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This Forbes’ article showcases a curated list of emerging startups that show strong potential for achieving billion-dollar valuations. The featured companies, selected for their innovative business models and rapid growth, span various industries.
This annual list reflects significant trends and shifts in the business and technology sectors, highlighting those startups poised to make a substantial impact in their respective fields.
Next Billion Dollar Startups 2021: MetaMap
Edited by Amy Feldman
A $1 billion valuation isn’t what it used to be, as companies reach that milestone with breakneck speed, but there are still plenty of up-and-comers worth keeping an eye on. Here are Forbes’ picks for 25 venture-backed startups most likely to become unicorns.
For the seventh year in a row, Forbes has teamed up with TrueBridge Capital Partners to search for the country’s 25 venture-backed startups most likely to become unicorns.
TrueBridge asked some 300 venture firms to nominate companies, while Forbes reached out directly to 80 startups. Then came the deeper look, as we analyzed finances and interviewed founders and investors.
A $1 billion valuation isn’t what it used to be, as companies reach that milestone at breakneck speed. Even startups with barely any revenue are earning sky-high valuations as investors bet on future growth.
The average estimated 2020 revenue for companies on this year’s list is just $12 million, compared with an average $30 million in previous year’s revenue for those on the 2020 list.
Still there are plenty of up-and-comers worth keeping an eye on, including one that tests your dog’s DNA and another that will help you notarize documents from the comfort of your home. This list represents the 25, in alphabetical order, that we think have the best shot of becoming future stars.
Metamap
Founder: Filip Victor (CEO)
Equity raised: $86 million
Estimated 2020 revenue: $4 million
Lead investors: Spero Ventures, Tribe Capital
Filip Victor, 30, arrived in the U.S. from Poland via the U.K. to go to school at the University of Pennsylvania. Almost immediately, he started thinking about how hard it was as an immigrant to access financial services, rent a car or book an Airbnb.
In 2015, he founded MetaMap [formerly Mati] to solve the problem of online identity verification by aggregating dozens of data points.
Today, the San Francisco-based startup focuses on customers in Mexico (its first market) and Latin America, where its customers include bitcoin exchange Binance and fintech Creditas.
Next up: expansion to Indonesia, India and Africa. “In the U.S., people like me are called ‘thin file,’ and while it’s not trivial, it is still a minority,” Victor says. “When you look at countries like Mexico, India and Nigeria, it is over 90%.”
More about MetaMap
MetaMap is the digital trust and reputation layer that powers borderless growth. The company’s tools and APIs provide the infrastructure to transform anonymous strangers into trustworthy individuals in the digital economy. MetaMap offers solutions to builders across the spectrum, from developers tackling high-trust online services to enterprises bolstering their user verification and reputation processes. Founded in San Francisco in 2017, MetaMap now operates globally and is trusted by 400+ customers worldwide. To learn more, visit metamap.com.
More about Forbes
Forbes is a globally recognized business magazine and digital media platform, renowned for its in-depth coverage of finance, industry, investing, technology, entrepreneurship, leadership, and lifestyle. Forbes combines comprehensive reporting with an emphasis on economic and business success stories.
Read the original article here.