It is often said that we live in the world of information. I personally live in a world of startups. Hardly a month goes by without the news of a new tech startup. Stereotypical ones are usually coming out of a basement, garage or studio apartment with a Kickstarter campaign and a couple of venture capitalists circling the waters. It is heartening to see however that many of these startups are truly committed to innovation and bringing us better solutions to the problems we face in this information age.
It is quite brilliant to observe people using technological innovation to create companies and focus on solving problems or making things more efficient. With a lot of credit to open source software and the capability of collaborating from anywhere in the world, modern day businesses are creating new technologies. In this post, we will discuss a couple of upcoming startups that may surprise us in the year 2015.
Kytabu
Kenyan based startup Kytabu has succeed in digitizing many textbooks used in the education system in the country. It allows users to either buy the whole book or the portion of a textbook on their platform of choice, thus, making education affordable to those who seek it. Education is already a hot topic item these days, and especially more-so in developing countries where it is not always accessible. Products like this which improve accessibility are fantastic to see.
Bloc
Teaching websites are a big phenomena right now. Web sites like Codecademy and Codeschool have been widely appreciated by tech gurus, as it provides a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips. Bloc is another company taking online teaching to a whole new level. While it is offering different online courses that can be accessed from anywhere, it also offers a one-on-one connection between a learner and their mentor. It has gained significant popularity amongst young and old developers due to its simple, flexible and interactive curriculum. The year 2015 may see it surpassing its competition due to high quality mentoring and courses.
ChowNow
ChowNow is a CRM solution that helps restaurants to accept online orders via mobile and desktop. ChowNow is different because it offers custom apps along with the capability to accept orders through Facebook. Modern day businesses don’t have the resources and time to test and try out new products, unless the new product is directly making an impact on the bottom line of the business. ChowNow started as a small scale service, is now helping restaurants all across the United States and Canada. The year 2015 may see them reaching out to businesses worldwide.
MallforAfrica
As we have discussed earlier that African content has a rapidly growing economy and demand for products is rising with each passing day. However, as the continent is still developing, the infrastructure to get products to the customer is not there. Here enters MallforAfrica, a service that allows people to order products from retailers in the US and in the Africa. They can receive the products at their home or a pickup location, if home delivery is not possible.
Shyp
Shipping is an integral process which plays a vital role in any e-commerce platform’s success and failure. Shyp is a company that offers to ship anything to any destination in the world. Whether you are an individual or a business, Shyp would pick and ship your package to any destination in the world at an affordable rate. The service resolve three key issues, waiting in a line, packing an item and search for the most affordable shipping option. The year 2015 may see this company securing partnerships with big online retailers. The concept is simple yet lucrative enough for big online retailers and individuals alike.
Wrap Up
As we all know, not every startup is meant for success. Some will shine, many will fail and disappear with the passage of time. However, startups offering clear value proposition along with the potential to revolutionize a whole industry will surely stand out.
