Top 100 Industry-Specific Startups to Watch in 2024

The startup ecosystem continues to thrive globally, with companies innovating across a diverse range of industries. From financial technology to sustainable food production, these new ventures are not only disrupting traditional sectors but are also paving the way for future advancements. This article dives into the top 100 industry-specific startups in 2024, focusing on 10 key sectors: FinTech, EdTech, HealthTech, AgriTech, Fashion, PropTech, E-commerce, SaaS, CleanTech, and FoodTech.

Top 10 FinTech Startups

1. Stripe (USA): A payment processing platform, Stripe has become the backbone for internet businesses. It offers a suite of APIs that empower businesses to accept payments, manage subscriptions, and detect fraud globally. Recently, Stripe expanded into embedded finance, enabling companies to offer loans, cards, and other financial products.
2. Chime (USA): Chime is redefining consumer banking by offering fee-free accounts, early direct deposit, and automatic savings tools. It targets millennials and Gen Z by focusing on simplicity, transparency, and customer-centric financial solutions.
3. Nubank (Brazil): Nubank is one of the world’s largest digital banks, offering a range of financial services, from credit cards to personal loans. It focuses on delivering a seamless customer experience through its mobile platform, particularly targeting the underbanked population in Latin America.
4. Klarna (Sweden): Klarna is a leader in the “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) sector, providing flexible payment options to online shoppers. The startup has expanded its services to include a personal finance app that allows users to track spending and manage their payments.
5. Revolut (UK): A digital banking alternative, Revolut offers services ranging from currency exchange to cryptocurrency trading. It has expanded into new markets in Asia and the Americas, diversifying its offerings to include insurance, business accounts, and investment options.
6. Plaid (USA): Plaid creates a bridge between financial applications and users’ bank accounts, enabling secure access to financial data. Its technology powers many popular apps like Venmo and Robinhood, making it a critical player in the FinTech ecosystem.
7. TransferWise (Wise) (UK): Wise specializes in cross-border payments, offering fast, low-cost international transfers. The company has expanded its product suite to include borderless accounts and multi-currency debit cards, simplifying global financial transactions.
8. Paytm (India): Paytm is India’s leading digital payments platform, offering services like e-wallets, bill payments, e-commerce, and even financial products like loans and insurance. It has a vast user base and aims to become a super-app for all digital financial needs.
9. Rapyd (UK): Rapyd offers a global payments network that allows businesses to accept and make payments in over 100 countries. The startup focuses on simplifying cross-border commerce, making it easier for companies to transact internationally.
10. Robinhood (USA): Robinhood democratized stock trading by offering commission-free trades and a user-friendly mobile app. It has expanded into crypto trading, cash management, and other financial services, targeting retail investors.

Top 10 EdTech Startups

1. Byju’s (India): Byju’s is one of the largest EdTech companies globally, offering interactive learning experiences through videos, quizzes, and assessments. Its acquisition strategy has further strengthened its product offerings, making it a dominant player in the K-12 segment.
2. Coursera (USA): Coursera partners with universities and organizations to offer online courses, specializations, and degrees. It provides affordable access to world-class education, focusing on high-demand skills like data science, AI, and business.
3. Outschool (USA): Outschool offers live online classes for kids, ranging from academic subjects to extracurricular activities. Its unique model connects teachers and students worldwide, fostering a community of independent learning.
4. Unacademy (India): Unacademy is an Indian online learning platform that provides courses for competitive exams, professional certifications, and skills development. It leverages live classes, interactive sessions, and mentorship to enhance learning outcomes.
5. MasterClass (USA): MasterClass brings experts in various fields to teach courses online, offering insights from celebrities and industry leaders. It caters to a wide audience, from hobbyists to professionals seeking specialized knowledge.
6. Duolingo (USA): Duolingo is a language-learning platform that uses gamification to engage users. It offers lessons in numerous languages and continues to innovate with podcasts, stories, and other formats to enhance the learning experience.
7. VIPKid (China): VIPKid connects Chinese students with North American teachers for live online English lessons. It leverages technology to provide personalized, high-quality education to millions of learners.
8. Kahoot! (Norway): Kahoot! is an interactive learning platform that uses quizzes and games to make education fun and engaging. It’s widely used in classrooms and for corporate training, promoting active learning through play.
9. Guild Education (USA): Guild Education partners with companies to offer employees access to affordable education, focusing on workforce development. It bridges the gap between education and employment, helping workers upskill and advance their careers.
10. Toppr (India): Toppr is a personalized learning platform for K-12 students in India, offering adaptive practice, mock tests, and live classes. It uses AI to tailor content to each student’s needs, ensuring effective learning.

Top 10 HealthTech Startups

1. Ro (USA): Ro is a telehealth company providing a range of healthcare services, from online consultations to prescription deliveries. It aims to simplify healthcare access and affordability, focusing on areas like men’s health, women’s health, and mental health.
2. Zocdoc (USA): Zocdoc is a healthcare appointment booking platform that helps patients find doctors, read reviews, and book appointments online. It’s revolutionizing how people access healthcare services, making it more efficient and patient-centric.
3. Cure.fit (India): Cure.fit offers a comprehensive health and wellness platform that includes fitness, nutrition, mental well-being, and medical services. It integrates online and offline services to provide holistic healthcare solutions.
4. Doctolib (France): Doctolib provides an online platform for booking medical appointments and teleconsultations. It aims to improve the patient-doctor relationship by offering a seamless digital healthcare experience.
5. Livi (Kry) (Sweden): Livi, also known as Kry, is a telehealth platform that connects patients with doctors via video consultations. It is expanding its reach across Europe, making healthcare more accessible.
6. 23andMe (USA): 23andMe is a genetics company that provides DNA testing and analysis. It offers insights into ancestry, health risks, and genetic traits, empowering consumers with information to make informed health decisions.
7. Babylon Health (UK): Babylon Health uses AI and machine learning to provide digital healthcare services, including symptom checking, virtual consultations, and health monitoring. It aims to make healthcare proactive and predictive.
8. Ginger (USA): Ginger offers mental health support through a combination of AI-driven technology and human experts. Its platform provides on-demand coaching, therapy, and psychiatry services to individuals and organizations.
9. Healthy.io (Israel): Healthy.io turns smartphones into medical devices for home-based diagnostics. Its solutions include urine testing, wound management, and chronic condition monitoring, promoting accessible healthcare.
10. Cityblock Health (USA): Cityblock Health focuses on delivering healthcare to underserved urban populations. It integrates primary care, behavioral health, and social services to provide holistic, community-based care.

Top 10 AgriTech Startups

1. Indigo Ag (USA): Indigo Ag uses microbiology and digital technology to improve crop yields and support sustainable agriculture. It connects farmers with buyers, optimizing the food supply chain.
2. AgBiome (USA): AgBiome leverages microbiome research to develop biological products that protect crops from pests and diseases. It focuses on sustainable agriculture practices to enhance food security.
3. CropIn (India): CropIn provides farm management software and data analytics solutions to improve agricultural efficiency. It offers tools for weather forecasting, crop monitoring, and resource management.
4. Farmers Business Network (FBN) (USA): FBN is a farmer-to-farmer network that provides data analytics, marketplace services, and financial products to help farmers optimize operations and reduce costs.
5. Apeel Sciences (USA): Apeel Sciences has developed a plant-based coating that extends the shelf life of fruits and vegetables, reducing food waste and enhancing sustainability in the food supply chain.
6. Inari Agriculture (USA): Inari uses gene-editing technology to create high-yielding, climate-resilient crops. It aims to address global food security challenges by enhancing agricultural productivity.
7. Plenty (USA): Plenty is a vertical farming startup that uses cutting-edge technology to grow crops indoors, reducing water usage and minimizing environmental impact while producing fresh, local produce year-round.
8. AgroStar (India): AgroStar is an AgriTech platform that provides farmers with access to high-quality agricultural inputs, expert advice, and market linkages, helping them increase productivity and profitability.
9. Taranis (Israel): Taranis uses AI and drone technology to provide precision agriculture solutions, such as crop monitoring, pest detection, and yield optimization. It helps farmers make data-driven decisions.
10. Aerobotics (South Africa): Aerobotics offers an AI-powered platform for orchard management, providing tools for monitoring tree health, detecting diseases, and optimizing yield. It aims to enhance productivity in horticulture.

Top 10 Fashion Startups

1. Rent the Runway (USA): Rent the Runway offers a subscription service for renting designer clothes and accessories. It’s redefining fashion consumption by promoting sustainability and affordability.
2. Farfetch (UK): Farfetch is an online luxury fashion retail platform that connects consumers with boutiques and brands worldwide. It provides a curated shopping experience, combining technology and high fashion.
3. The RealReal (USA): The RealReal is a marketplace for authenticated luxury consignment, promoting sustainable fashion by extending the lifecycle of high-end products.
4. Stitch Fix (USA): Stitch Fix offers personalized online styling services, using AI and human stylists to curate clothing boxes for customers based on their preferences and feedback.
5. Zilingo (Singapore): Zilingo connects small fashion merchants across Southeast Asia with global consumers. It provides tools for inventory management, payments, and logistics, empowering small businesses.
6. ThredUp (USA): ThredUp is a leading online thrift store, promoting circular fashion by enabling consumers to buy and sell second-hand clothing. It’s focused on reducing fashion waste and promoting sustainability.
7. Glossier (USA): Glossier is a beauty and skincare startup that leverages a direct-to-consumer model and community-driven marketing. It has built a strong brand following through its minimalist products and engaging content.
8. Everlane (USA): Everlane is an ethical fashion brand committed to transparency and sustainability. It provides high-quality, timeless clothing with a focus on fair pricing and responsible production.
9. Moda Operandi (USA): Moda Operandi is an online luxury fashion retailer that offers trunk shows, allowing customers to pre-order runway looks. It bridges the gap between high fashion and consumer access.
10. Allbirds (USA): Allbirds is a sustainable footwear brand known for its eco-friendly materials and minimalist design. It focuses on reducing carbon footprint and promoting sustainable consumption.

Top 10 PropTech Startups

1. Opendoor (USA): Opendoor simplifies the home-buying and selling process by offering a digital platform for instant offers and quick transactions. It leverages technology to enhance transparency and efficiency in real estate.
2. Compass (USA): Compass is a real estate technology company that provides agents with digital tools to enhance property sales and client management. It aims to modernize the real estate experience.
3. Reonomy (USA): Reonomy offers data-driven solutions for commercial real estate, providing insights on property ownership, value, and transaction history. It helps investors make informed decisions.
4. WeWork (USA): WeWork redefines office space by providing flexible co-working environments. Despite its ups and downs, it remains a key player in the PropTech space, offering innovative workplace solutions.
5. Housing.com (India): Housing.com is a leading real estate platform in India that provides property listings, rental services, and property management solutions. It focuses on simplifying the real estate search process.
6. HomeLight (USA): HomeLight uses data analytics to match home sellers with the best real estate agents, optimizing the buying and selling process. It offers a streamlined platform for real estate transactions.
7. HoloBuilder (Germany): HoloBuilder offers a digital construction management platform that uses 360-degree photo technology and AI to monitor construction progress and improve project efficiency.
8. NestAway (India): NestAway is a property management startup that helps homeowners rent their properties easily, providing end-to-end services like tenant verification, maintenance, and rent collection.
9. Casavo (Italy): Casavo is an instant home-buying platform that allows homeowners to sell their properties quickly. It uses AI to provide fair valuations and simplifies the real estate selling process.
10. FlipSpaces (India): FlipSpaces is an interior design and technology startup that offers end-to-end office and commercial space solutions. It uses VR and AR to visualize designs, making it easier for clients to make decisions.

Top 10 E-commerce Startups

1. Shopify (Canada): Shopify provides a platform for businesses to create online stores, manage inventory, and process payments. It has empowered millions of entrepreneurs worldwide to sell products online.
2. Meesho (India): Meesho is a social commerce platform that allows individuals to start their own online businesses by reselling products through social networks like WhatsApp and Facebook.
3. Glovo (Spain): Glovo is an on-demand delivery startup that delivers groceries, food, and other products to consumers’ doorsteps. It operates in numerous countries across Europe, Africa, and Latin America.
4. BigBasket (India): BigBasket is an online grocery delivery service that offers a wide range of products, from fresh produce to household essentials. It’s one of India’s largest e-commerce platforms for groceries.
5. Wish (USA): Wish is a mobile e-commerce platform that connects buyers with affordable goods from around the world. It focuses on providing a wide variety of products at competitive prices.
6. Ozon (Russia): Ozon is a leading e-commerce platform in Russia that offers a wide range of products, including electronics, books, clothing, and groceries. It’s often referred to as the “Amazon of Russia.”
7. Flipkart (India): Flipkart is a major e-commerce player in India, offering a diverse range of products from electronics to fashion. It has expanded its offerings to include groceries and digital payments.
8. MercadoLibre (Argentina): MercadoLibre is the largest e-commerce and payments platform in Latin America, providing a marketplace, digital payments, and logistics solutions across the region.
9. Vinted (Lithuania): Vinted is an online marketplace for second-hand clothing. It promotes sustainable fashion by allowing users to buy, sell, and swap clothes, shoes, and accessories.
10. Faire (USA): Faire is a wholesale marketplace that connects small retailers with independent brands. It helps local shops find unique products while providing brands with new distribution channels.

Top 10 SaaS Startups

1. Slack (USA): Slack is a messaging platform for teams that enhances communication and collaboration. It integrates with numerous third-party services, making it a central hub for workplace productivity.
2. Zoom (USA): Zoom is a video conferencing platform that has become essential for remote work and virtual meetings. It offers HD video, audio, and screen-sharing capabilities, making it a leader in the SaaS space.
3. HubSpot (USA): HubSpot provides inbound marketing, sales, and customer service software to help businesses grow. It offers a suite of tools for lead generation, content management, and CRM.
4. Monday.com (Israel): Monday.com is a work operating system that enables teams to manage tasks, projects, and workflows. It offers customizable templates and integrates with various other tools.
5. Asana (USA): Asana is a task management platform that helps teams organize, track, and manage their work. It provides tools for project planning, collaboration, and reporting.
6. Datadog (USA): Datadog offers cloud-based monitoring and analytics for IT infrastructure, applications, and logs. It helps businesses ensure optimal performance and security of their digital assets.
7. Freshworks (India): Freshworks offers customer engagement software, including CRM, customer support, and marketing automation tools. It targets small and medium-sized businesses globally.
8. Notion (USA): Notion is a productivity tool that combines notes, databases, tasks, and calendars into one platform. It’s popular for its flexibility and customization options for personal and team use.
9. Calendly (USA): Calendly is a scheduling automation tool that simplifies meeting bookings by eliminating back-and-forth emails. It integrates with various calendars and tools, enhancing productivity.
10. Gong.io (USA): Gong.io provides sales intelligence software that analyzes customer interactions to provide actionable insights for sales teams. It leverages AI to improve sales performance and decision-making.

Top 10 CleanTech Startups

1. Impossible Foods (USA): Impossible Foods develops plant-based meat alternatives that mimic the taste and texture of animal products. It aims to reduce the environmental impact of meat production.
2. ChargePoint (USA): ChargePoint provides electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions, offering a network of charging stations and software to manage them. It’s a leader in EV infrastructure.
3. Climeworks (Switzerland): Climeworks captures CO2 from the atmosphere and stores it underground or uses it in other industrial processes. It’s a pioneer in direct air capture technology.
4. Oatly (Sweden): Oatly produces oat-based dairy alternatives, focusing on sustainability and reducing the environmental footprint of food production. It’s a leader in the plant-based milk market.
5. Nexamp (USA): Nexamp offers solar energy solutions, including community solar programs that provide access to renewable energy for households and businesses without installing panels.
6. EcoCart (USA): EcoCart provides an e-commerce plugin that allows businesses and consumers to offset their carbon footprint by making eco-friendly purchases and supporting sustainability projects.
7. Octopus Energy (UK): Octopus Energy supplies renewable energy to households and businesses, leveraging technology to optimize energy distribution and reduce costs.
8. Lilium (Germany): Lilium is developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, aiming to revolutionize urban air mobility and reduce emissions in transportation.
9. Tado (Germany): Tado offers smart home solutions, including thermostats and air conditioning controls that optimize energy use and reduce carbon footprints.
10. ZeroAvia (USA): ZeroAvia focuses on hydrogen-electric aviation, developing aircraft that emit zero greenhouse gases. It aims to make aviation more sustainable by replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen.

Top 10 FoodTech Startups

1. Beyond Meat (USA): Beyond Meat creates plant-based meat substitutes designed to look, cook, and taste like animal meat. It’s focused on reducing the environmental impact of traditional meat production.
2. Mosa Meat (Netherlands): Mosa Meat is a pioneer in lab-grown meat, producing cultured beef to reduce the reliance on conventional livestock farming and minimize environmental harm.
3. BlueNalu (USA): BlueNalu develops cell-based seafood to provide sustainable and ethical alternatives to traditional fishing, addressing overfishing and habitat destruction.
4. Memphis Meats (USA): Memphis Meats, now known as Upside Foods, is at the forefront of cultivated meat, producing real meat from animal cells without raising and slaughtering animals.
5. Imperfect Foods (USA): Imperfect Foods tackles food waste by selling “imperfect” produce and other grocery items that don’t meet retail standards but are still perfectly edible.
6. NotCo (Chile): NotCo uses AI to develop plant-based alternatives to dairy and meat products, focusing on flavor, nutrition, and sustainability.
7. Farmdrop (UK): Farmdrop is an online grocery platform that connects consumers with local farmers and producers, promoting sustainable, farm-to-table practices.
8. Too Good To Go (Denmark): Too Good To Go is an app that connects consumers with restaurants and stores that have surplus food, reducing food waste and providing affordable meals.
9. AppHarvest (USA): AppHarvest uses advanced greenhouse technology to grow produce sustainably in Appalachia, leveraging technology to optimize water and energy use.
10. Redefine Meat (Israel): Redefine Meat develops 3D-printed plant-based meat alternatives that replicate the taste and texture of beef, chicken, and other meats, targeting sustainability and innovation in food production.

These top 100 startups across various industries exemplify the dynamism and innovation driving the global startup ecosystem in 2024. From FinTech and EdTech to CleanTech and FoodTech, these companies are not just disrupting their respective sectors but are also shaping the future of technology, sustainability, and consumer experience. As they continue to grow and expand, they promise to bring exciting developments that will impact industries and societies worldwide.