- These are seven of the best startups to invest in now to fund innovation and support new business ideas.
- Wage: A digital job network for the gig economy.
- Cytonics: A biopharmaceutical company providing therapies for osteoarthritis and other inflammatory diseases.
- Givsly: A B2B marketing platform for businesses giving back to the communities.
- Growmotely: A global remote work marketplace.
- Ivee: A personalized user experience software for ride-hailing.
- EV Semi-Fleet: A green business with an all-electric truck fleet.
- RAD AI: An AI marketing platform that fights spam.
Before investing in a startup, there are two main aspects of a company to evaluate. First, the pitch is essential, as it presents important information about the vision, goals and progress of the business plan. It sets the foundation for the best startups to buy as potential investment opportunities.
Second, due diligence is very important when picking new businesses to invest in. Are the projections realistic, or are they irrational? A company that has already started to generate revenue may be more appealing than another that is in the pre-revenue stage.
With that in mind, here are seven startups to invest in now. You can find them on different equity crowdfunding platforms in various sectors and industries.
Wage
Wage is an on-demand job marketplace for people finding employment and workers, meeting supply and demand in the labor market. It is easy to download the app, log in, sign up and search for jobs.
Wage brings users daily job listings and supports the gig economy. It is a win-win situation for both sides of the hiring equation. For example, someone who needs a person to paint a house can post a listing and then wait to receive offers. Some of the most popular categories on the platform are home services, personal services and computer services.
Amid the pandemic, the labor market has changed. People are seeking flexibility in their work, and they use technology to access job opportunities. Wage has a fast-growing user base of more than 110,000 people as of 2021, a 31% increase year-over-year (YOY) compared to 2020.
The minimum investment in Wage on SeedInvest is $1,000.
Cytonics
Cytonics is a biopharmaceutical company that is focusing on therapies for osteoarthritis and other inflammatory diseases. About 25% of the adult population in the U.S. is expected to suffer from osteoarthritis by the year 2030. This is a very large concern.
Cytonincs fights the problem of osteoarthritis directly at its source. The disease is caused by destructive enzymes that cause damage to cartilage tissue. The solution is Alpha-2-macroglobulin (A2M), a blood protein that is injected into the space of an arthritic joint. It helps to repair the cartilage damage by blocking these enzymes.
The firm is developing CYT-108, which is a more advanced and genetically engineered variant of A2M. It is aiming to complete Phase 1 clinical trials soon.
In the U.S., about 27 million people are treated for arthritis-related pain, and this costs about $180 billion. This creates a huge opportunity for Cytonincs.
The minimum investment in Cytonics on SeedInvest is $1,001.
Givsly
Givsly is a business-to-business (B2B) marketing platform that helps businesses achieve better outcomes and have a social impact. This is done by combining purpose-led approaches with marketing tactics.
Givsly provides marketing and business solutions that can be used in two ways. First, companies and their marketers can use the platform for their marketing strategy. It offers tools like lead generation, surveys and downloadable content designed to increase the engagement of their targeted audience and achieve more sales.
Second, there is a nonprofit application programming interface (API) that businesses can use to support donations and social causes while running marketing and advertising campaigns. This way it is possible for businesses to give back to communities and strengthen their social impact.
In 2021, the platform generated annual gross revenue of more than $1.2 million (unaudited.) Growth in activity increased 10 times YOY to approximately 2,000 total annual transactions.
The minimum investment in Givsly on SeedInvest is $1,000.
Growmotely
Is the future of work remote? The pandemic caused a major shift in the workplace, and one of the greatest changes was in the value we give to our work. Growmotely is a global job board that gives importance to culture matching.
Often, small companies cannot build their teams or find top talent and professionals in an effective way. The solution offered by Growmotely is to match conscious companies with talent across the globe. This builds an engaging, dynamic and active community with several top features.
These features include services like a benefits marketplace, culture tools and a culture matching algorithm that enhances the work experience. It also offers several events as well as technical aspects, such as payrolls and contracts. The firm is targeting the employment services market, which is expected to grow to $1.7 billion by 2025.
The minimum investment in Growmotely on Republic is $150.
Ivee
Autonomous driving has become a reality, and ride-hailing has grown popular. Ivee is making the time spent when using ride-hailing or autonomous cars more fun, relaxing and personalized.
Ivee is a cloud platform that helps users get a personalized experience by turning vehicles into portable audio theaters, offering a relaxing massage and access to movies or favorite apps. Large screen tablets offer an immersive experience with surround sound.
The company allowing users to choose how to spend their time in a rideshare, whether they’re learning, relaxing or watching movies. It can also provide on-the-go access to users’ favorite apps by connecting their smartphones with the platform.
Its revenue channels including revenue share, commerce and contextual ads. The platform has built notable action, as it has been tested in nearly 200,000 rides.
The minimum investment in Ivee on Republic is $150.
EV Semi-Fleet
EV Semi-Fleet is a trucking company with a bold mission to electrify the multi-billion truck industry in the U.S. At the same time, it aims to maximize profitability by running an eco-friendly fleet. The company has reserved 50 Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) semi-trucks that will operate every day at all hours.
The diesel trucking industry is inefficient and facing increased costs due to soaring energy prices. Additionally, it is not eco-friendly.
By using all-electric trucks made by Tesla, EV Semi-Fleet expects it will achieve two main goals. First, it will significantly reduce the running costs of shipping. Its electric fleet is expected to cost less than half that of diesel trucks to operate. Second, it will reduce maintenance costs, as all-electric trucks have fewer systems to maintain.
This green business is expected to reach a net profit in 2023, with its main revenue source reaching a value of $2.1 million in 2023 and $174.8 million in 2027. The gross margin is expected to be 53%. Meanwhile, its projected net income margin is 12% for 2023 and 35% by 2026.
The minimum investment in EV Semi-Fleet on Wefunder is $250.
RAD AI
Everyone deals with annoying spam on a regular basis. It’s bad marketing, as the results are poor; the estimated $75 billion invested in spam could be considered a pure waste of money.
The RAD AI solution to fight spam is a marketing platform with emotional intelligence (EQ). The platform analyzes resonance, behavior and emotion and has a 92% accuracy rate.
The use of historical data is designed to find the best possible method of authentic communication between businesses and millions of potential customers. Companies can create high-performing and engaging content, ranging from social media posts and blogs to video marketing and paid media ads.
Rather than sending spam content, businesses using the RAD AI platform can now design and invest in marketing campaigns that will deliver the most return on their investment while reaching a global targeted audience. The traction is present with a $2.2 million revenue run-rate and 310% annual revenue growth.
The minimum investment in RAD AI on Wefunder is $250.
On the date of publication, Stavros Georgiadis, CFA did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.
