Startup Standouts: Runnable

RUNNABLE

Runnable is attempting to create a one stop, searchable library of full stack code for discovering, running, editing, embedding, and sharing code blocks -  in any language, for any developer.

Location: Palo Alto

Website: http://runnable.com/

Size: < 10 people

Funding: $2M Seed

Founders: Yash Kumar (CEO/Founder) 

Why it stands out: 

- attempts to make modular / plug and play programming much more accessible and prevalent
- an organized, searchable, testable environment potentially makes programming faster for professionals, hackers, and possibly  even amateurs
- seems ideal for helping intermediate level programmers move beyond the entry level skills taught on most educational programming sites
- founder's experience in collaborative software and extensive background in all sides of web development bodes well for user experience and core product

Startup Standouts: ZooZ

ZOOZ

ZooZ is a complete and secure in-app checkout solution that makes it easier for mobile application developers to accept payments.

Location: Israel
Website: http://www.zooz.com/
Size: < 10 people
Funding: $1.5M Seed
Founders: Oren Levy (CEO) / Ronen Morecki (CTO) / Eyal Kotler (Product) / Nir Zohar (R&D) 

Why it stands out: 

- ZooZ is a mobile first payments solution; no traditional online commerce focus here

- Product works/links payments across multiple mobile applications (in the ZooZ network)

- Platform is an open solution with broad range of payment options (credit cards, PayPal, Dwolla, Stripe)

- Very developer friendly: built for multiple languages and mobile operating systems (including HTML5) 

- One of the few payments startups with an international team, location and product

Startup Standouts: Startup Genome

STARTUP GENOME

Startup Genome makes software that allows startups to benchmark and compare themselves to others similar in progress and type. The tool collects data and helps startups identify key performance indicators and make data driven decisions.

Location: San Francisco
Website: https://www.startupcompass.co/
Size: < 10 people
Funding: Seed, N/A
Founders: Bjoern Lasse Herrmann (CEO) / Max Marmer (CSO) / Ertan Dogrultan (CTO)

Why it stands out:

- Quality industry and geographical research reports and frameworks based on data collected from a myriad of startups

- Takes the lead on building much needed risk and performance tools for entrepreneurs

- Historical combination of academics and practitioners involved, as founders, employees, and advisers
- Systemizing and synthesizing startup data across the globe is vital to the future of entrepreneurship

Startup Standouts: CB Insights

CB INSIGHTS

CB Insights is a financial services firm that collects private company information (including startups) to power data driven analytics, insights, tools, and statistics for those same companies and the general/investing public.

Location: New York, NY
Website: http://www.cbinsights.com/
Size: < 10 people
Funding: $650k in NSF grants
Founders: Anand Sanwal (CEO) / Jonathan Sherry

Why it stands out:

- Value proposition: aggregates often hard to find/get data on private and early stage companies 

- Provides simple, frequent, digestible data insights at the industry level

- The most consistent and comprehensive private company funding data flow that I've seen anywhere

- Hard won, slow built reputation topped by partnerships with Forbes and Silicon Valley Bank