Venture capital can be deeply complex, but most firms still operate off the familiar model: make smart bets and hope that one pays off in the unicorn hunt. For that very reason, many firms will only bet on businesses that at least have the potential to “be the next Uber” or at least enter unicorn territory.
We just introduced a new tool to help you analyze business opportunities in real-time: The Trends Guide to Small Business Growth.
What you need to know
The name Ergonofis represents a hybrid between ergonomics and office. It fits: Co-founder Samuel Finn likes to think his company’s product, an adjustable desk allowing people to stand and sit throughout the day, provides the most efficient way to stay healthy and get through a work day.
BottleKeeper, a company that makes insulating outer shells that keep beer bottles cold, has earned a large chunk of the $4.7B drinkware market. Since its official launch in 2013, the company has sold over 1m products direct-to-consumer while meticulously grooming an audience for future product launches. In 2018, BottleKeeper brought in $13.6m in revenue, growing over 800% from 2015.
What you need to know
What you need to know
Sometimes you just want to keep other people from smelling your stuff. Enter Revelry Supply. Based in Santa Cruz, CA, the lifestyle cannabis business makes odor-absorbing luggage — duffels, backpacks, personal bags, etc. — aimed at cannabis users.
We started exploring tiny things by sharing a single Signal: miniature cooking sets. We’ve now gone all-in on the tiny business, and found that it’s not just the miniature cooking set–it’s tiny 🏡, tiny 🎂, tiny 🌵, and just about tiny everything. We teased out over 50 tiny products and whether they’re on the 👍 or 👎.
Software as a Service (SaaS) businesses have commanded unprecedented attention in recent years. The glamorized business model has produced many winners, thanks to its high margins and recurring, predictable revenue. Pair that with the flurry of SaaS businesses that have hockey-stick growth and you get businesses trading at 10x revenue.