LinkedIn on Wednesday released its inaugural list of Chicago’s top 10 startups, which included companies that make software, chocolate bars, run mini-golf courses and offer mental health therapy.
While the companies didn’t have to be headquartered in Chicago, they were required to be based in the U.S.; fully independent and privately-held; have 30 or more full-time employees in the city; be seven years old or younger; and have a minimum growth threshold of 5%.
LinkedIn excluded staffing firms, think tanks, venture capital firms, law firms, management and IT consulting firms, nonprofits, philanthropy groups, accelerators and government-owned entities. Startups that laid off 10% or more of their workforce within the methodology time frame were also ineligible.
The company’s ranking methodology included employment growth; non-employee views on LinkedIn; number of job applications and “attraction of top talent,” meaning how many employees the startup has recruited away from any global LinkedIn top company, from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024.
Here are Chicago’s top 10 startups:
1. Wiz
Wiz, a computer and cloud security software company, has more than 30 employees in Chicago. The New York-based company was founded in 2020. The most common skills employees listed on LinkedIn were enterprise software, software as a service and account management.
Jimmy Donaldson, the popular YouTube video maker who goes by MrBeast.
2. Feastables
Chicago-based Feastables has 40 employees. The company was founded in 2021 by YouTube personality Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast. The most common skills among its employees are data analysis, project management and supply chain optimization.
3. Drift Net
Tech company Drift Net makes school safety and security systems. Founded in 2018, the Chicago-based company has 60 employees. The most common job titles include business development representative, software engineer and media producer.
4. Placer.ai
Placer.ai, a foot traffic data software and location intelligence firm, employs 30 people in Chicago. The company, founded in 2018, is headquartered in Santa Cruz, California. The most common skills among staff are software as a service, event planning and customer relationship management.
5. Albi
Oak Brook-based Albi develops software for the restoration industry. Founded in 2020, it has 40 employees in the Chicago area with the most common skills listed as lead generation, cold calling and social media.
6. Coalition
Coalition is a cybersecurity and insurance company founded in 2017. Headquartered in San Francisco, it has 35 employees in Chicago. The most common skills on LinkedIn from employees were property and casualty insurance, data analysis and SQL.
7. Sage Therapy
Sage Therapy is based in Chicago and provides mental health services. Founded in 2020, it has 45 employees, and the most common skills are mental health counseling, psychotherapy and crisis intervention.
8. Puttshack
Chicago’s upscale, mini-golf company Puttshack employs 65 people and was founded in 2018. The most common skills among staff were hospitality management, inventory management and financial analysis, according to LinkedIn.
9. Logik.io
Logik.io, maker of sales software, is headquartered in Deerfield with 125 employees in the Chicago area. It was founded in 2021. Most common job titles, based on LinkedIn, were software engineer, customer experience manager and DevOps consultant.
10. Capital Rx
New York-based Capital Rx, a health care tech company focused on prescriptions,has 40 employees in Chicago. Founded in 2017, the most common employee skills are pharmacy automation, benefits management and manufacturing process improvement.
