When Built In San Francisco shared its list of 50 tech companies to watch, the city was billed as “the global tech industry’s center of gravity.”
And while the year is still relatively young, notable developments from the last few months alone are lending weight to that description. Just look at Uber’s recently announced planned acquisition of Drizly or buzzy startup Hims & Hers going public, for example.
But it’s not just headline-generating items like those warranting attention. Encompassing fintech, healthtech and a host of other industries, the breadth of disciplines alone represented by the below eight companies (primarily from San Francisco) underscores what makes the area’s tech scene perennially interesting — whether it’s the cultures they develop, the partnerships they forge or the industry insights they put forth.
From a gaming gadget company and mobile advertising expert to a returns facilitator and more, here are our eight featured organizations of February.
Local presence: San Francisco
What they do: Created in 2009, the healthtech company helps professionals manage clinical trials via interactive response technology. According to endpoint Clinical, their solutions are employed in more than 75 countries around the world. Areas of focus include neurology, endocrinology and oncology.
Company insight: Remote work has been an enormous topic of conversation as companies navigate pandemic-forced change. Office Manager Kara Oliver shared her remote team-building advice with Built In San Francisco last September: “The most important thing you can do is listen to your team,” Oliver said. “You’ll be able to pick up new information every time you meet with them.”
Employee growth: A team member since 2014, Associate Director of IT Jeff Monson originally joined as a senior database administrator. He recapped his experience at the company with Built In San Francisco. “In that short amount of time, we’ve grown considerably and become a major force in IRT. We value the talented people working here, and I’m fortunate to learn from and lead with a great team every day.”
Local presence: San Jose
What they do: Leveraging artificial intelligence and specializing in the cloud, this SaaS company helps ensure network safety. According to Zscaler, its tech identifies 100 million threats daily and clientele includes more than 450 companies from the Forbes Global 2000.
Hiring now: Interested in the cybersecurity field? As of writing, the organization is currently staffing up in a handful of departments, including key areas like product, marketing, project management and engineering.
Company insight: According to VP of Americas Enterprise Sales Will May, fostering an inclusive culture is important to Zscaler. “Zscaler prioritizes D&I strongly internally and externally,” he told Built In San Francisco last October. “We have a documented framework of what we want our culture to look like.”
Local presence: San Francisco
What they do: By inviting them into their “Circle,” users of this app are able to stay abreast of their family members’ locations. More robust memberships also include additional features like credit monitoring and roadside assistance.
Industry news: Last November, the company announced that its tech could now integrate with Google Assistant-capable products, such as Nest speakers. “This partnership underscores the importance of helping families stay connected, and we’re excited to make it even more convenient for Life360 users to stay in touch with their loved ones,” Founder and CEO Chris Hulls said in a release.
In good company: This January, Life360 landed a spot on Built In San Francisco’s aforementioned 50 San Francisco Tech Companies You Should Know list, a rundown of small- to mid-sized companies “that we believe have the vision, team, focus and funding to drive innovation within the tech community.”
Local presence: Fremont
What they do: Keyboards, chairs and headsets are just a few specialties of this company which, in addition to providing gaming essentials, also offers gear for streaming needs and PC parts.
Industry news: The hardware company wound down 2020 with some noteworthy moves: On the heels of going public in September, the company announced in November its acquisition of Gamer Sensei, which helps gaming enthusiasts polish their skills with the tutelage of coaches.
Company insight: On February 9, Corsair announced its Q4 2020 earnings and FY 2020 results. “We are excited to see the market for gaming and streaming products continue to grow at such a pace,” CEO Andy Paul was quoted in a release. “It is clear that a new wave of gamers and streamers has entered the market as well as consumers building gaming PCs for the first time.”
Local presence: San Francisco
What they do: This e-commerce platform, which counts users like ThirdLove and Everlane, seeks to make the return process easier for both consumers and merchants.
Company insight: In a previous interview with Built In, Returnly Founder and CEO Eduardo Vilar broke down what he valued in his team. “Of course, talent and skill are critical. But we look for other traits as well, like having an entrepreneurial mindset, curiosity and lack of ego,” Vilar said.
Industry news: Speaking with CNBC, Vilar discussed consumers’ shifting return habits as a result of remote work. “Shoppers are now taking up to 20 days to return merchandise,” Vilar said. “They’ve changed their habits. They no longer go to the office. So they no longer commute and run these errands as they go to work.”
Local presence: San Francisco
What they do: Launched in 2007, the company focuses on helping advertisers and publishers with in-app and mobile gaming advertising strategies.
The tools: To carry out their efforts, engineers at Tapjoy look to a variety of engineering languages, like Golang, Java, JavaScript and Python. Additionally, they use Ruby, Scala and SQL.
Company insight: Employee resource groups are crucial to companies. Marketing Manager Katy Fitzgerald unpacked the work of the company’s DEI committee in an interview with Built In San Francisco last summer. “Fundamental functions of the committee include amplification and allyship,” Fitzgerlad said. “Our initiatives and communication channels empower employees at all levels to utilize their unique experiences and intersectional perspectives to lead and contribute to DEI decision-making here.”
Local presence: San Francisco
What they do: The fintech company employs blockchain technology to support financial services, such as mortgage refinancing. Late last year, the company announced that it was seeking a national bank charter. “We believe blockchain can level the financial playing field for consumers (banked vs. underbanked), businesses (large vs. small) and financial institutions (large vs. small),” the company wrote in a release explaining their application decision.
The tools: Confluence, Jira and Figma are just a few tools product professionals on the team look to. On the engineering side, frameworks used include TensorFlow and Node.js, while Kotlin and Python are some of the languages leveraged.
Company insight: Connecting with Built In San Francisco last November, Director of Engineering Devin Gray previously described Figure’s “exciting, fast-paced environment.” “Things are constantly evolving and progressing here. Our employees always have new ideas, endless drive and positive attitudes to build new things,” Gray said.
Local presence: San Francisco
What they do: This edtech organization helps aspiring tech professionals cultivate relevant industry-specific chops through a variety of online courses focusing on disciplines like design, cybersecurity and data science and analytics.
Company insight: In August, the company announced a $31 million Series B. “We’ve seen that through our career track programs, [we’re] not only transforming education — we’re also transforming lives,” Springboard Co-founder and CEO Gautam Tambay said in a release.
Industry news: In tandem with nonprofit org Women Who Code, Springboard launched the Springboard/Women Who Code scholarship initiative last December, extending a select number of scholarships to women participating in particular Springboard courses. “With this partnership, Springboard and Women Who Code aim to increase female representation in technology,” Springboard Co-founder Parul Gupta said in the company’s announcement.
