Built In SF’s 6 Featured Companies of the Month

Here’s what you need to know about six notable Bay Area companies, the work they’re doing and the teams that drive them to succeed.

Written by Lucas Dean
Published on Feb. 16, 2023
Built In SF’s 6 Featured Companies of the Month
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While the start of 2023 hasn’t been the smoothest for the Bay Area’s tech industry, bountiful opportunities for professionals exist throughout the city.

The tech industry is innately acquainted with evolution and reconfiguration, and as unfortunate and unnerving as recent layoffs at big companies are, new career opportunities await talented job seekers. 

At six local organizations, teams are working to transform everything from daily experiences with app notifications to manufacturing and design processes. Better yet, they are currently hiring! Their employees and leaders continue to put their best foot forward and turn ideas into reality. 

Take a look at what sets these companies and their teams apart. 

 

A hand reaching out to tap digital dollar signs.

 

 

What Adyen does: Adyen is a financial technology platform that provides companies with an all-in-one solution for end-to-end payments, data and financial management. 

 

Make an impact: Experimentation and creativity are part of what distinguishes the employee experience at Adyen. “I’ve seen random analysis or experimentation turn into a full-fledged product. It’s awesome to have that kind of influence and opportunity to impact our merchants positively,” said Head of U.S. Data Mika Nishiya. Read what else team members had to say on Adyen’s page

 

A focus on inclusivity: Adyen’s team members may be spread across four cities and two countries, but events, activities and employee resource groups help keep people engaged and connected. “We also encourage the team to create ERGs and host events that promote DEI, as well as plan good old fun, like game nights, themed happy hours and team offsites,” Team Lead of Workplace Experience Brittany Sipp told Built In

 

 

 

What Astra does: Aerospace company Astra is a space launch company that created electric propulsion systems for constellations and provides dedicated orbital launch services. 

 

Rapid innovation: Founded in 2016, Astra completed its first commercial launch to low earth orbit in 2021, making it the fastest company to reach space. Since then, the company has conducted more than 600 on-orbit burns, according to its website. 

 

Now hiring: The Almeda-based company is currently hiring various engineering, management and analytics roles. Check out Astra’s current openings on Built In SF.

 

 

3D printing a complex geometric shape.

 

 

What Carbon does: Carbon is an idea-to-production 3D printing platform that enables companies to speed up the design iteration process and adopt additive manufacturing.

 

Inside the product: In 2022, Carbon launched the cloud-based software tool, Design Engine, which automates the time-intensive process of manufacturing complex geometric structures. “Design Engine is significant because traditional Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools have not kept pace with the innovation of 3D printers and materials,” said Product Management Lead Kirby Freeman in an interview with Built In SF. 

 

Women in tech: Carbon leadership has enacted frameworks to emphasize recruiting and hiring women while also partnering with organizations like Women in 3D Printing. “To empower women in engineering roles at Carbon, we ensure that women are represented in positions of senior leadership and management across our many engineering functions: materials, software and mechanical,” said Director of Talent Acquisition Shay Canty in a 2022 interview with Built In SF

 

 

 

What Check does: Check is a payroll-as-a-service API that enables companies to embed payroll directly into their SaaS, HR and time-tracking platforms, making it possible to build fully-integrated payroll products. 

 

Check’s Perks and Benefits

  • Child care benefits
  • Generous parental leave
  • Flexible work schedules
  • Documented equal pay policy
  • Sabbatical
  • Company equity

 

Culture of ownership: Check supports a culture of ownership and ambition with thoughtful tools, open communication and regular feedback. “What makes Check really special is that we have a lot of grassroots initiatives. Nobody at Check waits for somebody to tell them that something needs to be done,” said Senior People Operations Manager Kelly Ballou in a 2022 interview with Built In SF.

 

 

A forest superimposed with various elements of greentech.

 

 

What Crusoe Energy Systems does: Crusoe’s Digital Flare Mitigation platform helps oil and gas companies eliminate routine natural gas flaring. Additionally, its Digital Renewal Optimization platform provides alternative revenue streams for renewable energy projects. 

 

An eye on emissions: In tandem, Crusoe’s solutions provide energy companies a means of preventing costly inefficiencies while reducing environmental impact. The company is especially driven to reduce methane emissions from flaring — which are 80 times more capable than CO2 of trapping heat in the atmosphere. 

 

Great perks and benefits: Crusoe provides team members with many benefits, including generous paid parental leave, flexible work schedules, family medical leave, unlimited vacation policy, dental, health and life insurance benefits, and 401(k) matching. 

 

 

 

What Courier does: Courier is a developer-targeted software solution that adds multi-channel notifications to applications and offers features like automations, preferences management, white-labeling and audit logs. 

 

Courier’s Perks and Benefits

  • Flexible work schedule
  • Generous parental leave
  • Remote work
  • Dental, vision and health insurance benefits
  • 401(k)
  • Unlimited vacation policy 


Inside the product: Notifications, whether they come in an email, text, mobile push or phone call, are a key part of the digital experience. But a poorly-timed or irrelevant notification can lead to loss of engagement and frustrating user experiences. Courier offers features like templating, channel routing, workflow automation and notification logging to hone the notification experience.

 

Quotes have been edited for length and clarity. Images via listed companies and Shutterstock.

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