2021 Best Tech Startups in Chicago

August 11, 2020October 24, 2022 thetechtribune

The Tech Tribune staff has compiled the very best tech startups in Chicago, 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.

Looking for a badge to celebrate your awesome accomplishment? Find it here!

1. Tempus

Founded: 2015

Also honored in:

“Tempus is making precision medicine a reality by applying AI in healthcare, deriving insights from our expansive library of clinical data and molecular data. We enable physicians to make real-time, data-driven decisions to deliver personalized care and targeted therapies for patients through our analytical machine learning platform that uses the power of artificial intelligence in healthcare. We also work with partners to facilitate discovery, development, and delivery of optimized therapeutic options for patients through distinctive solution sets.

Our mission is for each patient to benefit from the treatment of others who came before by providing the healthcare industry tools that learn as we gather more data. It’s About Time.”

2. VillageMD

Founded: 2013

Also honored in:

“VillageMD is a leading provider of healthcare for organizations moving toward a primary care-led, high-value clinical model. The VillageMD solution provides the tools, technology, operations, and staffing support needed for physicians to drive the highest quality clinical results across a population. VillageMD works with physician groups, independent practice associations, and health systems to improve quality, deliver a first-rate patient experience, and lower costs in the communities they serve.”

3. Uptake Technologies

Founded: 2014

Also honored in:

“Uptake is a proven, robust predictive analytics SaaS platform delivering products that enable outcomes across industries. Uptake has integrated our unparalleled data science, machine learning and state-of-the-art security with deep industry knowledge to create market-leading solutions worldwide.

We focus on outcomes that positively impact the productivity, reliability, safety and cyber security of your business – providing the right insight to the right users at the right time.”

4. Raise

Founded: 2013

Also honored in:

“Raise is the leading digital prepaid and retail payments platform for consumers to save money and earn rewards on every purchase. As a digital partner to more than 450 retailers, Raise offers an innovative solution for brands to increase loyalty, engagement, and retention by adding value for their core customers.

Since 2013, Raise has saved millions of consumers more than $150 million and has received $147 million in funding from leading global investors including Accel, PayPal, New Enterprise Associates, and Bessemer Venture Partners.”

5. SpotHero

Founded: 2011

Also honored in:

“SpotHero is North America’s leading parking reservation service, with 12 million+ cars parked, the largest network of connected parking facilities, and the most app downloads nationwide. Launched in 2011, SpotHero empowers drivers with easy, affordable parking at garages, lots, and valets across 50 major cities in the U.S.”

6. ShopRunner

Founded: 2010

Also honored in:

“For customers, we’re an online, members-only service that provides benefits across 100+ of the best online stores. Our members save time and money with benefits including free 2-day shipping, seamless checkout, and free returns.

For merchants, we’re driving ecommerce business, producing insights with a growing data analytics practice to boot. And we help them compete in today’s marketplace. It’s the ultimate ecommerce win-win.

With people in offices in Chicago and Conshohocken, PA we’re perpetrators of good vibes and great experiences for our customers, our merchants and each other.”

7. Boro

Founded: 2015

Also honored in: 2020 Best Tech Startups in Illinois

“Boro is a leading consumer financing platform for college students. With its proprietary underwriting system, Boro is revolutionizing the existing consumer financing industry by providing convenient and affordable financial solutions to college students, who are underserved in the current market.”

8. Clearcover

Founded: 2016

Also honored in: 2020 Best Tech Startups in Illinois

“Clearcover is the smarter car insurance choice, offering better coverage for less money. Clearcover’s API-first approach enables customers to have great insurance at affordable rates. The company’s powerful technology coupled with their dedicated Customer Advocate team ensures a quality experience. Built for modern drivers, Clearcover makes it easy to get reliable car insurance in minutes.”

9. FourKites

Founded: 2014

Also honored in:

“FourKites is the fastest-growing predictive supply chain platform, delivering real-time visibility and execution for Fortune 500 companies and third-party logistics firms. Using a proprietary algorithm to calculate shipment arrival times, FourKites enables customers to lower operating costs, improve on-time performance, and strengthen end-customer relationships. With a network of more than four million GPS/ELD devices, FourKites covers all modes including ocean, rail, parcel and over-the-road. The platform is optimized for mobile and equipped with market-leading end-to-end security.”

10. G2

Founded: 2012

Also honored in:

“G2 is the world’s leading B2B software and services review platform!

Until recently, selecting business software or services was difficult, risky and inherently biased. G2’s real, verified user reviews help you objectively assess what’s best for your business.

Leverage the crowd, limit your risk, and get what works!”

11. Avant

Founded: 2012

Also honored in: 2018 Best Tech Startups in Chicago

“Avant is dedicated to building premier digital banking solutions for the middle class through a combination of technology, analytics and superior customer service. Since 2012, Avant has connected over one million customers to $6.5 billion in loans and to 200,000 credit cards. A high growth financial technology company, Avant has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, TechCrunch, Fortune, Bloomberg, and has raised over $600 million of equity capital. Visit www.avant.com for more information.

We are always looking for talented people who can help change the lending industry.

Check our jobs out at www.avant.com/jobs.”