10 of the Biggest Tech Start-Ups to Watch in 2020

You don’t need to be a tech insider to know how much tech companies producing popular products like Snapchat or Facebook are forces to be reckoned with.

But there are a number of up-and-coming tech start-ups making moves in the industry that could be tomorrow’s market leaders.

Want to know which technology companies we’re all going to be talking about in a few years’ time? Here are 10 of our favorite tech start-ups to watch in 2020.

Checkr

Checkr is a background check company for global enterprises and start-ups that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to maximize its efficiency.  

More than 3,000 businesses trust Checkr for its compliant background screenings including Uber, GrubHub, Instacart, Handy and more.

Since graduating Y-Combinator (an American seed accelerator) in 2014, Checkr’s product has shifted the on-demand economy.

Mammoth Biosciences

Launched in 2017 – with a HQ in San Francisco – Mammoth Biosciences is developing the world’s first CRISPR-based disease detection platform that can sense any DNA or RNA strands with molecular-level accuracy. Think of it as Google in the healthcare industry.

Mammoth searches and finds nucleic acids symptomatic of disease, and consequently democratize disease detection in not only healthcare, but across other industries, including manufacturing, forensics and agriculture.

ShopShops

Founded in 2016 by Liyia Wu, ShopShops provides a platform connecting brick-and-mortar retailers in the US with consumers across the globe.

Stores can host live events to stream across the internet with hosts selling in real time to viewers.

The retail business has headquarters in New York, Los Angeles and Beijing – with a strong focus on Chinese consumers, demonstrating just how lucrative the market is.

Eyewear Tech

The future is here with AI company Eyewear Tech – a tech start-up for the camera tracking and recognition industry.

How does it work? The product monitors a person’s gaze and determines user attention, motive, intention and interests through patent-pending computer vision algorithms. The 3D eye-tracking software caters to real-world issues like buyer choice and security.

Labster

Another start-up in the EdTech space to watch out for is Labster.

The online platform provides high school students with the tools to perform various experiments online within a risk-free environment.

A start-up like this could especially benefit students in third-world countries without access to modern labs to enable them to perform physics and chemistry experiments safely.

Students can get experiential practice while also learning about new ways of experimenting and the latest technologies from the comfort of their own home.

The company’s drive? To build easily scalable online solutions that will improve learning at substantially reduced costs.

Pleo

Rather than waiting for your salary to get transferred to your bank account – which is rarely instantaneous – how about getting your salary instantly sent to your company’s ID card?

Sounds like a breeze, right? Pleo’s company credit card service would do just that. Instead of opening bank accounts, companies give all employees a card that can be used to pay for things like a normal bank card 

Meatable

Organic meat and production company Meatable produces and sells lab-grown meat for clients and customers alike.

The founders believe that meat production as it is today will not be able to meet future demands, and that it’s too cruel to kill animals for food.  

To achieve this futuristic method of meat consumerism, Meatable takes a single cell from an animal’s body, and then proceeds to develop the whole organ in a lab. Instead of taking three years in a natural environment, Meatable can replicate the process in just three weeks.

Meatable may have discovered a humane way to increase food production without compromising on health or taste – watch this space.

NeuroFlow

Digital health app NeuroFlow assesses and manages your mental wellbeing through a suite of tools, behavioral health integration, and remote monitoring to help you on the path of holistic wellbeing.

However, as it’s a healthcare tool, you’ll need a written note from your doctor to get the subscription.

Afresh 

US retailers throw out about US$18bn of spoiled food every year – a problem that isn’t only affecting the bottom line, but also the environment.

Founded in 2016, San Francisco start-up Afresh creates software that uses AI and algorithms to help stores cut back on waste and optimize fresh food inventory. 

The company claims it has several billion-dollar grocery chain partnerships (with more in the pipeline) – with some reporting they have cut their food waste in half since using the tablet-based app.

Petal

If you know someone struggling to get a credit card – look no further. Petal doesn’t look at credit scores, and instead determines whether you’re eligible for a credit card by looking at things like your bank statement and income.

With a focus on younger people who haven’t established a solid line of credit yet, another benefit is the company doesn’t charge fees either – including missed payments – and offers cash-back rewards too.

And the New York City-based company looks like it’ll be doing big things in 2020 by expanding its operations thanks to a recent US$30m VC funding round.

It sounds like a winner to us.