2022 Best Tech Startups in North Carolina

June 16, 2022May 30, 2023 thetechtribune

The Tech Tribune staff has compiled the very best tech startups in North Carolina. 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. Pendo

Founded: 2013

Also honored in:

“Pendo helps people adopt software more quickly and successfully.

Pendo customers include the world’s leading software companies and digital enterprises, including Verizon, RE/MAX, LabCorp, OpenTable, Okta, Salesforce, and Zendesk. Founded in 2013 in the heart of Raleigh, North Carolina, Pendo is backed by Battery Ventures, Spark Capital, Meritech Capital and Sapphire Ventures. Through its ProductCraft and customer communities, sponsored events and podcast, Pendo aims to support the success of product and digital leaders everywhere. For more information, visit: www.pendo.io.”

2. SmartSky Networks

Founded: 2011

Also honored in:

“Welcome to True Connection! SmartSky Networks was founded to transform aviation through disruptive communications technologies, services, and tools. Its innovative air-to-ground network takes advantage of patented spectrum reuse, advanced beamforming technologies and 60 MHz of spectrum for significantly enhanced connectivity. SmartSky Networks uniquely enables an “enterprise in the sky” experience with unmatched capacity for data transmissions both to and from the aircraft. This real-time, very low latency, bidirectional data link makes SmartSky Networks the best inflight user experience, and a key enabler for new and enhanced applications and services.”

3. FlexGen

FlexGen

Founded: 2014

Also honored in: 2022 Best Tech Startups in Durham

“FlexGen is a leading energy storage technology solutions and services provider that delivers advisory, product technology and operational maintenance services. Formed in 2015, FlexGen offers proven energy storage technology solutions designed to manage the diverse challenges of industrial and utility customers worldwide.”

4. CData Software

CData Software

Founded: 2016

Also honored in: 2022 Best Tech Startups in Chapel Hill

“CData Software is a leading provider of data access and connectivity solutions. Our mission is to simplify the way our users connect, integrate, and automate their enterprise data.

We offer a straightforward approach to connectivity, with easy-to-use data providers, drivers, and tools accessible from any technology, source, or platform – whether on-premises or in the cloud.

Our drivers are universally accessible, providing access to data through established data standards and application platforms such as ODBC, JDBC, ADO.NET, OData, SSIS, BizTalk, Excel, etc. CData allows businesses to realize the tremendous value of democratized data while reducing the complexity and expense of implementing a connectivity solution.”

5. Baebies

Baebies

Founded: 2013

Also honored in:

“We are guided by the vision that “everyone deserves a healthy start”. Our team develops and commercializes products and services that enable early disease detection and comprehensive diagnosis.

Baebies’ products are powered by digital microfluidics (DMF), an innovative technology to electronically manipulate microliter-sized drops of liquid. We miniaturize conventional diagnostic testing to enable faster results using smaller sample sizes.

Our testing platforms provide the answers you need while decreasing potential harm experienced from frequent invasive testing on the most vulnerable patients.

Over 12 million tests delivered, and counting. Every test is a chance to save a life.”

6. Printful

Printful

Founded: 2013

Also honored in: 2022 Best Tech Startups in Charlotte

“Printful is an on-demand printing and warehousing company that helps brands scale their businesses without inventory risks. Our customers include ecommerce entrepreneurs with hundreds of orders per year as well as global brands that need tens of thousands of orders fulfilled every month. We fulfill and ship custom clothing, accessories, and home & living items on demand, which means each item is made only when someone orders it.

With over $80 million invested in equipment, we use industry-leading tech to fulfill more than 1 million items every month. We have 10 in-house fulfillment centers in the USA, Canada, Europe, and Mexico, and partner facilities in Japan, Australia, and Brazil.”

7. Locus Biosciences

Founded: 2015

“Next generation CRISPR technology for programmed cell death. Focused on developing therapies for infectious disease and the microbiome.

Locus Biosciences’ novel approach to precision antimicrobials works by taking advantage of a part of an immune system present in many bacteria called the CRISPR-Cas system. The CRISPR-Cas system protects bacteria from invaders such as viruses by creating small strands of RNA called CRISPR RNAs, which match DNA sequences specific to a given invader. When the CRISPR RNAs find a match, they activate Cas proteins that cut the DNA.

Locus Biosciences has developed a platform to design and deliver custom CRISPR-Cas systems directly to specific bacteria. Guided by the custom Locus Bio CRISPRs, the Type-I Cas proteins work to destroy bacterial DNA and cause the bacterial targets to “self-destruct”. Locus’ platform enables the development of antimicrobials which avoid currently known resistance mechanisms while leaving non-target bacteria unharmed. Built on prokaryotic technology for prokaryotic targets, Locus is advancing its platform to create therapeutics for critical-need therapeutic areas ranging from resistant bacterial infections to the microbiome.”

8. Airwavz Solutions

Airwavz Solutions

Founded: 2013

Also honored in:

“Airwavz Solutions is a telecommunications infrastructure company serving both the commercial real estate industry and the major wireless carriers by providing innovative in-building wireless solutions. Airwavz designs, installs, owns and operates wireless infrastructure inside commercial office and hospitality buildings in dense metropolitan areas, ensuring building tenants and guests receive exceptional cellular service while also ensuring wireless carriers can improve coverage and increase capacity throughout their networks. Commercial real estate owners should expect higher rent and an improved vacancy rate, while wireless carriers enjoy a higher performing network in places people congregate for work every day. It’s what we call Building Mobility®. To learn more visit www.airwavz.com.

Airwavz’ mission is to be the go-to provider of smart, sustainable wireless solutions for real estate owners and mobile companies. We help our customers provide seamless, high-speed connectivity to their tenants and customers, conveniently and affordably. By creating an in-building, wireless infrastructure that meets the customer’s unique needs and goals, we empower them to better serve their tenants/customers with less hassle and a bigger profit margin. Our mission is to offer low-cost and dependable solutions that make us a household name in our industry and an automatic, first choice for prospective customers.”

9. ServiceTrade

ServiceTrade

Founded: 2012

Also honored in:

“ServiceTrade helps commercial service companies deliver an amazing customer experience and increase the value of their business.

ServiceTrade is a software as a service platform that manages job scheduling, technician scheduling and efficient routing for single or multiple offices in an easy user interface. Documentation of the work performed is stored online and delivered to customers’ inboxes for always-on access to service history. Online communication and coordination between field technicians, the home office, and the customer make each appointment more professional.

In the book The Digital Wrap: Get out of the Truck and Go Online to Own Your Customers, ServiceTrade CEO Billy Marshall describes techniques for taking service activities online to strengthen customer relationships and maximize the value of your service contracting brand. Get the book at digitalwrapbook.com.”

10. JupiterOne

Founded: 2018

“JupiterOne (jupiterone.com) is the first software cloud-native security platform built on a graph data model, to expose the complex relationships between your cyber assets. It enables you to create and manage your entire security process from policy creation, to compliance and certifications, to operating a secure cloud infrastructure while your company quickly grows and evolves.

We believe that security is a basic right for every person, company, and enterprise. Our platform provides a free, lifetime license, with no credit card required. Upon opening the platform, you can be interrogating your entire system within minutes.

JupiterOne was created because complexity is the enemy of security operations and assurance. To combat complexity, organizations need centralized visibility of assets and resources from all of their different platforms, mapping relationships and measuring changes in their environment in a single, searchable repository. JupiterOne provides that visibility, and cyber asset relationship management, in customizable expandable/contractable graphs. We are trusted by industry leaders like Reddit, Databricks, Auth0, and Addepar.”