FI 50 - Founder Institute's Fastest Growing Companies of 2021 (2024)

Founder Institute Alumni have raised over $1.8BN in funding and are building businesses that matter across 6 continents. Below are the companies that grew the quickest over the last year.

Fastest Growing Companies

A selection of featured companies that made big strides in 2021.

UdemySilicon Valley, USUdemy is the global leader in online learning, with nearly 200,000 courses. The company went public on the NASDAQ in October 2021 (UDMY), raising $421 million.FoundersGagan Biyani, Eren BaliLearn more+

FightCampMontreal, CanadaFightCamp is a connected at-home boxing gym. With FightCamp you get access to world-class boxing and kickboxing trainers, studio-quality equipment, and performance-tracking technology. They announced its $90M Series B in June 2021 from top investors.FoundersKhalil ZaharLearn more+

OddBoxLondon, United KingdomOddbox produce delivers irregular fruit and veggies that big chain grocery retailers reject. The company announced £16M in funding from BurdaPrincipal Investments in August 2021.FoundersEmilie VanpoperingheLearn more+

UprightNew York, USFund That Flip is a market-leading loans and first-class service for fix-and-flip, new construction, and rental properties. The company announced a $20M Series B round in November 2021.FoundersMatt RodakLearn more+

Genial.lyAndalusia, SpainGenially is a next generation of team enabled content creation tools, for making interactive presentations, infographics and more. They announced a $20M Series B in September 2021.FoundersJosé Manuel Roldán MarínLearn more+

KangarootimeLos Angeles, USKangarootime is childcare software helping caregivers optimize their centers through automatic billing, invoicing, an all-in-one parent app, and more. They announced $6M funding in October 2021.FoundersScott WaymanLearn more+

CaylentOrange County, USCaylent is a cloud-native services company helping companies bring out the best in people and technology using AWS. They announced a $16M Growth Equity Investment in September 2021.FoundersJP La TorreLearn more+

Involve.aiSan Diego, USInvolve AI helps prevent customer churn and grow revenue through customer intelligence to help companies proactively reach their goals. They closed a $16M Series A in August 2021.FoundersGautam Bhattacharya, Gaurav Bhattacharya, Saumya BhatnagarLearn more+

EsusuSan Francisco, USEsusu reports on-time rent payments to credit bureaus, helping renters boost their credit scores and property managers maximize their returns. They announced a $10M Series A in July 2021.FoundersRob HenningLearn more+

UnitoMontreal, CanadaUnito is a no-code integration solution that allows you to connect your apps and automate your workflows in minutes. After raising $10.5M in 2020, the company scaled up quickly in 2021.FoundersMarc BoscherLearn more+

Grow For MeAccra, GhanaGrow For Me is a crowdfunding platform helping farmers to scale up their operations. In October 2021 they were selected by Google Black Founders Fund to receive non-dilutive capital.FoundersNana Opoku W. O. Agyeman PrempehLearn more+

TotalCtrlOslo, NorwayTotalCtrl streamlines food inventory management and reduces food waste. After raising NOK 20M in 2020, they signed several new partners in 2021, such as IT giant Atea.FoundersCharlotte AschimLearn more+

PeerbyAmsterdam, NetherlandsPeerby is a leading application in the 'sharing economy', enabling people to borrow the things they need from others. The raised new funding and saw big user growth in 2021.FoundersDaan WeddepohlLearn more+

Mentor SpacesChicago, USMentor Spaces is a community platform for advancing the careers of underrepresented talent through the power of mentorship. The company raised $2.5M in funding in July 2021.FoundersChris MotleyLearn more+

BeOnPriceMadrid, SpainBeOnPrice is revenue-generation technology that drive sales for hospitality clients. The company announced it had recieved €2M in additional Series A top-up funding in June 2021.FoundersEmilio Galán Martín, Rubén SánchezLearn more+

IntelocateToronto, CanadaIntelocate is complete issue resolution software and communications across stores, departments and vendors. They announced a $1M growth capital round in November 2020. FoundersYulia VasilyevaLearn more+

JitbaseMontreal, CanadaJITbase works with high precision machining (CNC) centers to help machinists meet delivery deadlines. The company announced it had raised $650k in seed funding in September 2021.FoundersFrédéric SchererLearn more+

GameFaceSydney, AustraliaGameface is powerful, real-time sports analytics to know your competition's every move, before they make it. The company announced being acquired by Slinger in September 2021. FoundersJalaluddin ShaikLearn more+

LNKOMontreal, CanadaLNKO is a leading Moroccan eCommerce retailer of trendy glasses, quality lenses, and offering transparent pricing. The company announced it had raised MAD 3M (~$325k) in July 2021.FoundersMaha BennaniLearn more+

ContraktorCuritiba, BrazilContraktor is digital signature and document management to sign, monitor, and keep track of documents all in one place. They announced it had raised R$ 2M from KPTL in September 2021.FoundersBruno DonedaLearn more+

AonicPenang, MalaysiaPoladrone is an all-in-one drone solution for enterprises looking to modernise and streamline their operations. The company announced it had raised a $4.29M seed round in October 2021.FoundersJin Xi CheongLearn more+

BetterMyndWashington DC, USBetterMynd improves the mental health of college students by providing access to confidential online therapy sessions. They closed a $500K investment from 43North in October 2021.FoundersCody SemrauLearn more+

AndalinJakarta, IndonesiaAndalin is a leading Indonesian digital cross-border shipping platform. The company raised a Series A in March 2021 led by Sembrani Nusantara Fund, the venture capital firm of BRI Ventures.FoundersRifki PratomoLearn more+

LeasecakeSilicon Valley, USLeasecake is commercial Lease and Location Management made easy for landlords, tenants, brokers and lease accounting. The company announced $3M investment round in February 2021.FoundersTaj AdhavLearn more+

BleximoSilicon Valley, USBleximo is building quantum computing systems to tackle problems impractical for conventional computing. They raised funding and announced support from the U.S. Dept of Energy in 2021.FoundersAlexei MarchenkovLearn more+

EssenviaLos Angeles, USEssenvia builds software to reduce errors and guarantee faster regulatory clearance for medical devices. In 2021 they raised funding and significantly accelerated growth.FoundersSoumya MahapatraLearn more+

Play Out ApparelSilicon Valley, VirtualPlay Out Apparel is a gender-equal clothing brand and community, allowing users to shop without gender. They raised funding and rapidly built their user base in 2021. FoundersAbby SugarLearn more+

XcapitCordoba, ArgentinaXcapit is a Smart Wallet and fosters a culture of cryptocurrency savings among young people. They announced an ETH 43.7821 investment from UNICEF Innovation Fund in June 2021.FoundersFernando Boiero, José Ignacio TrajtenbergLearn more+

InverseChicago, USGamerjibe is a next-generation online events platform, creating interactive and immersive digital event experiences. In 2021 they raised funding and quickly scaled up their customer base.FoundersJoe LeeLearn more+

Prowess Project Austin, USProwess Project uses EQ-based job matching to deliver the best candidate/role fit possible. They saw strong user growth and closed a fresh round of funding in July 2021.FoundersAshley ConnellLearn more+

RefactrSilicon Valley, USRefactr is a platform for DevOps and cybersecurity teams to collaboratively build modern, security-first automations, using exisiting tools. They were acquired by Sophos in August 2021.FoundersMichael FraserLearn more+

RecruiteryHo Chi Minh City, VietnamRecruitery connects hiring companies with headhunters, turning connections into cash. They announced an undisclosed amount of seed funding from CyberAgent Capital in November 2021.FoundersToan NguyenLearn more+

SpotivityChicago, USSpotivity is an extracurriculars platform for teens to find activities, ignite their passions, explore opportunities, and build their future. The company announced a $1M Seed round in June 2021.FoundersMontana ButschLearn more+

KlouserBuenos Aires, ArgentinaKlouser helps digital content creators in wellness monetize their content and build strong communities. The company added new users at an impressive rate and raised funding in 2021.FoundersAlex Vaisberg, Leandro RosenthalLearn more+

SleepUpSao Paulo, BrazilSleepUp is a sleep personal assistant that works to improve sleep with personalized virtual treatments and continuous biometric monitoring. They announced a R$ 2M raise in November 2021.FoundersRenata Redondo BonaldiLearn more+

Migota ltdSofia, BulgariaWorddio combines the most effective methods to quickly build vocabulary and correct pronunciation in foreign language learning. The company announced $250k raised to-date in July 2021.FoundersIvan ManevLearn more+

GameStakeLondon, United KingdomGameStake is a mobile, non-gambling based e-sports platform where players compete for real prizes. The company announced it received £340k angel investments in August 2021.FoundersAmit PuriLearn more+

Subly London, United KingdomSubly is automatic transcription, translation and subtitles for audio and video in one-click, helping teams to make content accessible. They announced a $1M seed round in May 2021.FoundersHolly StephensLearn more+

Aghaz InvestmentsSeattle, USAghaz is Halal investing for values-based investors, across home, education, performing Hajj, early retirement, and more. After closing funding in late 2020 they grew quickly in 2021.FoundersKhurram AghaLearn more+

Fairly AIWaterloo, CanadaFairly AI helps organizations automate model risk management for their AI applications. They raised funding and won the UBS Future of Finance Challenge in 2021.FoundersDavid Van Bruwaene, Fion Lee MadanLearn more+

BetaStoreLagos, NigeriaBetaStore is a B2B platform that helps small retailers source their inventory and access financing and essential insurance services. The company raised funding and added countless new stores in 2021.FoundersSteve Dakayi KamgaLearn more+

VetsieCalgary, CanadaVetsie is a platform helping veterinary professionals streamline client interactions. The company raised funding and significantly grew their portfolio of clinics in 2021.FoundersAlex ChiengLearn more+

PredictNow.AIToronto, CanadaPredictNow.ai is financial machine learning in a no-code API, allowing users to apply ML predictions to investment data. They raised funding and saw large customer growth in 2021.FoundersErnest ChanLearn more+

DotXSilicon Valley, VirtualDotX manages enterprise HR, automatically calculating payroll and disbursing payments to unbanked workers. They grew their customer base and raised funding in 2021.FoundersCharlie ChandraLearn more+

NiftronColombo, Sri LankaNiftron allows anyone to integrate blockchain into their products to improve trust by providing transparency, security and ownership. The company announced it raised Rs. 21M in April 2021.FoundersSharmilan SomasundaramLearn more+

PaintjetSilicon Valley, VirtualPaintJet is a mobile lift designed to quickly apply paint or industrial coatings to large commercial projects. The company raised funding and contracted several large projects in 2021.FoundersNick HegemanLearn more+

KradoSilicon Valley, VirtualKrado takes the guesswork out of your plant care. The company announced a $250k investment from Pelion Venture Partners in June 2021 by winning the Silicon Slopes pitch competition.FoundersEric LoLearn more+

PericulumToronto, CanadaPericulum uses alternative data to provide credit assessments allowing lenders and financial institutions to lower their risk. They announced $620k in pre-seed funding in October 2021.FoundersMichael CollinsLearn more+

PaySikaParis, FrancePaySika is the first neo-bank in Africa to offer services on popular messengers like WhatsApp, Messenger and Telegram. They announced a €300k round in October 2021.FoundersNengwe RogerLearn more+

CINETPAYAbidjan, Ivory CoastCinetPay is a payments gateway for retailers across Francophone Africa. They raised a $2.4M seed round in late 2021.FoundersIdriss Marcial MONTHE DJOMBISSIELearn more+

Fastest Growing Women-led Companies

Female-Founded businesses that raised the bar in 2021.

Realty MogulLos Angeles, USRealty Mogul is a market leader allowing retail investors access to institutional quality commercial real estate deals. The company has raised more than $45M and continues to scale impressively.FoundersJilliene HelmanLearn more+

RushTixSilicon Valley, USRushTix is building the future of community-driven and interactive live entertainment. They were profiled in the NY Times in March and continue signing top comedians to the platform.FoundersJill BourqueLearn more+

Clear For MeNew York, USClear for Me provides cosmetics industry with ingredients information making product discovery for brands easier. After partnering with Ulta Beauty in 2020 they continued to grow fast in 2021. FoundersSabrina NooraniLearn more+

Umni.coSofia, BulgariaUmni is a conversational AI tool saving time and reducing costs for customer service departments. In 2021 they were featured on BloombergTV and signed several top profile corporate customers.FoundersElitza StoilovaLearn more+

Instant TeamsWashington DC, USInstant Teams allows you to build and manage remote teams using the largest database of military-connected remote workers. They saw record growth and partnered with Amazon in 2021.FoundersLiza RodewaldLearn more+

Dada ArtNew York, USDADA is a collaborative art platform which is a pioneer in the field of NFTs. It recently relaunched its 2017 historical collection of NFTs, with over 5MM in sales so far.FoundersBeatriz Helena RamosLearn more+

LilySilicon Valley, USLily AI supercharges retailers of all types by improving site search, discovery, recommendations and demand prediction. After raising $12.5M in 2020, the company added many new retailers as customers in 2021.FoundersPurva GuptaLearn more+

Subtl BeautyPittsburgh, USSubtl Beauty allows users to create their own custom stack of portable, full-sized beauty products. In 2021 they raised funding and were featured on countless media outlets, leading to big user growth.FoundersRachel ReidLearn more+

BloomcartAmman, JordanBloom is a try-before-you-buy eCommerce platform where customers try on the clothes before having to pay. They announced receiving pre-seed funding in October 2021.FoundersHanan ShahinLearn more+

Fastest Growing Impact Companies

Featured companies making progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Braze MobilityToronto, CanadaBraze Mobility is an affordable blind spot sensor turning any wheelchair into a 'smart' wheelchair. They were selected in August 2021 to participate in Google For Startups Accelerator.FoundersPooja ViswanathanLearn more+

BR PolenRio de Janeiro, BrazilPolen is B2B platform enabling corporate buying and selling of waste stream products. The company signed many customers and was ranked in the Top 10 of the 100 Open Startups Ranking.FoundersRenato Paquet, Lucas Farias de Moraes Sarmento, Renata Chemin De OliveiraLearn more+

LessonbeeNew York, USLessonbee is comprehensive health, wellness and mental health education for grades K-12 to build social-emotional skills. The company raised funding in 2021 and was featured in Forbes.FoundersReva Mc PollomLearn more+

KudotiJohannesburg, South AfricaKudoti connects brands, manufacturers, collectors, and recyclers to build a more circular economy. The company received the $40k Creating Shared Value Prize from Nestlé in July 2021.FoundersGift LubeleLearn more+

ZowaselLagos, NigeriaZowasel is a blockchain-based online marketplace that connects buyers and sellers of crops and allows traceability of the value chain. The company received $100k in funding at UN World Food Programmes Zero Hunger Sprint.FoundersJerry OcheLearn more+

MAA'VASilicon Valley, VirtualMAA’VA is a carbon-negative building material; turning plastic and nonplastic waste into eco-materials. They won Pitch For Progress 2021 Global Impact Startup Competition in July 2021.FoundersMarieh MehranLearn more+

Featured Investors In Our Portfolio

Global investors and accelerators that have supported several FI companies.

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Udemy

Silicon Valley, US

Udemy is the global leader in online learning, with nearly 200,000 courses. The company went public on the NASDAQ in October 2021 (UDMY), raising $421 million.