2025 Best Tech Startups in Illinois

January 27, 2025 thetechtribune

The Tech Tribune staff has compiled the very best tech startups in Illinois. In doing our research, we considered several factors including but not limited to:

Revenue potential
Leadership team
Brand/product traction
Competitive landscape

Additionally, all companies must be independent (unacquired), privately owned, at most 10 years old, and have received at least one round of funding in order to qualify.

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10. LogicGate

Founded: 2015

“LogicGate delivers holistic GRC expertise, simplifying complexities through automated workflows, real-time insights, and intuitive AI features. With over 40 purpose-built solutions, Risk Cloud—our flexible no-code platform—offers rapid deployment and custom-built workflows for large-scale operations. This empowers GRC leaders to collaborate and report on accurate, contextual data tailored to their needs.

Our platform integrates seamlessly with leading technologies, streamlining information collection and analysis. This enables precise risk reporting and measurement. From cyber risk and compliance to third-party risk management, LogicGate helps organizations minimize risk and make strategic decisions.

We understand the importance of simplicity, time, and talent. That’s why enterprises choose LogicGate to scale programs, enhance efficiency, and leverage data to inform stakeholders and drive outcomes.”

9. Zero Hash

Founded: 2015

“Zero Hash’s full stack financial infrastructure seamlessly connects fiat, crypto and stablecoins, enabling a better way to move and transfer money and value globally.

Zero Hash provides the complete technical infrastructure (delivered through API and SDK) as well as the global regulatory stack to easily and compliantly send, receive, store, and convert fiat, crypto, and stablecoins, in one platform.

Start-ups, enterprises and Fortune 500 companies, including Stripe, Interactive Brokers, Shift4, Franklin Templeton, and MoonPay embed our infrastructure to power a diverse range of use cases: cross-border payments, commerce, trading, remittance, payroll, tokenization, wallets and on and off-ramps.”

8. Cameo

Founded: 2017

“Cameo’s mission is to create the most personalized and authentic fan experiences on earth!

Cameo is celebrating another busy and exciting year as the world’s leading fan engagement platform having enabled over 27,000 hours of personalized connections across the globe. From TV stars and notable athletes to TikTok creators and comedic legends, Cameo has helped fulfill 2.5 million magical moments since our launch in 2017, and just in this past year, we have welcomed almost 10,000 new stars.

In support of our employer brand efforts, we’ve grown our employee base by 30% and reached 50/50 gender parity on our global leadership team. In addition, in March of 2021, we announced Cameo’s $100M Series C funding, which brings our total funding to more than $165M, at a valuation of just over $1B.”

7. Atlas

Founded: 2015

Also honored in: 2024 Best Tech Startups in Illinois

“Atlas understands how people work. Our team of trusted experts support you with the ins-and-outs of global expansion, local compliance, and employee experience across the globe. You find the talent — we handle everything else.”

6. Hecate Grid

Founded: 2018

“Hecate Grid is an emerging force in North American energy storage.”

5. Amount

Founded: 2019

Also honored in:

“Amount’s unified platform helps financial institutions modernize their operations, creating a seamless and intuitive banking experience for both customers and employees. Supporting both SMB and consumer lending, we streamline processes like loan origination and deposit account opening while integrating security and compliance. With innovative tools like our AI Policy Optimizer to refine credit strategies, Amount enables banks and credit unions to deliver the digital-first experiences today’s customers expect. Power new and unique digital banking experiences in just months–not years.”

4. M1 Holdings

Founded: 2015

Also honored in:

“M1 is a fast-growing fintech company and personal finance platform made for the modern era. Hundreds of thousands of investors take control of their long-term wealth with M1 and have already trusted us with over $10 billion of assets. As the Finance Super App™, we empower financial well-being with all the tools to invest, borrow, spend and save: high-yield savings, automated investing tools, paperwork-free margin loans, low-cost personal loans, high cash-back credit card rewards that can be automatically re-invested

From 2020 to 2021, the company grew from 82 employees to 236 employees and in 2021 became a fintech unicorn with a valuation of $1.45 billion. Today, the 260+ M1 team spans the United States with headquarters in Chicago.

M1 has over 60,000 5-star customer reviews on the App Store and Google Play and has been recognized as a top app for investors including Investopedia’s 2023 Best for Sophisticated Investors and Best for Low Costs, Insider’s Best Investment App for Portfolio Customization, and one of Bankrate’s Best Robo-Advisors 2023. The company was also named one of CB Insights’ Top Fintech Companies of 2021, a 2021 Top Workplace by the Chicago Tribune, and one of Built In’s 2022 and 2023 Best Places to Work in Chicago.”

3. Zing Health

Founded: 2019

“Zing Health Choice IL (HMO) is a Medicare Advantage plan serving Medicare eligible beneficiaries. Zing Health Choice IL takes the time to get to know you and partners with you to develop a plan to help meet your health needs and goals.”

2. Clearcover

Founded: 2016

Also honored in:

“We offer affordable car insurance that’s smarter, faster and puts your needs above all else, helping you make informed decisions every step of the way. We help you save money while delivering the industry’s fastest claims, easy payments, and exceptional services.

Our API-first approach helps you save money while delivering the industry’s fastest claims, easy payments, and exceptional services. We make payments easy and offer convenient policy management through an award-winning mobile app. Our powerful technology, coupled with our dedicated Customer Advocate team, provides an excellent insurance experience with affordable rates.”

1. Kin Insurance

Founded: 2016

Also honored in:

“Kin is on a mission to change home insurance from what it is to what it should be. Whether we’re leveraging data to create customizable coverage or providing claims service that goes above and beyond expectations, our members are at the heart of everything we do. In the face of ever-growing climate risk, our members deserve an insurance company that cares about them. We aim to stick with them through thick and thin.

We use efficient technology that lets homeowners buy directly from us to keep costs down. This is the essence of Kin. Our approach has fostered amazing growth and attracted marquee investors, including QED Investors, Activate Capital, August Capital, Commerce Ventures, Hudson Structured Capital Management, Avanta Ventures, Geodesic, and Flourish.”