Recent exciting breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI) have led to the creation of some of the best AI startups. Even major tech companies are dedicating resources to machine learning to try and develop their own artificial intelligence technology.
From big data applications to natural language processing and facial recognition solutions, AI startup companies are taking Silicon Valley and the rest of the tech industry by storm and making a difference in people’s lives the world over. In this article, we’ll explore the best AI startups that exist on the market today.
What Are AI Startup Companies?
AI startups are small tech companies that address pressing issues in manufacturing, business operations, and our everyday lives through the development and application of intelligent software and machine learning models that automate and improve technological processes. According to Investopedia, a startup is a new company with high costs and big ideas.
Top AI Companies That Began as Startups
Many companies that began as artificial intelligence startups are now leaders in the field. They use an AI-powered platform to improve their operations, or they profit by selling AI-improved tech directly. These companies now offer highly valuable artificial intelligence stocks.
Big AI Companies
- IBM
- Nvidia
- Amazon
- Meta (formerly Facebook)
- Microsoft
The Best AI Startup Companies
| Company Name | Location | Funding | Number of Employees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argo AI | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | $3.6B | 1,537 (2022) |
| Aurora Innovation | Mountain View, California | $2.1B | 1,600 (2021) |
| Blue Hexagon | San Francisco, California | $37M | 32 (2022) |
| Blue River Tech | Sunnyvale, California | $30.1M | 210 (2021) |
| CloudWalk Technology | Beijing, China | $804.7M | 212 (2022) |
| Darktrace | Cambridge, UK | $230.5M | 1,600 (2021) |
| Dataminr | New York, New York | $1.1B | 974 (2022) |
| Frame AI | New York, New York | $10.3M | 53 (2022) |
| NextBillion AI | Central Region, Singapore | $13.3M | 91 (2022) |
| Orbital Insight | Palo Alto, California | $128.7M | 92 (2022) |
The Top AI Startups: A Closer Look
Argo AI
- Founded: 2016
- Funding: $3.6B
Argo AI is an artificial intelligence company that develops self-driving technology. It is using AI to create completely autonomous vehicles capable of navigating the roads and interacting with other drivers, specifically in ride-sharing and delivery services. This AI startup is already collaborating with leading automakers on software, hardware, and maps.
Aurora Innovation
- Founded: 2017
- Funding: $2.1B
Aurora Innovation is another promising AI startup that works on self-driving vehicles. Backed by Amazon and Sequoia, it has created the Aurora Driver, a driving software product that can be used in passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and even heavy trucks. This artificial intelligence platform allows customers to autonomously operate their self-driving cars safely and efficiently.
Blue Hexagon
- Founded: 2017
- Funding: $37M
Blue Hexagon focuses on cyber security applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning, with an online cloud security product that can neutralize network threats in seconds. The San Francisco-based startup’s analytics platform can accurately detect and identify known and unknown hazards, determine misconfigurations, and successfully defend your cloud.
Blue River Tech
- Founded: 2011
- Funding: $30.1M
Blue River Tech is an AI startup in the agricultural industry. It has created intelligent agricultural machinery that utilizes computer vision and machine learning models to apply pesticides to weeds without damaging the crops. Using these AI-based products improves farming profitability, helps reduce pesticide use, and gathers individual plant data.
CloudWalk Technology
- Founded: 2015
- Funding: $804.7M
CloudWalk Technology is a promising AI startup that develops facial recognition tech designed for several different industries. It has created facial recognition terminals, door entries with facial scanning, and scanning infrared binoculars. This startup also develops big data platforms for public security, connecting airline passengers’ data with local police departments.
Darktrace
- Founded: 2013
- Funding: $230.5M
Darktrace is one of the hottest AI startups providing cyber security services through autonomous response tech. Its AI-powered platform identifies, prevents, and eliminates insider threats, protecting the cloud, email, networks, and industrial systems. Darktrace applies self-learning AI to better analyze how the business works in order to protect it.
Dataminr
- Founded: 2009
- Funding: $1.1B
Dataminr is one of the best AI startups in the field of real-time event and risk detection. Its artificial intelligence analytics platform analyzes and detects threats and emerging risks to user data from public data sources across many geographies, languages, and topics. Both the private and public sectors rely on this platform to respond to crises with speed and confidence.
Frame AI
- Founded: 2016
- Funding: $10.3M
Frame AI has created software that reads, gathers, and analyzes customer engagement through an artificial intelligence analytics platform. This AI tech can analyze behavioral patterns through customer engagement. Some of the biggest tech companies in the world, like Nvidia, use Frame AI’s services to improve their customer experiences.
NextBillion AI
- Founded: 2020
- Funding: $13.3M
NextBillion AI has created an AI-based mapping service that helps other companies solve location problems. This startup technology company works across several industries, such as ride-sharing, food delivery, freight, and logistics. It uses artificial intelligence to help its customers build, scale, and manage its own mapping systems to promote the development of smart cities, while addressing the complexity of the world’s urban infrastructure.
Orbital Insight
- Founded: 2013
- Funding: $128.7M
Orbital Insight has created a geospatial platform that uses machine learning to develop actionable insights regarding hidden occurrences on our planet. The AI-powered platform can transform satellite images, mobile locations, and other data into mission-critical information about economic, environmental, and social trends.
Benefits of Working at an AI Startup
Working for an AI startup can be a very challenging but rewarding experience. Being at the forefront of AI technological development involves fast-paced working environments, many opportunities for growth, and a chance to be creative in your own work.
Top 5 Reasons to Work at a AI Startup
- Fast-paced work environment. The ever-evolving field of AI tech has everyone on the go. This means you’ll rarely have a boring day of work at any of the hottest AI startups.
- Experience-based learning. At an AI startup, you’ll get to learn directly from your own experience with cutting-edge technologies, which will make you constantly push you to take your skills to the next level.
- Innovation and autonomy. While you’ll still have to present your work on time, you’ll get to enjoy your own autonomy over how you find solutions to problems. Many tech startups are also friendly to remote working, so you may be able to work from home.
- Never-ending opportunities. Working at an AI startup means you won’t be put in a box. You’ll always have opportunities to grow in your domain, or even try out different fields.
- Comprehensive perks. AI startups value quality talent and are willing to invest in talented candidates. This means that working at AI startups always comes with great incentives.
Can a Coding Bootcamp Help Me Get a Job at an AI Startup?
Yes, coding bootcamps are a great way to help you get a job at an AI startup, as well as other jobs that use AI. Coding bootcamps offer immersive data science, AI, cyber security, and machine learning programs. They also offer hands-on experience and real-world projects to work on. Some coding bootcamps allow people to work in AI without having an official degree.
Top Bootcamps with AI Programs
- Berkeley Executive Ed. UC Berkeley offers AI-based courses, like Artificial Intelligence: Business Strategies and Applications, that introduce basic applications of AI to those who work in the business and financial services sector.
- CodeBoxx. This bootcamp provider offers training in AI programs that explore API integration, machine learning, deep learning, data analytics, and reinforcement learning.
- Colaberry. Colaberry’s bootcamps focus on the latest AI tools for working with data. It offers instructor-led training in data analytics, data science, machine learning, and AI.
- The Data Incubator. Its Artificial Intelligence with TensorFlow and Keras course offers an immersive hands-on experience with deep learning technology, neural networks, and AI.
- Udacity. AI for Healthcare is a top course offered by Udacity, where students learn to build, evaluate, and integrate predictive models to transform patient outcomes in the healthcare industry.
Common Jobs in AI
- Data Analytics: Data analysts study a wide variety of data to try and find patterns that will help them create faster predictive models for the company’s future.
- User Experience: Professionals working in user experience work with products that analyze how consumers use different devices. Becoming a UX/UI designer is a good career choice for anyone interested in user experience and customer engagement.
- AI Engineer: An AI engineer is responsible for creating new AI models from scratch, and for helping product managers and other senior employees interpret and understand the models’ results.
- Natural Language Processing: Professionals in this field need extensive knowledge in coding languages and overall tech. They create new systems that help computers successfully communicate with humans.
Should I Work For an AI Startup Company?
Yes, you should work for an AI startup company if you want a rewarding and fast-paced tech career. AI is quickly changing the industry landscape, getting more powerful every day through natural language understanding and faster rate outputs. Its use is already extremely widespread across many fields, and companies offer significant pay and incentives to the field’s experts.
Best AI Startups FAQ
Yes, a career in AI is worth it. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, computer and information research scientists, among which AI experts are included, earn a mean annual wage of $142,650. Their occupational outlook is projected to grow by 22 percent in the next decade, which is much faster than the national average for other occupations.
The most popular programming languages for AI include Python, JavaScript, Java, Scala, and R. Python is the easiest programming language to learn, so it’s always a good starting point for people who want to start learning to code.
To get a job in AI, you’ll typically need a background in technology as well as a degree in computer science. However, you can get an entry-level job at certain AI companies without a degree by enrolling in a good coding bootcamp with an AI training program.
Yes, there are many fun AI courses for kids. Children who are fascinated by tech and artificial intelligence can check out Create and Learn’s AI classes for kids, or even enroll in IBM’s Machine Learning for Kids course for free.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
