Business Insider

50 startups that will boom in 2018, according to VCs

November 27, 2017

Duo Security: Making passwords more secure

Duo Security: Making passwords more secure

Avery Rosin, Principal at Lead Edge Capital Invested: Duo and Toast

Company name: Duo Security

VC: Avery Rosin, Principal at Lead Edge Capital

Relationship: Investor

Funding: $121.5 million

What it does: Duo is a cloud service that offers password management services and makes sure devices are virus-free before they connect to the corporate network.

Why it’s hot: “Duo just reached a valuation over $1 billion with their latest growth financing that we co-led, after first investing in the business nearly three years ago,” says Rosin.

The company is growing fast, has made a name for itself with health care, tech and other big enterprises, and earlier this year hired Josh Yavor, form Former Head of Corporate Security for Facebook.

Toast: Software that runs restaurants

Toast: Software that runs restaurants

Toast

Company name: Toast

VC: Kent Bennet at Bessemer VP and Avery Rosin at Lead Edge Capital

Relationship:Investors

Funding: $134 million

What it does: Toast is a mobile app for restaurants that handles everything from taking orders at tables to food ordering and loyalty programs.

Why it’s hot: Toast is growing so fast it landed at No. 3 on the Deloitte Fast 500. “This is an incredible product loved by several thousand restaurants,” says Bennet.