save on everything.
The supermarket idea not only helped low-income people eat more nutritiously. It also revealed a 25% reduction in the amount of food wasted across the country!
This is such a useful and, oddly enough, profitable startup.
What about Russia: 3 domestic ideas for startups
Although the words “conditions of economic decline” have already become classic words for the reality of Russian entrepreneurship, in the field of startups everything is not so bad.
The “buy and sell” guideline is gradually giving way to an innovative approach.
Original solutions still do not have such powerful state support, as in other countries.
However, their number is increasing, and investors are ready to invest their funds. This is especially clearly seen in the variety of startup ideas in 2016.
1) A startup you've definitely heard of
Have you seen the original photo processing on Instagram that turns an ordinary frame into an artistic canvas? Most likely, you already know what we are talking about.
For the rest, let’s clarify – the “Prisma” application is a service that allows you to process user photos in an original way.
It will come as a surprise to many that Prizma was developed by Russian programmers. Moreover, its creator is a former employee of the well-known mail.ru.
The peculiarity of the program is that it does not simply impose some filters on top of the card.
Thanks to the use of neural network algorithms (which you may also have heard a lot about), Prizma analyzes the frame and then creates it from scratch. But already in the form of a painting.
The fact that almost everyone now knows about this application is already an indicator of success. It remains to be added that the Facebook administration banned the use of the program on its network only because it considered it competitive.
2) Idea for a startup on cards
It is believed that various savings and discount cards are gradually becoming a thing of the past. At a minimum, because no one wants to carry dozens of options with them without knowing which one they need.
The developers of the startup “Cardberry” came up with the idea of creating a device that can accommodate all kinds of cards.
We won't go into technical details. The bottom line is that any user cards are, as it were, entered into the memory of this electronic device.
Every time a person needs a certain card, he goes to special application and chooses her.
“Cardberry” adapts to your choice and becomes a full-fledged replacement for the required card.
For your attention, we offer a cool video
about the 10 most successful startups in the world:
3) Startup idea for a comfortable life
You may not be familiar with the SVET company yet, but you have every chance to hear about them.
As the name suggests, the team offers lighting equipment. What makes this startup idea innovative?
The fact is that the light bulbs from this company are designed to imitate ordinary natural lighting.
Moreover, the device settings can be adjusted (for example, according to the time of day or night).
This startup idea is not only original and adds more comfort to everyday life. But it also has a beneficial effect on human health.
There is perhaps only one downside to the idea: at the moment, one device is priced at $70. The amount is too significant for Russians. However, the startup is in demand abroad.
Collected above ideas for startups They only emphasize: anyone can create a business based on an innovative idea. The field of startups is not limited to the field of IT technologies.
The main thing is that you bring something new and useful to the world.
And if the idea is worthwhile and the execution is diligent, it can make you rich, no matter how trivial it may sound.
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Having seen enough successful stories of billionaires who invented Internet services from scratch and became rich, newcomers to business also want to follow this path. They are also trying to come up with something completely new that will be useful to people, but not everyone’s expectations are met. To ensure that your startup ideas are in demand, follow these recommendations:
1. Come up with a service, service or product that will improve your life.
2. You yourself have a clear idea of how to bring your plans to life.
3. Your idea is also interesting to others.
How to find startup ideas?
Don't complicate your life, don't reinvent the wheel. Constantly brainstorming ideas can only cause constant stress and nervousness.
1. Examples of successful startup ideas show the need to find a problem and meet people's needs. This is easy to do - you need to observe and identify discontent in your current life.
Mark Zuckerberg, by creating Facebook, solved his problem. He spent a lot of time on the Internet, he wanted to meet and communicate with people on the Internet too. He solved his main problem, and then it turned out to be a solution to the problem of the world community.
Observe what irritates you and what others do, while simultaneously thinking about how you can improve the situation.
That is, change your focus from the category of inventing to the position of noticing.
2. After you have noticed the problem and come up with its solution, evaluate at first glance the prospects for the development of this idea. How many people can you benefit? Will a startup be able to grow into a big company?
3. Next stage– this is a search for like-minded people, just like you, who believe in the idea, who are turned on by the mere thought of working on a project, and who are not ready to work only for a salary.
Typical startup mistakes!
1. Most likely, there was little faith in this idea or the problem was just invented, but in fact society did not need it.
2. Not all startupers work with like-minded people. They try to organize everything themselves. Having just one founder in a startup makes it difficult to attract investment.
3. This mistake does not apply to Internet startups, it is more for offline businesses. It is important to choose the right location. Perhaps you should choose a more central area in the city for promotion or choose a completely different city.
4. Selecting a startup with low margins. Small sales combined with low margins and, as a result, the enterprise is unprofitable.
5. No customer focus! In this case, when a businessman pursues his policy and does not analyze feedback from the client. By listening to customer wishes, you can improve the product, thereby retaining new satisfied customers.
6.Unqualified team. The ability to recognize a professional in his field and invite him to work in a team is worth a lot. Only a beginner can not always do this. He does not always understand who is a professional, especially in an area in which he understands nothing.
7. Lack of sufficient funding. Try to hold out as long as possible own funds and achieve certain results. To go to investors it is important to show some results from independent work. In this case, they will have more confidence in the project than if the idea is at the zero stage.
8. There is no clear representation of the portrait of the audience who will want to buy the product. Not knowing the client is a failure in marketing promotion. 
Successful startups in Russia!
Foreign and Russian market entrepreneurship is noticeably different. What is popular abroad does not always take root here. I will pay attention specifically to Russian startups that have development prospects. The most popular industries are IT technology, medical, nuclear, and space developments. Here are some successful startup ideas:
1. IT, Internet technologies, mobile applications.
http://www.ecwid.com is a convenient online store module. This is an application that can embed a store on any website and is best app for sales from Facebook. For convenience, the store is added to all your social accounts. networks, blogs and administered from one place.
http://gvidi.ru - convenient mobile application for iPhone and Android. This mobile guide recommends where to eat. It takes into account a person’s tastes, searches for nearby establishments, and can be used to reserve tables.
http://oktogo.ru is a convenient service that allows you to book a hotel anywhere in the world.
http://wizee.ru is an indispensable application for offline shopping. It makes it possible to locate stores in shopping center, where promotions and discounts take place.
http://ibuildapp.com is a unique platform that allows people who are not programming literate to create their own applications for iPhone and Android.
http://www.excursiopedia.com is a useful service for tourists and vacationers that allows you to book places of entertainment, excursions and other active recreation.
2. Another broad area is scientific and medical developments.
http://www.knopka24.ru is a service through which you can call for help. Designed for older people and people with disabilities.
http://www.latan.info – scientific development artificial lens for the eyes, which has high quality and can enter the international market.
http://lactocore.com – a unique development of components identical to breastfeeding, which allows baby food have a beneficial effect on child development.
Ideas for a startup are near us, you just have to look around.
Where to make money: TOP 6 business ideas! Choose yours and earn a million!!! Where to make money: 5 unique business ideas that will help you get rich!
Startups have long been one of the main driving forces modern economy. The number of successfully implemented ideas indicates the attractiveness of the state’s business climate. It's no secret that most major startups originate in the United States, but there are a number of successful companies that were launched in Europe and China. Let's talk about them in more detail.
JAWBONE ($3.5 billion)
JAWBONE manufactures headphones and wireless speakers for smartphones. They are bought by both lovers of high-quality music and athletes for whom mobility is important. It is interesting to note that initially the company’s specialists worked for the government, developing technologies for the military. Over time, they were also useful for a wide consumer market.
UBER ($3.7 billion)
UBER is a taxi search engine that operates in most major US cities. In total, the startup raised about $500 million. Today experts value the company at $3.7 billion. The price is quite justified, considering that good days the company earns about 3 million dollars.
PINTEREST ($4 billion)
PINTEREST is a new type of social Internet service. It is based on pictures and photos that users share, throw on each other’s walls, discuss and comment on. The first investments came into the company in 2012; it was an amount of $100 million. The next tranche in 2013 is $230 million. At that moment, the company's estimated value doubled.
SPOTIFY ($4.1 billion)
When considering the best startups, one cannot help but recall the well-known European company - the music service Spotify. The total audience of the service is 30 million people, every 5 of whom use paid services. Many famous personalities and corporations have invested in the company, including even Coca-Cola.
SPACEX ($4.9 billion)
SpaceX's risky project was not widely popular among investors. Only $100 million was invested in the startup, but this did not stop its creator, Elon Musk, from succeeding in the field of space exploration. The main goal of the project is to transfer space research exclusively to commercial financing, directing American taxpayers' money to other, more pressing programs.
ZALANDO ($5 billion)
The German startup Zalando sells clothing online in more than 15 countries around the world. Initially, the company only offered shoes, but today customers can even receive magazines with detailed product descriptions. It is noteworthy that only $50 million was invested in Zalando, while its estimated value increased 100 times.
JINGDONG ($7.5 billion)
Jingdong online store is the largest online service in China by annual turnover. You can find absolutely any product there, which is why it is compared to the American Amazon. This is one of the best startups in the world, although it is already more than 10 years old.
PALANTIR ($9.5 billion)
A controversial startup that causes a lot of controversy. PALANTIR technology allows American intelligence agencies to monitor the population by filtering various streams of information. In any case, the project has already raised more than $500 million.
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DROPBOX ($10.2 billion)
The cloud data storage service DROPBOX is used by more than 205 million people around the world. The idea of creating a service arose at a time when classical methods of transmitting data via the Internet (email, instant messengers) could no longer cope with large files. As a result, DROPBOX was created, which allows you not only to send, but also to store data. Today there are many cloud services, but DROPBOX rightfully occupies a leading position.
XIAOMI ($10.5 billion)
The term Unicorn applies to startup companies valued at $1 billion or more. We present to you a list of the most successful startups, some of which are valued at tens of billions of dollars. 
Square ($6 billion).
The company was founded by the creator of Twitter, Jack Dorsey. Square is a platform for accepting credit cards on mobile devices.
Meituan ($7 billion).
The company, better known as China's Groupo, raised $700 million in early 2015. Today investors value it at 7 billion. Don't think that the company became successful right away. It's been quite a long journey since 2010. Therefore, everything is ahead of you, the main thing is to find good idea for business. How to do this - read here. The main thing is to believe in your success.
Zhong An Online ($8 billion).
The first online insurance company is valued at $8 billion, although last year it was valued at $930 million. The company was founded in 2013 by Jack Ma (pictured), executive chairman of Alibaba.
DJI ($8 billion).
And again the Chinese. The company's motto is “the future is possible.” And no wonder, because DJI makes unmanned flying drones.
Spotify ($8.5 billion).
Swedish company, music streaming service.
Theranos ($9 billion).
The most successful blood testing laboratory was created in 2003 by 19-year-old Elizabeth Holmes. Theranos uses only a finger prick for analysis, instead of venous blood sampling.
Lufax ($9.7 billion).
Lufax is a Chinese online lending service. Founded in 2011 in Shanghai, the company is now worth $9.7 billion.
WeWork ($10 billion).
The company provides workspaces for entrepreneurs and freelancers.
Dropbox ($10 billion).
The cloud storage system was launched in 2008 by two students.
Pinterest ($11 billion).
An online platform that allows you to share and view photos as ideas and save them on your virtual boards.
SpaceX ($12 billion).
American manufacturer of space technology. Creator of the Falcon family of rockets.
Flipkart ($15 billion).
Indian online store founded by two former employees Amazon in 2007.
Didi Kuaidi ($16.5 billion).
The company is better known as the Chinese Uber (taxi ordering service).
Snapchat ($16 billion).
Application for exchanging messages, photos and videos. In 2013, Snapchat rejected a takeover offer from Facebook, turning down $3 billion. Today the company is worth 16 billion.
Palantir ($20 billion).
The company is a software developer for the CIA, FBI and NSA. In the photo - Bernie Madoff, accused of creating the largest financial pyramid. His exposure is the result of Palantir's data analytics program.
Airbnb (25.5 billion).
Online service for posting and searching for short-term rental housing all over the world.
Xiaomi ($46 billion).
Chinese company - electronics manufacturer. The world's fourth largest smartphone manufacturer.
Uber ($51bn).
The company has created a mobile application for searching, ordering and paying for a taxi.Startups have long been one of the main drivers of the modern economy. By the number of successful companies promoted from scratch, one can judge the level of development of the country’s business space. And although it is obvious that most startups valued at $1 billion are based in the United States, some successful companies operate in Europe and China. We bring to your attention the list. This is not exactly a ranking: all 40 startups can be considered winners by default.
40. Evernote, $1 billion
Evernote, a service and suite of software for creating and storing notes, is worth at least $1 billion. It entered the elite club of the most valuable startups in May 2012, when it was able to raise $70 million as part of a D-funding round. Since then, the company has raised $240 million. An interesting list of investors: Allen & Co., China Broadband Capital Partners, DoCoMo Capital, Harbor Pacific Capital, m8 Capital, Meritech Capital Partners, m8 Capital, Morgenthaler Ventures, Sequoia Capital, T. Rowe Price and Valiant Capital Partners.
39. Eventbrite, $1 billion
Eventbrite, a service for selling tickets and organizing marketing campaigns for ticket sales on social networks, entered the list just a month ago. The company recently managed to attract funding in the amount of $60 billion. After this, the entire startup, which, of course, does not yet trade shares on the stock exchange, was valued by experts at $1 billion. Eventbrite’s total funding currently stands at $197 million. Note that the company was founded quite a long time ago - in 2006, but at that time it was not able to quickly develop, because social media of the new generation were in their infancy. Facebook, for example, was just beginning its global expansion.
38. Nutanix, $1 billion
First representative cloud systems for businesses on our list. Nutanix provides cloud data storage to companies. The company managed to attract an impressive amount of funding, which currently amounts to $1 billion. But against the backdrop of fierce competition in this niche, experts estimate the total value of the startup at the same $1 billion.
37. Dianping.com, $2 billion
The first Chinese startup to reach the billionaire rating. The portal, which publishes reviews of restaurants, is valued at $1.8 or even $2 billion. During its existence, it managed to raise $164 million. According to insiders, last year Dianping.com rejected a takeover offer from Google China. In addition, it is known that the telecommunications company from the Middle Kingdom, Tencent, invested a large amount of money in Dianping.com earlier this year - the same $1.8 billion or $2 billion.
36. Beats Electronics, $1 billion
Rapper Dr. Dre and producer Jimmy Iovine have created one of the most successful music startups, which is gradually developing new niches and turning into a full-fledged large company. Beats started with the production of headphones, proving to the whole world that “the bass rocks,” and then organized their own online music service, where you can listen to any music, but it’s better, of course, to do it on Beats headphones. Beats Electronics has raised $560 million in funding and is worth about $1 billion.
35. Xunlei Network Technologies, $1 billion
Chinese peer-to-peer service Xunlei Network Technologies, which receives support from Internet giant Google, has become one of the world's largest new generation file sharing services. The company was founded in 2003, when the whole world was gradually switching to Soulseek, Bear Share and other first-generation peer-to-peer networks. But the Chinese decided to take an evolutionary path, which allowed them to survive the emergence of new types of peer-to-peer platforms, such as torrent trackers. Xunlei supports huge amount protocols and also works with torrents. The startup managed to raise $111 million, and today the company is valued at $1 billion. Investors include Ceyuan Ventures, Fidelity Growth Partners Asia, Google, IDG Capital Partners, Morningside Group, Primavera Capital Group and RW Investments.
34. Good Technology, $1 billion
The American company Good Technology specializes in security systems for mobile devices. Its main clients are companies that want to protect internal data flows. The startup has already started acquiring smaller players and recently acquired BoxTone, expanding its list of capabilities in the field of mobile computing. In April, the company received funding in the amount of $50 million. And in total, it received $396 million from investors - this is since 1996. Now Good Technology is worth about $1 billion.
33. Coupons.com, $1 billion
Discount service Coupons.com recently filed for an IPO. The company helps stores attract customers by distributing discount coupons. Despite the fact that there are dozens of portals similar to Coupons.com in the world, the startup has attracted the attention of investors. In 2013, he received $115 million, which prompted the founders successful business for the initial placement.
32. Pure Storage, $1 billion
Pure Storage offers a business-focused storage product that is different. We are talking about unique solid-state drives for corporate use, based on flash memory. Speeding up work computer systems allows companies to reduce costs, which is why Pure Storage products sell very successfully. Since its founding in 2009, the startup has raised $245 million. Investors include Greylock Partners, Index Ventures, Redpoint Ventures, Samsung Venture Investment and Sutter Hill Ventures.
31. CloudFlare, $1 billion
CloudFlare is a system that allows you to speed up websites and protect them from external threats. This startup was liked not only by companies, but even by the authorities of some countries, including Türkiye. In December 2012, CloudFare raised $50 million in funding. The total funding amount is $72 million. Investors include Greenspring Associates, New Enterprise Associates, Pelion Venture Partners, Union Square Ventures and Venrock.
30. Tango, $1.1 billion
The free Tango messenger works in difficult conditions. Its competitors, such as WhatsApp and Viber, are much more popular and have already sold to larger players for billions (in the case of WhatsApp, tens of billions) of dollars. Nevertheless, Tango received funding from the Chinese Internet giant Alibaba in the amount of $250 million. Against this background, investors believe in the bright future of the startup. Experts estimate its value at $1.1 billion. Since 2009, Tango has received $367 million from investors.
29. LaShou Group, $1.1 billion
LaShou Group's Chinese service is thriving, not least because it is Chinese. This is another portal that provides discounts to customers, but its operating model, in which discounts are provided for a limited time, that is, constantly changing “offers of the day”, is completely copied from the American Groupon. The closedness of the Chinese market provided LaShou Group with funding in the amount of $166 million and a total valuation of $1.1 billion.
28. Gilt Groupe, $1 billion
Gilt Groupe is an American online store. Trading platform 6 million people use it for a variety of products. In order to buy something, you must register. In addition, the number of brands and the duration of the offers are limited. In 2011, the startup received additional funding in the amount of $138 million. Experts estimate the value of Gilt Groupe at $1.1 billion. Insiders claim that the company may hold an IPO this year.
27. Fab, $1.2 billion
Fab is an even more successful online trading platform. From 175 thousand participants in 2011, its audience has increased to 10 million, and the number of visitors per month reaches 6 million. The company managed to sell 7 million products, it already operates in three countries and in two languages - English and German. The startup raised $335 million from investors. Among them are Andreessen Horowitz, Atomico, Baroda Ventures, Docomo Capital, First Round Capital, German Startups Group Berlin, ITOCHU, Mayfield Fund, Menlo Ventures, Phenomen Ventures, Pinnacle Ventures, RTP Ventures, ru-Net Ventures, SingTel Innov8, SoftTech VC, Tencent Holdings, VTB Capital, Washington Post, Zelkova Ventures, A-Grade Investments and SV Angel.
26. MongoDB, $1.2 billion
MongoDB provides its customers with the ability to create NoSQL databases. The startup's services are used by such large corporate players as the online store eBay, the insurer MetLife and the newspaper The New York Times. MongoDB technology allows them to organize huge streams of data. Last year, MongoDB raised $150 million in funding, after which it was valued at $1.2 billion. In total, the startup received $231 million from investors and may soon hold an IPO.
25. Sogou, $1.2 billion
Sogou is a search engine about which almost nothing is known outside of China, but which is extremely popular in the Middle Kingdom. The site helps you find information of any type, and most importantly, it is able to identify pages that contain a potential threat and will not display them. Chinese users like these “clean” results so much that they have already found 10 billion pages using Sogou. As a result, Sogou's value today is estimated at $1.2 billion.
24. Deem, $1.4 billion
Software developed by Deem allows companies to estimate travel and other ancillary costs. Deem's services are used, in particular, by Coca-Cola, Goldman Sachs and Siemens. The startup's value is estimated at $1.4 billion, and it managed to attract an impressive amount of funding: $424 million. Among investors American Express, Charter Venture Capital, Citigroup, Empire Capital Partners, Foundation Capital, Jafco America Ventures, JPMorgan & Chase, Micro Cap Partners and Oak Investment Partners.
23. Mobileye, $1.5 billion
Mobileye cooperates with the world's leading automakers. Technologies developed by the startup are helping BMW, General Motors and other major players in the sector create safety systems that monitor and prevent accidents. The company was founded in 1998 and today is valued at $1.5 billion. Mobileye's funding volume is $487 million. Among the investors are such sharks financial market, like BlackRock and Goldman Sachs.
22. Fanatics, $1.5 billion
The startup, which received the peculiar name Fanatics, was founded back in 1995. According to various estimates, it is worth from $1.5 billion to $3 billion, but there is no information about the second figure confirmed by authoritative sources. Fanatics provides licensed sports gear and other items for fans. Analysts are positive about the prospects in this niche, so we can expect growth in Fanatics' business this year. Interestingly, among the investors who have invested money in the company is the Chinese Alibaba Group.
21. Stripe, $1.8 billion
Stripe- payment system, which challenged the famous PayPal. The ease of use of virtual terminals developed by Stripe, according to many experts, puts PayPal's dominant position in the market at risk. Last month, the startup raised $80 million, and its total funding over four years is $120 million. Against this backdrop, analysts valued the business at $1.8, which allowed it to become one of the youngest participants on our list.
19. Trendy Group, $2 billion
French clothing manufacturers are conquering China. The giant LVMH poured $200 million into the startup Trendy Group, which produces inexpensive clothes for the people of the Middle Kingdom. Having learned about this investment, experts valued Trendy Group's business at $2 billion. Note that Trendy Group itself was founded by a Chinese, but a large share of French people makes us believe that they can influence the company's strategy. The startup was founded in 1999. The Chinese clothing market is constantly evolving, so Trendy Group and LVMH were in the right place at the right time.
18. Box, $2 billion
Box is another cloud service provider primarily for enterprise customers. The system allows you to store data in the cloud and quickly share it. Box's business model is interesting. Personal accounts come with 50 gigabytes of free storage space, but the startup is pushing customers to purchase additional storage space. Moreover, even to get 50 gigabytes you have to download a special application developed for iOS. In December, Box raised $100 million in funding, after which it was valued at $2 billion. Insiders say the startup has filed for an IPO, but does not want to advertise it.
17. Wayfair, over $2 billion
The online home goods retailer, which specializes in furniture and decor, recently received $157 million in funding, valuing the startup at $2 billion. The Boston-based company, founded in 2002, has total funding to date of $358 million. Investors include Battery Ventures, Great Hill Partners, HarbourVest Partners and Spark Capital.
16. Woodman Labs, developer of GoPro cameras, $2.3 billion
One of the most famous startups on our list. Not everyone knows that the company was founded back in 2002. At first, the business grew slowly, but in recent years the market has appreciated the devices developed by the Californian company, which are excellent for shooting high-quality video in extreme conditions. GoPro reached $1 billion in revenue last year and is now planning an IPO in June or May. Investors include Foxconn, Riverwood Capital, Sageview Capital, Steamboat Ventures, USVP Management and Walden International.
15. Airbnb, $2.5 billion
Airbnb is a service that helps travelers and home owners who want to rent out their homes find each other. In 2012, the company received $200 million in funding and brought the total investment in its business to $526 million. Airbnb entered the top 40 back in 2011, when it managed to raise $112 million. Since then, its position has only strengthened. Insiders claim that after the new round of financing, the estimated value of the startup will increase to $10 billion.
14. Bloom Energy, $2.9 billion
The startup Bloom Energy produces solid oxide fuel cells, kits of which are called Bloom Box. These solutions are used in their energy systems by such giants as Wal-Mart, Federal Express and Coca-Cola. Each Bloom Box costs $750 thousand, and even at this price customers are ready to buy innovative products Bloom Energy. But in just 10 years, the developers promise to reduce the cost of “Blooming Boxes” to $3 thousand.
13. Legendary Entertainment, $3 billion
Legendary Entertainment is a production company that has worked with Warner Brothers on the new Batman film series. The startup was one of the first to risk joining forces with hedge funds to jointly finance film production. Legendary Entertainment's contract with Warner Brothers has been completed, and the company is now set to work with Universal Studios. The startup was founded in 2005.
12. VANCL, $3 billion
Another player in the Chinese clothing market: the online store VANCL was created in 2005, and already in 2011 it was valued at $3 billion. Initially, the site specialized in selling inexpensive clothing, but has recently entered into partnership agreements with luxury brands. The total amount of funding for its activities reached $472 million. Investors include Ceyuan Ventures, CITIC Private Equity Funds Management, F&H Fund Management, IDG Capital Partners, Kerry Group, Qiming Venture Partners, SAIF Partners, Temasek Holdings and Tiger Management.
11. Square, $3.3 billion
The unusual startup Square produces both software, and payment terminals for corporate clients. One of the company's most famous partners is the Starbucks coffee chain, which, according to experts, can overtake McDonald's on the stock exchange. In 2012, Square received $200 million from investors. The total amount of funds raised is $345 million. Investors: Citi Ventures, Khosla Ventures, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Rizvi Traverse Management, Sequoia Capital, Starbucks, and Tiger Global Management.
10. Jawbone, $3.3 billion
Jawbone makes headphones and wireless speakers that can be connected to mobile devices. They are popular among music lovers (due to good quality sound), and among people involved in sports (because they are easy to use and do not interfere). Interestingly, Jawbone initially worked with the military to create noise-canceling technologies. But the startup’s developments were also useful in the broad consumer electronics market. As a result, the value of the business was estimated at $3.3 billion.
9. Uber, $3.8 billion
Search system Taxi Uber operates in several dozen US cities. It is able to set prices in the market depending on supply and demand. In August, the startup received funding in the amount of $258 million, which brought the total amount of attracted investments to $405 million. Experts estimate the value of Uber at $3.8 billion. And this is not surprising, given that in good weeks the company is able to receive revenue of $20 million. Investors include Benchmark Capital, Bezos Expeditions, First Round Capital, Founder Collective, Goldman Sachs, Google Ventures, Jumpstart Capital, Lowercase Capital, Menlo Ventures and TPG Growth.
8. Pinterest, $3.8 billion
Pinterest is a portal that allows users to communicate by posting images in various thematic collections and “pinning” them to “boards” for discussion. The company made it onto the list of billionaire startups in May 2012 when it raised $100 million from a consortium of investors led by Rakuten. And after another round that brought in $225 million and closed in October 2013, Pinterest's valuation more than doubled from $1.5 billion to $3.8 billion.
7. Spotify, $4 billion
European member of our elite club. Swedish music streaming service Spotify has attracted 24 million “thank you” users and another 6 million for $10 a month. It is not surprising that a company with such impressive performance has already raised a total of $521 million from investors, including Coca-Cola and the well-known Digital Sky Technologies. The company was valued at $4 billion in its latest $250 million funding round, which closed last November.
6. SpaceX, $4.8 billion
Well, where are we without Elon Musk, one of the most famous and most controversial “start-ups”. The SpaceX company, whose goal is to conquer space no longer at the expense of the state but for purely commercial purposes, is now worth about $4.8 billion. At the same time, investors poured only $115 million into Elon Musk’s business. But he still promises to save America from the need to use Russian rockets and rocket engines. Moreover, this is one of the most modest promises. Many believe, because another Musk project, Tesla, is already bringing real profits.
5. Zalando, $4.9 billion
Another European player, this time from Germany. Online retailer Zalando sells clothing and other “stylish” products in 14 European countries. Initially, the company sold only shoes, but now even distributes branded magazines in which customers can find information about new products and discounts. The total investment in Zalando is only $49 million, but its estimated value is 100 times more!
4. Jingdong, $7.3 billion
And again to China: Jingdong, formerly known under the 360Buy brand, is one of the largest online stores in the Celestial Empire in terms of turnover value. Jingdong has been called the "Amazon of China" and is popular not only among shoppers but also among investors. The total amount of funding reached $2.2 billion, which allowed the company to be valued at $7.3 billion. Jingdong was founded in Beijing in 2004.
3. Palantir, $9 billion
“Palantir” is a device with which in Tolkien’s book “The Lord of the Rings” the main villain Sauron monitored his henchmen and gave orders. It’s also a great name for a startup that allows US intelligence agencies to spy on the population. Using Palantir technologies, the FBI and CIA filter information flows. The business is developing successfully: the startup has already raised $594 million, and its estimated value reached $9 billion back in September 2013.
The ultra-popular cloud storage service Dropbox has already attracted more than 200 million active users. The next goal is corporate clients. The founders of a startup once decided to challenge the traditional email, which did not allow sending large files. They created a service that allows you to store content and instantly send it to anyone, regardless of the restrictions imposed by the email client. One of Dropbox's innovations: the user can create a special folder right on the desktop and drop files there that he wants to send to the Internet. Many cloud services have followed the example of Dropbox, but it remains the most popular. 200 million people actively use this system. The total amount of investments attracted by Dropbox is $507 million.
1. Xiaomi $10 billion
The Chinese gadget manufacturer Xiaomi has conquered its native market by setting record low prices for its devices without sacrificing quality. Last year, the company sold 18.7 million smartphones alone, and yet it has a wide range of consumer electronics and even proprietary applications. In the past, one of the top managers who led the development of Android, Hugo Barra, moved to Xiaomi and is now helping the Chinese player win back the global gadget market from its competitors. The volume of investments attracted by Xiaomi is $507 million against the background of the company's estimated value of $10 billion.
