Between all the holiday vacations and end-of-year reflection, December is not generally known as a season for hard work and innovation. We’re often too focused on cookie recipes and tree lighting celebrations to grind out new projects at work.
And while there’s certainly something to be said for the rest and rejuvenation of the season, there are also people and places who are powering through, launching new products and introducing innovative technologies. In NYC, the tech industry hasn’t signed off for New Year’s just yet.
Built In gathered a list of 16 tech companies to watch this season, from innovative InsurTech companies to style platforms performing intriguing sneaker trend forecasting. You’ll find healthtech and pet care companies in this list, as well as companies skillfully integrating AI into their processes and creating intriguing carbon-neutral beverages.
Before you put up your December out-of-office auto-reply, take a few minutes to check out these 16 New York tech companies worth watching.
What Hungryroot Does: Hungryroot is a direct-to-consumer brand of fresh, healthy packaged foods. After transitioning to an AI-based business model in 2019, this subscription service, powered by artificial intelligence, provides customized nutritious groceries along with recipes and meal assistance, resulting in a 67 percent year-over-year revenue growth.
The Perks
- Remote work
- Generous parental leave
- Unlimited vacation days
Hiring and growing leaders: Lisa Zagari, creative director, appreciates the opportunities for growth she’s found at Hungryroot. “I was encouraged to explore areas of the business where I could make the most impact until I came to lead the creative team. I've become a more strategic designer and leader, all while helping people live healthier lives,” she said in her Built In review of the company. Hungryroot has several open positions for leadership, including a Senior DevOps Engineer, Senior Associate of Business Analytics, Senior Designer and Senior QA Automation Engineer.
What Pumpkin Does: Pumpkin, launched in 2020, is on a mission to connect new and old pet owners alike to essential preventative care and insurance. With over 65,000 insured pets nationwide, the company provides accident and illness insurance plans, as well as a non-insurance add-on that reimburses pet parents for vaccines, lab tests and wellness exams related to life-threatening disease prevention. This year, Pumpkin was acquired by JAB, whose pet insurance portfolio already includes Figo, Pet Partners, AKC, ASPCA and Pets Plus Us in the U.S. and Canada.
The Perks
- “Pet-first” office design
- Generous PTO policy
- 401(k) company match
Best in the industry: Pumpkin earned a spot on Business Insider’s list of Best Pet Insurance Companies for December 2023 thanks to its broad, comprehensive coverage. The company offers coverage for preventable diseases and only requires a 14 day waiting period for breeds with common hereditary conditions, which set it apart from its competitors.
What GrapevineAI Does: GrapevineAI matches brands with creators to deliver whitelisted social campaigns at scale and turns articles, photos and videos into ready to launch ads on paid social channels. With over ten years of experience in content development and publication, the company uses AI to support production and editing of content for over 150 brands.
The Perks
- Mentorship program
- Unlimited vacation policy
- Company equity program
Playful company culture: GrapevineAI fosters a culture of play. Cofounder Caroline Lever told Built In this spring that the company’s playful nature promotes a growth mindset. “Even though about one-third of the greater GrapevineAI team is remote, we’ve still been able to foster a playful company culture and strong relationships through daily check-in meetings, companywide off-sites and teamwide bonding events” she shared.
What AB Tasty Does: AB Tasty offers AI-driven experimentation, personalization and product optimization platforms for user testing. As a company specializing in customer experience optimization and feature management, AB Tasty helps brands build better user experiences and unlock new levels of possibilities, faster. For thirteen years, AB Tasty has helped over 1,000 clients reinvent the way their teams develop products.
The Perks
- Generous PTO
- Hybrid workplace
- OKR operational model
Emotional branding: This fall, AB Tasty launched EmotionsAI, technology that helps brands personalize their messaging to customers on an emotional level. The launch was thanks in part to several recent acquisitions by the company, a culmination of lots of hard work. “We worked super hard, and it paid off,” CEO Alix De Sagazan told Built In this fall. “I want us to enjoy this moment.”
What Air Company Does: Air Company is a carbon technology, engineering and design company based in New York that ideates and creates products for the future, out of the air. Using proprietary technology, the company transforms CO2 into impurity-free alcohols that can be used to create a variety of consumer goods. Their innovative solutions directly reduce climate change-causing emissions by converting carbon dioxide into high-quality, sustainable fuels and alcohols, helping to decarbonize the industry.
The Perks
- Company equity program
- Dental and vision insurance
- Commuter benefits
Innovative technology: Air Company is pioneering new technologies that use Earth’s excess CO2 to create carbon-negative alcohols and fuels. They are revolutionizing production standards and supply chains across industries. Stacy Adamson, vice president of people and culture, told Built In this summer that this innovation is what drew her to the job. “After my first meeting with our CEO Greg Constantine, I became particularly interested in supporting a workforce that is deeply committed to addressing climate change,” she said.
What Trail of Bits Does: Trail of Bits is a cybersecurity company that has helped secure some of the world's most targeted organizations and products. The company combines high-end security research with a real-world attacker mentality to reduce risk and fortify code. Since 2012, they’ve been problem-solving with dedicated security teams of companies such as Facebook and DARPA, offering foundational tools and deep expertise in reverse engineering, cryptography, virtualization, malware and software exploits.
The Perks
- Hybrid workplace
- 401(k) and matching plan
- Mental health benefits
Collaborative culture: Even as they’ve grown and scaled up over the last few years, Trail of Bits has been intentional about maintaining a collaborative culture, both within and across teams, hosting regular lunch-and-learns and encouraging engineers to “learn from osmosis” by taking part in other teams’ projects. “The culture of the company makes communication painless, as there isn’t anyone in the company that I would hesitate reaching out to,” Security Engineer Joe Sweeney told Built In this summer.
What Spring Health Does: Spring Health is a comprehensive mental health solution for employers that aims to improve employee mental well-being. The company uses clinically validated AI tech, called Precision Mental Healthcare, to deliver optimal care, which includes meditation, coaching, therapy and medication, or a combination of all four, to its members.
The Perks
- Company equity program
- Fertility benefits
- Home office stipend for remote employees
Empowering teammates: Spring Health has vibrant ERG groups whose mission is to support one another. Director of Revenue Enablement Erica Gomez shared about the ¡Viva Spring! ERG with Built In last month. “It’s not about us and our achievements; it’s how those achievements can help the one or the many. We are on a mission to help our community’s voice be heard, elevate their professional trajectory and help them feel comfortable with who they are,” she said.
What Caesars Sportsbook Does: Caesars Sportsbook connects over 20 million daily users with desktop or mobile casinos and betting sites, partnering with companies like the NFL, CBS Sports and ESPN. The company is a leader in the sports betting industry, a sector growing at record rates.
The Perks
- Mean gender pay gap below 10 percent
- Generous PTO
- Performance bonuses
Women supporting women: Caesars Sportsbook is intentional about offering opportunities for women employees to connect and support one another. “Our Savvy group, a key employee resource group, organizes special programming for women both on-property and virtually,” Vice President and Product Lead Elly Reed told Built In in August.
What GOAT does: GOAT is a premium marketplace for buying and selling authentic sneakers. Founded in 2015 to bring trust and safety to sneaker reselling, the platform now offers the largest selection of sneakers ranging from general releases to rare exclusives. Through its managed marketplace model, authentication service and buyer protection, GOAT is the most trusted option in the industry.
The Perks
- Home office stipend for remote employees
- Family medical leave
- Company equity program
On trend: In November, GOAT released its annual seller report, identifying intriguing microtrends from 2023. The trends include Blokecore, Indie Sleaze and Cyber Gloom, styles from increasingly fragmented cultural niches. The report was drawn from proprietary data gathered across GOAT’s multiple platforms.
What Ampersand Does: Ampersand is a data-driven TV advertising sales and technology company. As the industry’s largest source of combined multiscreen TV inventory and viewership insights, Ampersand is changing the way TV is bought and measured. The company gives advertisers true audience first planning, scale in execution, and advanced measurement of their TV investments.
The Perks
- Flexible spending account
- Dedicated diversity and inclusion staff
- Job training and conferences
Lifelong learning: Ampersand values continuing education and skill development. “Ampersand’s leadership truly values its people and, as a result, has specific learning and development budgets allocated to promote distinct learning agendas,” Vice President of Data Innovation Rachel Herbstman told Built In this summer.
What Haven Technologies Does: Haven Technologies, a SaaS insurtech company, specializes in serving the life, disability and annuities sectors. Their advanced platform, now available to everyone as a service, is renowned for delighting customers, transforming advisor-driven businesses and facilitating the rapid launch of innovative products.
The Perks
- Adoption assistance
- Commuter benefits
- Highly diverse management team
Problem-solving mindset: At Haven, even if the first solution isn’t the final one, the process of problem solving is a core value. “I’ve gained autonomy and leadership opportunities at Haven Tech by learning to come to the table with solutions, not just problems,” Chief Information Security Officer Asia LaBrie told Built In last year.
What Valon Does: Valon helps homeowners navigate the mortgage servicing process and make informed financial decisions. The company is made up of a growing team of engineers, operators, product enthusiasts, and experienced servicing professionals, who are leveraging technology to fundamentally improve the homeownership experience. Valon is taking the first step in transforming the industry one homeowner, and lender, at a time.
The Perks
- Unlimited vacation policy
- Health, vision & dental insurance
- Performance bonuses
Customer-oriented: Valon seeks out customer feedback as a way of constantly improving. “As a technology-forward company, we are always looking for ways to improve our product, and customer feedback is critical to our overall product strategy,” Senior Product Manager Jonte Craighead told Built In in April.
What LoanStreet Does: LoanStreet is a marketplace that enables the efficient syndication of loans and loan pools. A fintech startup that helps community lenders like credit unions share loans with each other so that they can compete in today's market, LoanStreet offers a marketplace with standardized legal agreements along with automated financial reporting. This creates strategies that are vastly more liquid, data-driven, and profitable. Their work enables community lenders to diversify and help their often underserved neighborhoods access capital.
The Perks
- Commuter benefits
- Generous PTO
- Hiring that promotes diversity
A culture of commitment: Loan Street’s employees are bucking the tech industry trend of changing jobs every couple of years. The company’s mission and culture keep employees sticking around for long tenures. “At LoanStreet, it’s the people who make the day-to-day work a pleasure and who inspire me to stay,” Vice President Ranna Bansal, who’s been with the company for over seven years, told Built In last year.
What Spot & Tango Does: Spot & Tango is an innovative pet health and wellness brand that provides dogs with fresh, human grade meals at prices humans can afford since 2018. Their recipes are made with only whole vegetables, fruits, grains, and meats. Every vet-formulated meal plan is delivered directly to customers’ doors, completely customized to their dog’s weight, age, activity level and health goals.
The Perks
- Partners with nonprofits
- Team-based strategic planning
- Unlimited vacation policy
Fun coworkers: “We're always trying to mix things up! Lately our events have ranged - from casual happy hours around the office, to Yankees games and bowling leagues, to big backyard BBQs in the summer and dressy holiday parties in the winter,” said Director of Strategic Operations Shohini Rakhit.
What BentoBox Does: BentoBox is a hospitality company that develops a mobile operations platform for restaurants to automate tasks. The platform, which is used by over 14,000 entities worldwide, allows restaurants to design elevated websites, drive online ordering and access data analytics. Over 80 percent of the BentoBox team has already worked in hospitality, making the company uniquely equipped to serve its customers.
The Perks
- Generous parental leave
- Continuing education stipend
- Charitable contribution matching
A rising tide lifts all boats: BentoBox’s culture is collaborative and celebratory. “The world of hospitality is a small one, and our sales reps’ ability to build trust and lasting relationships with restaurant owners and operators leads to big returns,'' Sales Manager Miriam Neustadt told Built In this summer.
What Orchard Does: Orchard is a real estate technology company enabling homesellers to buy their new home before they sell, harness real estate, mortgage and title services in one place, and access local agents and price-boosting options. Operating in six metropolitan areas, the company is a licensed broker entity with real estate agents they call Home Advisors.
The Perks
- Fitness stipend
- 401(k)
- Highly diverse management team
Ecosystem of support: Orchard has dedicated pathways for employee development and advancement. Head of People Anna Pearson told Built In this summer about building a new manager training program. “When we stepped back to look at the core elements we needed to include, we recognized four pieces — cultivating talent, driving results, creating alignment, and building trust and an inclusive culture,” she said.
