These are the five most successful start-ups of the past year

Every year, start-ups emerge with the courage to try something new. Research shows that these five stand out.

Every year, start-ups are created that have the courage to try something new. Research shows that 90% of start-ups fail, but at MASTERS the glass is always half full and we look at the 10% that do make it and are successful. According to the annual LinkedIn Top Startups List these belong five start-ups to the absolute top of the past year.Text: Patrick StofferThe list is compiled based on a combination of factors such as interaction with the company, staff growth, number of employees and the extent to which the company is able to attract the best talent. In addition, turnover and investments also play an important role in the creation of this list.

1. Picnic Technologies

The way people get groceries at home these days has changed considerably in recent years. And Picnic has responded well to this. Where people used to be dependent on the supermarket, people can now easily have groceries delivered to their door via an app. The online supermarket Picnic has raised another €2021 million in 600 to grow in Germany and France. One of the generous donors was computer magnate Bill Gates. Picnic was founded in 2015 by Frederik Nieuwenhuys, Bas Verheijen, Joris Beckers and Michiel Muller. The latter spoke about his success and career in the podcast series Uitblinkers. Listen to him here.

2. Crisp

Online supermarkets are popular, number two on this list also falls into this category. The internet supermarket believes that local food supply will be the future and therefore assigns itself this USP: quality products from the region. The start-up was founded in 2018 and received a significant investment of €2021 million in 30. After a year in which the company suffered a significant loss of € 8,5 million, the company has now grown strongly and Crisp is now making a profit, according to CEO Tom Peters.

3. Felyx

Green two-wheelers have become an indispensable part of the big cities: shared scooters from Felyx. In 2017, the first scooters drove on the canals of Amsterdam and are now shared in eight Dutch cities. And the Netherlands is not the final destination. After Felyx raised €24 million last year, the company wants to expand to Germany and France. The competition is also not standing still and is making significant progress. They are now also the Check en GOshared scooters that drive through the streets of major cities.

4. Otrium

When the physical outlet centers had to close their doors, the range of online shops increased. This includes online fashion outlet Otrium, which sells leftover stocks of fashion brands such as Karl Lagerfeld. It is the so-called winner of the corona crisis. The online platform, which was founded in 2016, raised €100 million last year and is now active in eleven European countries and the US.

5. Lightyear

The Brabant company Lightyear has been active since 2016 in developing an electric car with built-in solar panels. Last year, the solar car manufacturer raised €93 million, with which it is, among other things, investigating options for an IPO. The production of the cars is not done under the rivers, but in Finland.