The results are in. The moment you’ve been waiting for has arrived. Just moments ago Adyen’s VP of Brand, Charles Gilbert, took to the stage at TNW 2021 to announce this year’s winner of the Tech5 competition. And it is…
The UK based shared experiences platform reached an unprecedented growth explosion. Founded in June 2019, at the time Hopin was a humble operation of eight people. Just two years later, it’s already become one of Europe’s most coveted tech unicorns, having raised over $1 billion since February 2020. It’s now a global operation of 800 employees.
“Going from just an idea to a product so many people around the world have now used, in only two years, is an impressive story of growth and focus. Hopin’s recent $450M Series D investment was a firm endorsement of the company’s financial performance and growth,” Gilbert said.
With Hopin, event organizers can plan virtual, in-person, hybrid, or internal events. It offers both digital venues and professional studio streaming options. Along with this, event marketing materials such as event pages and onsite badge printing can all be done from the same platform. But perhaps the biggest benefit for users are the data capture and lead gen capabilities it provides.
Hopin is now being used by over 100,000 organizations globally. It counts WeTransfer, Poshmark, and YMCA amongst its users, just to name a few. In fact, this year’s TNW conference is also using Hopin to stream sessions to virtual attendees across the world.
But it wasn’t just about growth. Beyond that, the Tech5 judges were also assessing companies’ broader usability and social goals.
According to Tech5 judge and co-founder of TNW, Patrick de Laive, “We’re looking for companies that grow extremely fast and are disrupting their sectors.”
During lockdown, Hopin helped keep businesses running and people connected. It’s demonstrated its commitment to continue doing so by launching a free subscription plan. In addition, it recently announced a partnership with fundraising platform, GoFundMe, which will make it easier for nonprofits and social impact drivers to raise much needed funding during events.
“The platform hit the mainstream at a tough time for the events industry and allowed people to come together while they stayed home. It’s dynamic, easy-to-use and our Tech5 winner for 2021. We’re looking forward to seeing what’s next for Hopin,” said de Laive.
Check out who our individual country winners are here!
Tech5 showcases the hottest young scaleups across Europe based on their performance, growth, and potential. It’s been a launchpad for companies such as Wise, Delivery Hero, Cabify, Foodpanda, Emma Mattress and iZettle. Tech5 finalist alumni have raised over $10 billion in funding altogether over the last eight years.
The Tech5 judging panel consists of investors, influencers, and technology experts. Each year, they identify the top 100 European scaleups by examining growth rate, significant company milestones, fundraising, and disruptive potential.
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