Along with the development of the technology and of the online realm, startups have been popping up like mushrooms after the rain. With so many new companies trying to make a name for themselves, it’s really a mystery how the market hasn’t become saturated yet. Nevertheless, we would like to present you with a list we have compiled of the 5 fastest rising startups in 2014. The following startups have all already made a name for themselves in the months that have passed and they all show great potential for the future. Interested in learning more about the fastest rising startup in 2014? Let’s take a look at the countdown.
No. 5: Lulu
Lulu is the world’s first network designed exclusively for women. Formerly known as Luluvise, this app was released nationwide in the US back in February of 2013. By November of the same year, Lulu, which lets women rate male users of Facebook, based on sexual, personal, and romantic appeal. Despite having generated quite the controversy amongst the tech realm, mainly because it was felt that Lulu was simply perpetuating gender stereotypes, the startup has already managed to raise almost $7 million in venture capital, showing the world that nothing really stands in the way of girl power.
No. 4: Tinder
Released back in 2012, Tinder is basically a matchmaking app, which links people together based on their basic information and social graphs. But unlike other services of this kind, Tinder does things a little bit differently. The service only allows the two users to engage with each other only after both parties have shown an interest in the other. According to the New York Times, Tinder is being downloaded by Android and iOS users approximately 20,000 times a day. With figures like these, saying that Tinder is a fast rising startup is an understatement.
No. 3: Whisper
Whisper is yet another social network looking to conquer the world. But unlike virtually any other social network around, Whisper has something very special about it: users can share their thoughts and content completely anonymously. Launched back in 2012, Whisper has been a bit hit amongst investors: it raised $21 million back in September 2013 during its Series B funding and, more recently, $30 million in its Series C funding in March 2014.
No. 2: QuizUp
Released back in November of 2013 in the App Store, QuizUp is a mobile game app that has literally taken the world by storm. With over 400 topics to choose from, QuizUp allows users to test their knowledge by competing against friends or total strangers. Just 2 months after its release, QuizUp managed to raise $22 million from investors such as Tencent, IDG Ventures, and Sequoia Capital. Furthermore, there’s good news for Android users, as Plain Vanilla Games – the app’s developers – recently released an Android version.
No. 1: Upworthy
Founded back in 2012, Upworthy is a viral content website with a twist. Instead of focusing on cat videos or funny falls compilations, Upworthy’s mission is to make useful and interesting information go viral. With everything from technology innovations to health news, this startup is all about sharing high quality info. Named the fastest growing social media website of all time by Fast Company, Upworthy has caught the eye of both Internet users and investors, who’ve recently helped it raise $8 million in its Series A funding.
