2021 Best Tech Startups in Columbus

August 18, 2020November 2, 2022 thetechtribune

The Tech Tribune staff has compiled the very best tech startups in Columbus, Ohio. 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. Root Insurance

Founded: 2015

Also honored in:

“At Root, we’re doing things differently. We’re reimagining the services people need so that they serve them better. And we’re doing it by using data, technology, and rapid innovation to create products and experiences that are fair, easy, personal, and affordable.

We started by tackling the archaic car insurance industry. We believe people who drive well should pay less for car insurance. Using technology in smartphones to measure driving behavior, our app lets us know who’s a safe driver and who isn’t.”

2. Olive

Founded: 2012

Also honored in:

“Olive is on a mission to build meaningful artificial intelligence that empowers and scales humans to achieve more than ever before. We are pioneers working to make the AI revolution both powerful and beneficial to humankind. We are putting a blue collar on AI and letting it do what machines can do best– and leaving the tasks that require creativity, empathy, and passion to people.”

3. Beam Dental

Founded: 2012

Also honored in:

“Beam Dental is a dental benefits company that offers employers a fundamentally unique approach to dental coverage by incorporating dental hygiene behavior into policy pricing while delivering world class support and service. All of Beam’s plans also include Beam Perks, a quarterly subscription service with an electric toothbrush, replacement heads, toothpaste, and floss. Beam makes it easy to find and access dental services with the tap of a finger from a broad, nationwide network of dentists.”

4. Aver, Inc

Founded: 2010

Also honored in:

“Aver simplifies value-based healthcare by working with national and regional healthcare payers, health systems, and large physician practices to design, implement and administer value-based programs. From our suite of purpose-built software products, to our deep bench of expertise in alternative payment methods — Aver eases the transition from fee-for-service to value-based contracts.”

5. Bold Penguin

Founded: 2016

Also honored in: 2020 Best Tech Startups in Ohio

“Bold Penguin cuts the friction out of commercial insurance.

The Bold Penguin Marketplace is a highly efficient commercial insurance exchange that connects customers, agents, and carriers to match the right quote in record time.

Founded as an insurtech innovator based in Columbus, Ohio, Bold Penguin rapidly increases speed-to-bind for commercial insurance. In 2016, they launched a highly efficient exchange that enhances the connections between customers, agents, and carriers—reducing friction in the buying process for everyone.”

6. READY Robotics

Founded: 2016

Also honored in:

“READY Robotics empowers manufacturers to be more competitive through our line of easy-to-use industrial robotic systems. Our robotic solutions require minimum installation downtime, no robotic experience necessary and no Capital Expenditure needed. We deploy Robots as a Service.”

7. Deep Lens

Founded: 2017

Also honored in: 2020 Best Tech Startups in Ohio

“Deep Lens is an AI company focused on enabling faster recruitment of the best-suited cancer patients for clinical trials at the time of diagnosis using VIPER. Deep Lens’ AI-driven cloud platform gives care teams, trial coordinators and oncologists visibility into all available trials and the ability to collaborate on groundbreaking cancer research across all cancer types.”

8. Aware

Founded: 2017

Also honored in:

“Aware aims to adopt the latest advancements in cognitive computing, artificial intelligence and behavioral analytics to amplify enterprise value by monitoring the social graph (Office 365, Slack, Workplace by Facebook).

Our flagship product, Aware Risk Management, extends traditional governance and compliance technologies by providing human-centric insight to enhance employee engagement and reduce the risk of unsafe behavior on enterprise collaboration tools.

As more enterprise organizations adopt and deploy employee collaboration tools like Microsoft’s Yammer and Teams, or Workplace by Facebook, it becomes increasingly important to identify and manage the human risk factor in order to create a dynamic and more productive work environment.”

9. Path Robotics

Founded: 2014

“Path Robotics is an Artificial Intelligence company focusing on the manufacturing industry.”

10. Covail

Founded: 2014

Also honored in:

“Covail™ is a trusted solutions partner, enabling organizations to optimize through Intelligent Operations solutions that lower total risk and cost for key business functions, equipping them to transform from a position of strength. Since 2015, Covail’s experts in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Automation, and Cybersecurity have been delivering business results for leading Fortune 500 companies across industries. Trustworthy, Intelligent Operations. Accelerated. Learn more at covail.com.”