15 Denver Startups That Take Center Stage in Tech Spotlight In 2023

Welcome to “the Mile-High City”! Although Denver may be best-known as the birthplace of the cheeseburger (thanks to Louis Ballast, a Denverite who was the first person to trademark it), the last few years were so prosperous for tech innovation in the Colorado capital that some journalists have already coined a new nickname for it, ‘the next Silicon Valley.’ 

While the Bay Area struggles with oversaturation, and there are signs that it may be losing its appeal, Colorado is picking up momentum. The Denver/Boulder area is undergoing a dynamic expansion of the startup scene, as the local conditions are extremely favorable to setting up new businesses.

Last year, Forbes ranked Denver fourth best place for doing business in the USA. It’s one of the most dynamic economies in the country, demonstrating one of the lowest unemployment rates. The city’s experiencing an influx of tech talent and is earmarked for startup success. 

But don’t take our word for it; go through our list of 15 Denver startups at the forefront of web development innovation, and see for yourself.

1. BiggerPockets

Would you like to turn your nest egg into income? Or maybe you are dreaming of quitting your current job and pursuing a more satisfying career? BiggerPockets is an online community of over 1,400,000 members looking to succeed at real estate investing. It provides users with tools, data, and resources to enhance real estate knowledge, networking, and dealmaking.

Members get access to an enormous real estate knowledge database (over 1.5 M forum posts!), and thousands of investment calculators and reports. The platform allows buyers, analysts, and investors to network with their peers on a single click, educate themselves about the real estate industry, list and promote properties on the marketplace and seek financing for future investments.

Round of funding: no data

Founder/ CEO: Joshua Dorkin (Founder) Scott Trench (CEO)

Funding: no data

Follow on: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

2. SonderMind

Since fatigue, burnout, and depression are becoming commonplace, an increasing number of people seek counseling. Unfortunately, for some, the cost of treatment is a stumbling block to starting therapy. Time is another major hurdle.

SonderMind’s founders were determined to resolve these pain points and facilitate access to therapy for patients. To achieve this, they designed a custom platform that matches users with healthcare providers in their insurance coverage network within 48 hours, allowing them to arrange a consult. While the mission of SonderMind is to redesign behavioral health to become more accessible, approachable, and utilized, the solution also creates an opportunity for clinicians to run their business more efficiently.

Round of funding: Series A

Founder/ CEO: Sean Boyd, Mark Frank

Funding: $5.9 M

Follow on: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

3. Trackvia Inc.

How do you get things done in your company? Chances are, you use workflows to streamline repeatable tasks, and progress with your work faster. While there’s an abundance of workflow management software available, TrackVia offers a low-maintenance, “light” alternative to the usual heavy, complex systems. The platform can be used online and offline and across multiple devices.

The main features include easy data collection, real-time workflow visualization, custom alerts and notification, and API integration with Zapier and other systems. The web and mobile applications are fully customizable without complex coding or IT support. Thanks to the platform’s lightweight structure, portability, and flexibility, it supports a number of use cases, including field service, supply chain, production, compliance, and more. 

Round of funding: Private

Founder/ CEO: Chris Basham, Matt McAdams

Funding: $18.6 M

Follow on: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

4. Convercent

For most modern businesses, compliance is no longer optional. Employees can lose their jobs following a breach, and business may close doors after a lawsuit. However, not every company can afford to maintain a full-blown compliance department to always keep their finger on the pulse of changing regulations.

Denver-based Convercent is an ethics cloud platform offering a full ecosystem of integrated data that organizations can leverage to stay compliant. The platform includes built-in modules for data insights and visualization, communications, policy and disclosure management, and training management to help companies weave in ethics into their business operations. 

Round of funding: Series E

Founder/ CEO: Patrick Quinlan

Funding: $71.2 M

Follow on: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

5. Havenly

An astute businesswoman such as Lee Mayer knows a great opportunity when she sees one. That’s why in 2013, she ditched a cushy job with a healthy six-figure salary to set up Havenly, an online interior design platform. 

Havenly allows those strapped for cash to create a home (or office) of their dreams on a budget. People who are looking to refresh or transform their interior can sign up to the web or mobile app, share their design requirements, add Pins or Instagram images with designs to recreate, and consult selected designers who prepare a custom project that matches their finances. 

The service starts at a humble $19 fee for the basic plan with one design board. For $169, Havenly clients can expect several face-to-face consults with a designer, a few design concepts with one final idea, personalized shopping list, and even ordering support. Considering that an hour of ‘live’ interior designer’s work costs anything between $50-$500, it’s hardly surprising that Havenly is going places.

Round of funding: Venture Round

Founder/ CEO: Lee Mayer

Funding: $25.8 M

Follow on: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

6. Ibotta

We all surely know how to spend money, but how about saving it? Ibotta is a mobile cashback app that allows users to browse retailers and products for the best cashback offers and discounts, and earn on their purchases. 

Shoppers can review rebates and coupons from over 300 retailers, including Amazon, Walmart, Target, Expedia, Hertz, Uber, or Groupon. They save money on discounts and accumulate cashback from purchases on their account to get cash later on.

While Ibotta’s interface is clean and ultra-intuitive, its backend is much more sophisticated. For example, to create optimal search experience integrated with machine learning capabilities, the app leverages Amazon SageMaker with other AWS services. It also uses modern scanning technology by Scandit for consistent scanning across thousands of user devices. This powerful combo of usability, positive user experience, and advanced technologies places Ibotta ahead of the curve; currently, it’s one of the most frequently downloaded apps in the US. 

Round of funding: Series D

Founder/ CEO: Bryan Leach

Funding: $85 M

Follow on: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

7. GutCheck

Chasing your gut when it comes to marketing is rarely a good idea. Successful businesses act on data, and that’s what GutCheck offers. It’s an online market research solution that enables businesses to gain accurate consumer insights directly from target customers via instant messaging.

The tool leverages big data management platforms with millions of consumer profiles and thousands of attributes and blends them with traditional survey methodologies, digital marketing tools, and iterative learning. This results in research-grade insights that GutCheck customers can use to make informed business decisions.

Round of funding: Series D

Founder/ CEO: Matt Warta

Funding: $22 M

Follow on: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

8. Ping Identity

What’s your company’s technology stack? How many disparate systems and apps do you use every day to communicate, store and process data, conduct business, and share information with stakeholders? Some of these software solutions will be in the cloud, others on premise. For all of them, you should guarantee secure, verified user access to keep your business safe.

Ping Identity helps enterprises achieve zero trust, identity-defined security, and more personalized user experiences. The company’s Intelligent Identity Platform provides all users with one-click, secure access to the cloud, mobile, SaaS and on-premises applications and APIs. The solution saves employees’ and customers’ time, while at the same time, it ensures data governance compliance.

Round of funding: Series G

Founder/ CEO: Andre Durand

Funding: $128.3 M

Follow on: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

9. Homebot

If you’re a loan officer or a real estate agent, pay close attention. This one’s for you. Homebot is a client engagement tool for the mortgage and real estate industries that helps professionals maximize their client’s gain from their homes. 

For homeowners, the mobile and desktop app offers customized monthly reports and digests on managing home equity. For real estate professionals, it gives them a chance to cultivate their customer base by engaging renters, investors, and new leads with highly-personalized home finance intelligence and insights. The app pulls data directly from listing services, public records, and RealtyTrac updates to provides customers with the most recent, accurate information about the local real estate market.

Round of funding: Seed Round

Founder/ CEO: Ernie Graham, Ira McMahon

Funding: $4.5 M

Follow on: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

10. PlanOmatic

Since we are talking about real estate, meet the next startup that took the Denver tech scene by the storm. PlanOmatic is a property marketing solution that helps homeowners create beautiful, outstanding listings for their properties to sell/rent them faster. 

The mobile app offers several compelling features, such as interactive floor plans, multiple gallery modes or Google Maps navigation. They make it incredibly easy for homeowners to list and promote their property, and for the users to browse and analyze the listed offers. 

Additionally, PlanOmatic cooperates with over 150 photographers in 32 states to create captivating photos, interactive floor plans, virtual staging, and 3D walkthroughs for clients within two business days from the order placement. To achieve this speed of service, PlanOmatic has created a system of mobile notifications that inform photographers about new assignments immediately as they are confirmed in the company’s scheduling system. In the era of Airbnb and increased competition in the housing market, rich visualization, and outstanding photos are a determiner for quick and lucrative rental.

Round of funding: no data

Founder/ CEO: Kori Covrigaru

Follow on: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

Funding: no data

11. Welltok

People who are actively involved in their treatment experience better outcomes. Despite that, healthcare providers often struggle with motivating patients to take charge of their health and wellbeing. In such a case, the next Denver startup app, Welltok, may be of help. 

Welltok serves the entire healthcare industry with a flexible, scalable SaaS technology that allows tracking and managing consumer health actions. The platform combines big data analysis, machine learning, open APIs, and enhanced security to monitor and analyze the elements of a healthy lifestyle among patients, employees, and consumers, and come up with recommendations. 

While the technological capacities of the solution are impressive, they contribute to a greater good, connecting consumers with personalized health improvement resources, and offering practical recommendations based on the predictive and holistic analysis.

Round of funding: Series E

Founder/ CEO: Jeff Margolis

Funding: $251.7 M

Follow on: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

12. Faction

Faction is a Denver-based managed provider of multi-cloud environments that aims to afford small businesses better economies of scale and help them compete with large enterprises via access to cloud-based solutions. 

The company leverages patented Layer 2 connectivity to all the major clouds, including AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud Platform, allowing businesses to tap on the opportunities of the multi-cloud infrastructure. Faction’s cloud-attached storage platform makes it possible for companies to take what’s best from every cloud, without running the risk of vendor lock-in, loss of compliance, or exorbitant fees. As an ancillary service, Faction also provides managed services to help customers with the installation, set up and management of the combined cloud solutions.

Round of funding: Series B

Founder/ CEO: Sean Charnock

Funding: $49 M

Follow on: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

13. Flowhub

We will remain in the cloud. Just not that kind of cloud.

Flowhub has been born out of the passion for… cannabis. Although this substance is still illegal by the US federal law, 33 states have legalized its medicinal use, while 11 states accept recreational use as well. What’s more, two out of three Americans are in favor of the legalization. Flowhub turned the increasing social approval for cannabis into a viable business opportunity.  

Flowhub is a comprehensive point of sale software for cannabis dispensaries. The software has been built specifically to serve the highly-regulated industry, and it offers a platform that combines the functionalities of a point of sale solution, inventory management, and mobile solutions to help dispensaries streamline their work and ensure compliance. 

Round of funding: Seed Round

Founder/ CEO: Kyle Sherman

Funding: $3.8 M

Follow on: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

14. Hotel Engine

Is that yet another hotel prices comparison app? Not really. As opposed to Booking.com or Expedia, Hotel Engine doesn’t target individual travelers. Instead, it is a free, members-only site for business. Particularly small business, where companies lack the volume to negotiate lower business rates with hotels. The startup platform is providing them with that opportunity. As a result, member companies can save from 10 to 45% on their hotel bookings. 

The app comes with numerous handy features such as a real-time preview of all company trips, direct monthly bills, expense reports, and member rewards program. Additionally, member companies receive dedicated account managers, and their employees can take advantage of the live support team.

Here’s a fun fact: the CEO of Hotel Engine stands behind another highly-successful Denver hospitality startup, Travelers Haven.

Round of funding: no data

Founder/ CEO: Elia Wallen

Funding: no data

Follow on: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

15. Guild Education

Self-improvement, online courses, and employer-sponsored education are big these days, and the last Denver startup on our list is looking to capitalize on these growing trends. The company helps employers connect with nonprofit universities to help employees advance their education across a variety of subject matter. 

But Guild is much more than just a learning platform. Employees are assigned a dedicated education coach who helps them calculate their existing college credits, find the right program, and figure out financing options for affordable education. Companies get an interactive admin platform where they can track program ROI, performance metrics, and tax compliance data to effectively manage their benefits program.

In the words of one of the founders, Rachel Carlson, Guild is “a marketplace of learning opportunities for frontline workers.” And it seems like her idea has turned out pretty well; after signing in some household names such as Walmart, Disney, and Lowe’s in 2018, the company tripled in size; now it is looking to take on another 240 people.

Round of funding: Seed Round

Founder/ CEO: Brittany Stich, Rachel Carlson

Funding: $71.5 M

Follow on: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

Summary

As the above examples prove, there’s no shortage of creativity in Denver software engineering, and the city is a strong contender to become the next innovation hub in the USA.

While there are hundreds of other noteworthy tech companies in Denver, we focused on those Denver startups that are the most diverse and successful. Have they inspired you to develop your own mobile app? 

If so, there’s no need to look for Denver web design companies. Check our software development services and build the next best mobile app with our App Developers in Denver!