Key takeaways:
– Top contenders for GeekWire Award’s Next Tech Titan category include MotherDuck, Rec Room, Statsig, Submittable, and Zuper.
– The winner will be chosen based on community votes and feedback from judges.
– Previous winners, like Smartsheet and Tableau Software, have experienced tremendous growth following their recognition.
Each year, the GeekWire Awards recognize the top innovators and firms in the dynamic tech environment of the Pacific Northwest. The Next Tech Titan award category, deemed a possible predictor of explosive growth, often serves as the event’s highlight. The five finalists for 2024, poised to emulate Smartsheet’s success – a 2016 winner now worth over $5 billion, have been announced.
Finalist Contenders
Firstly, MotherDuck, a data analytics platform, offers a cost-effective alternative to businesses. Built on the open-source platform DuckDB, MotherDuck helps businesses simplify their analytics process. Since its last funding round of $52.5 million in 2023, the company’s total funding has surged to $100 million.
Secondly, Rec Room, a virtual reality community and gaming platform, has over 82 million lifetime users since its inception in 2016. Known for its presence on VR and mixed reality platforms including Meta Quest and Apple Vision Pro, Rec Room had a whopping $145 million funding round in 2021.
Thirdly, we have Statsig, a feature management and experimentation platform that has witnessed a more than three-fold increase in revenue over the previous year. Conceived by ex-Facebook engineer Vijaye Raji, Statsig increased its cash runway while decreasing its burn rate. Further, a 2022 funding round led by Sequoia Capital added $43 million to its kitty, bringing its total funding to $53 million.
The fourth contender, Submittable, is a social impact platform that aids various organizations in managing social welfare programs. The platform rounded off a significant funding round of $47 million in 2022 under the guidance of Seattle-area tech veteran CEO Thor Culverhouse.
Lastly, Zuper offers field operation software to enable companies to manage workers efficiently. Accomplishing a feat of $32 million in its latest funding round, Zuper allows for effective schedule appointments, worker dispatch, job tracking, and smooth customer interactions.
All Eyes on the Finale
Community votes and judge feedback will determine which finalist takes the coveted title. All are invited to cast their votes until April 12. The winner will be unveiled at the live award ceremony at Showbox SoDo in Seattle on May 9.
Legacy of Success
Previous winners of the Next Tech Titan category have lived up to their title. Salesforce acquired Tableau Software (winner in 2012) for $15.7 billion. Avalara (2014) went private for $8.4 billion, and Smartsheet (winner in 2016) now values more than $5 billion. This award also spotlighted emerging startups like Rover (2019), which recently went private for $2.3 billion.
Although the path for each winner varied, each experienced substantial growth and recognition in their respective areas post-award. Last year, the Next Tech Titan title was conferred on Flexe, a warehousing infrastructure startup, indicating the robust predictive quality of this award.
Now is the chance for one of the five finalists to join the prestigious list of companies scaling great heights in the tech world post their GeekWire award win. Who will secure the title this year? Time will tell.
