2020 Best Tech Startups in Virginia

March 18, 2020June 4, 2023 thetechtribune

The Tech Tribune staff has compiled the very best tech startups in Virginia. 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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1. Aireon

Founded: 2011

Also honored in:

“Aireon is deploying a space-based air traffic surveillance system for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) equipped aircraft throughout the entire globe. Aireon will harness next-generation aviation surveillance technologies that are currently ground-based and, for the first time ever, extend their reach globally to significantly improve efficiency, enhance safety, reduce emissions and provide cost savings benefits to all stakeholders. Real-time ADS-B surveillance will cover oceanic, polar and remote regions, as well as augment existing ground-based systems that are limited to terrestrial airspace. In partnership with leading ANSPs from around the world, like NAV CANADA, the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA), ENAV and Naviair, as well as Iridium Communications, Aireon will have an operational, global, space-based air traffic surveillance system by 2018.”

2. Ligado Networks

Founded: 2010

Also honored in: 2018 Best Tech Startups in Virginia

“Making connections is Ligado’s core mission. Our vision is to modernize American infrastructure by connecting the Industrial Internet of Things. With our current state-of-the-art satellite technology and plans to deploy Custom Private Networks for the businesses that keep this country running, we’re paving the way for future innovations.”

3. StreetShares Platform

Founded: 2014

“StreetShares provides financial solutions for America’s heroes and their communities.

Now hiring at streetshares.com/careers!

StreetShares, Inc. is America’s social finance community for veterans, active duty military, their families, and supporters. StreetShares provides targeted high-demand financial products to the military and veterans community.”

4. Compare.com

Founded: 2013

“The first car-insurance comparison site in the U.S. to work directly with auto insurers, Compare.com provides real, unbiased quotes and side-by-side comparison. Launched in 2013, Compare.com allows users to complete one easy form and get multiple quotes from trusted national and regional insurance companies.”

5. Federated Wireless

Founded: 2012

Also honored in:

“Federated Wireless is unlocking a spectrum of possibilities, leading the wireless industry through the shared spectrum revolution. By enabling a new shared economy model via standardized subscription costs and pricing, Federated Wireless is giving organizations of all sizes the opportunity to become a carrier and cost-effectively deliver new services via the spectrum. Federated Wireless’ unique approach allows carriers old and new to quickly and cost-effectively utilize and leverage spectrum for a broad range of services, such as Private-LTE applications or network densification for 5G. This not only ensures that this finite resource is preserved and available for the next wave of mobile business innovation, but will result in businesses and consumers experiencing better service quality whether they are indoors or outdoors, rural or urban, allowing us to have it all no matter where we are.”

6. QOMPLX

Founded: 2015

“QOMPLX makes it faster and easier for organizations to integrate disparate data sources both inside and outside the enterprise into a unified analytics infrastructure to make better decisions at scale. This broader analytics infrastructure is provided through QOMPLX OS, an enterprise operating system that powers QOMPLX’s decision platforms in cybersecurity, insurance, and quantitative finance. Headquartered in Reston, VA, QOMPLX also has offices in New York and London. More information about QOMPLX can be found at www.qomplx.com.”

7. HawkEye 360

Founded: 2015

“HawkEye 360 is a Radio Frequency (RF) data analytics company. We operate a first-of-its-kind commercial satellite constellation to identify, process and geolocate a broad set of RF signals. We extract value from this unique data through proprietary algorithms, fusing it with other sources to create powerful analytical products that solve hard challenges for our global customers. Our products include maritime domain awareness and spectrum mapping and monitoring; our customers include a wide range of commercial, government and international entities.”

8. Expel

Founded: 2016

“We’re eliminating the black box within which managed security service providers (MSSPs) operate. You can see and use the same interface our analysts use to deliver our service. There’s no “internal analyst console” There’s no curtain to look (or hide) behind. With Expel, if you’re ever wondering what we’re doing for you or want to see how we’re making decisions, you can easily look for yourself and see it all.”

9. OpenLegacy

Founded: 2013

“OpenLegacy helps organizations quickly launch innovative digital services by extending their core (legacy) systems to the web, mobile and cloud in days or weeks versus months. Our API software quickly reduces project backlog by automating and accelerating API creation, deployment, testing and management from core applications, mainframes and databases. Together, business and IT teams can quickly, easily and securely meet consumer, partner or employee demands for digital services without modernizing or replacing core systems, and without special programming skills or invasive changes to existing systems and architectures. Learn why leading companies choose OpenLegacy at www.openlegacy.com.”

10. ThreatQuotient

Founded: 2013

Also honored in:

“ThreatQuotient’s mission is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of security operations with a platform that accelerates and simplifies investigations and collaboration within and across teams and tools. Integrating an organization’s existing processes and technologies into a unified workspace, ThreatQuotient’s solutions reduce noise, highlight top priority threats and automate processes to provide greater focus and decision support while maximizing limited resources. ThreatQuotient’s threat-centric approach supports multiple use cases including incident response, threat hunting, spear phishing, alert triage and vulnerability management, and also serves as a threat intelligence platform. ThreatQuotient is headquartered in Northern Virginia with international operations based out of Europe and APAC.”