Two local companies are among the country's Top 50 Startups to Watch, according to LinkedIn.
Miami-based Sardine Financial, a fintech that help businesses protect themselves from fraud, was ranked 19 on the list. BrightNight, a West Palm Beach renewable energy power company, came in at 47.
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Founded in 2020, Sardine has 100 employees and has a headquarters office near Aventura. Last year the startup raised $51.5 million in a series B round led by Andreessen Horowitz’s (a16z) Growth Fund.
BrightNight aims to provide large-scale sustainable solar energy at low cost to utilities, commercial and industrial clients, and landowners.The firm has 152 employees and is backed by $500 million investment from Global Infrastructure Partners that closed in 2022.
The startups were chosen based on a variety of factors, including employment growth, the rate at which people are applying for jobs at the company, and how many employees it draws from other top firms. To qualify, startups must have existed for five years or less.
"This year’s honorees have trailblazed their way through recent economic and workplace challenges — and managed to stand out to investors and top talent along the way," the report said.
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Three other Florida companies made the list, including Tampa-based startups Zoa Energy (37) and Deepwatch (42). Jacksonville's All Elite Wrestling, a professional wrestling promotional businesses, was ranked 18.
Most of the top startups on the list were headquartered in California or New York City, with a handful based in Colorado, Washington, Montana and Massachusetts.
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