What can a startup achieve in 6 months? We asked our 2023 RealLIST Startups founders

Six months ago, we gave you the top 20 startups to watch in the DC area — and we’re not ones to make predictions without expecting results.

Our annual list, called RealLIST Startups, compiles the cream of the crop, the who’s who, the ones we’re expecting big things from in the DC-area startup scene. To qualify, startups had to be founded in 2020 or later; generate a large portion of their revenue from selling a product; and have no major exits like a merger, acquisition or IPO.

Now, six months later, we dropped them a line to see how things are going and if these founders are living up to their potential. Here’s what they said:

10. Dorvie

The DC company — which built software that helps people schedule and pay for home maintenance, housekeeping, food delivery services and more — has been busy since January. It expanded its reach into partnerships with nursing homes and is now providing services in Texas, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Connecticut, as well as across the DMV.

9. KeyCaliber

According to founder Roselle Safran, the DC cyber company signed its first deal with a managed security service provider this year and has several similar deals in the works. The company was also awarded a United States Air Force AFWERX SBIR Phase I deal and was selected as a TechConnect Innovation Award winner.

As for the rest of the year? “We have a slew of major deals in motion so our plan for the rest of 2023 is to close them!” Safran wrote in an email.

8. IndyGeneUS

In June, the DC genomics startup inked a partnership with the Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center. With that deal, IndyGeneUS will be building a pocket detection pouch device to quickly inform users of potential exposure to environmental hazards and infections. Plus, it nabbed a partnership with a fellow RealLIST awardee, more on that below.

7. Loops

Maryland-based Loops, which helps companies with emails and automated messages, is currently growing, according to founder Chris Franz. In the next month or so, he’s hoping for a public launch and is potentially looking at a raise early next year.

6. Hubble

Hubble’s leadership is pretty busy over in Reston, Virginia as it gears up for its next phase. On August 7, the company will launch its Aurora platform, featuring a no-code dashboard option, open schema and the ability to integrate Hubble’s tech into third-party apps. The company plans to debut the tech at the Black Hat USA conference in Nevada.

5. AI Squared

After leaving Silicon Valley to start the company, founder Benjamin Harvey has been on a roll, raising $6 million after only a year of life last June. Since being named to our list, the company was dubbed a Top 10 Global AI Startup by CRN Magazine and a Most Promising Low Code, No Code Platform Solutions Provider by CIOReview.

In June, it also teamed up with IndyGeneUS for data integration and insights. Together, the pair plans to build short- and long-term commercialization opportunities through drug development with advanced AI.

IndyGeneUS founder Yusuf Henriques (left) and AI Squared founder Benjamin Harvey. (Courtesy photo)

4. BuildWithin

Founder Ximena Hartsock said BuildWithin has had a busy first half of 2023, which includes boosting the number of platform users by 400% after onboarding several Fortune 1000 companies. PitchBook also recently deemed the company one of 10 edtech startups to watch.

3. Cinder

Cinder made a splash when it nabbed a $14 million round in December after just a year of life. Since then, the company was named one of the 73 most promising startups of 2023 by Insider and achieved SOC 2 Type II compliance. It’s also been doing a ton of hiring, according to LinkedIn.

2. RegScale

After a hugely successful 2022, RegScale is continuing to surf the compliance tech wave and is hoping to reshape the way companies think about compliance. So far this year, it doubled the team size, signed a few enterprise accounts and was selected as a finalist for Best Regulatory Compliance Solution in the 2023 Gartner Market Guide for Continuous Compliance Automation by SC Media.

“Compliance is an inherently boring task and it’s not the thing that gets people excited,” founder Anil Karmel said earlier this month. “But the reality is: This is an area that hasn’t seen innovation in decades and is ripe for disruption.”

1. Inspiration Mobility

Our top pick has been on a hiring spree since January, according to the company’s LinkedIn page. Other than that, it’s been celebrating wins in the green energy space, like New York City’s requirement that ride-share cars go 100% electric by 2030 and the California Air Resources Board’s Advanced Clean Fleets ruling.

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As for our honorable mentions, they’re giving the top 10 a run for their money. Here’s how some of them are faring, in no particular order:

• University Startups: CEO and cofounder Marc Steren said that the company has grown about 17x what it was in January and entered into new markets, including New York City. It’s also closing a round and launching an equity incubator in September.
• Enabled Intelligence: Founder and CEO Peter Kant said that the company doubled its revenue over the past six months, and is now cash flow positive. From here, he plans to continue to grow in the public sector.
• Perfectly Pitched: Since January, founder Heather Lawver said that the startup completed its participation in Techstars Atlanta and is nearly done with the build of its Ceemo product. It also nabbed a partnership with Crunchbase, incorporating the data into brand generation algorithms, and is about to kick off a $1.5 million seed round for its public launch.
  • “Next steps: we’re currently looking for accelerators, universities, and VC firms interested in participating in our upcoming private beta,” Lawver wrote in an email.
• Chestr: Last week, Chestr premiered on Product Hunt and ranked #5 on the Product of the Day list. Starting next month, it plans to partner with influencers for its first-ever marketing campaign and will open a seed round in September.
• OneVillage: Over the past six months, the platform for cancer patient connections has been navigating an expansion into mental health, substance use and major surgery patients. It now has expanded services with insurance sales representatives and serves prominent local employers like Custom Ink, Optoro and Clutch. On top of this, the company will also be opening a $3 million to $4 million seed round in September to hire sales leaders and others to help build out the company’s infrastructure.
  • “Looking ahead, our vision is to forge stronger partnerships with leading insurance companies such as OneDigital and BBG in our local market, while simultaneously expanding our services nationwide to esteemed groups like Marsh, AON, JustWorks and others,” Yeseyan said. “We are also beginning to explore the recent regulatory changes related to health and wellness coaching reimbursement by insurance companies.”
• Cambium Carbon: Tace Loeb, VP, said that the startup recently was the winner of the World Economic Forum Sustainable Forestry Prize. The company is also building its first Reforestation Hub in Philadelphia and is on track for 100% year-over-year revenue growth.
  • “Cambium Carbon is gearing up for an epic fall, with technology and Carbon Smart Wood set to soar,” Loeb noted.
• Standd: The compliance tech startup won Best Pitch at the Techstars Seattle Demo Day. It’s also launching pilot programs with DC law firms and working on a raise, according to founder Julie Saltman.