As the Northern Hemisphere enters summer and temperatures heat up, the economic markets seem to be doing the exact opposite. While summers are usually slow months for deal activity, the first half of this year has been unnaturally cool for both deal volumes and values.
However, there's still reason for dealmakers to look on the sunny side. Firms continue to sit on a mountain of dry powder "$3.7 trillion, according to Bain & Company. Valuation multiples are 27% lower. And there are a number of companies that are still growing at an incredibly quick rate, making now a great opportunity to find your next deal.
To help spark some inspiration, Sourcescrub searched for the fastest-growing bootstrapped companies based on their growth rate in the first half of 2023. Let's dive into trends from the top 50 (and then we'll give you a sneak peek at the top 10).
One of the most surprising trends from the top 50 fastest-growing bootstrapped companies is that they are all headquartered in one of three countries. A full two-thirds (66%) are from the United States, with the United Kingdom following in second at 22% and Canada rounding out the list at 12%. Interestingly, this is following the same trend as we saw from last year's Best of Bootstrapped for 2022, where all 50 companies hailed from just five countries versus eleven in 2021.
While the top 50 fastest-growing bootstrapped companies in the first half of 2023 span 15 separate industries, 40% of them are in technology. Healthcare is the next most populous at 12%, with four companies comprising the third-most populated industry on our list: utilities. This distribution is in stark contrast to the companies that grew the fastest in 2022, when just 11 industries were represented, and none made up more than 20% of the group.
All 50 of the companies in our list were founded since 2000, with nearly half between 2010 and 2019. Surprisingly, nearly a third (30%) were founded within the last 3 years, while the fewest amount, 22%, began between 2000 and 2009.
The range of company sizes is also quite varied, with companies having reported employee counts of anywhere from a handful of employees to 8% of businesses in the 1001 - 5000 range. Half of the top 50 fastest-growing bootstrapped companies have 50 or fewer employees, though, which falls in line with what we would expect from many startups.
Because of Sourcescrub's deal sourcing platform and multi-source signal data, we were able to estimate revenue for nearly all the companies on our list. Over half the companies for which we could estimate earnings were between $11 and 25 million USD, with the second most populous group making between just one and ten million at 21.4%. Perhaps most surprisingly, 14.3% were estimated to have a revenue of over $50 million, which is especially good considering the growth rates of the businesses in our list.
After analyzing the whole list, here are the top 10 fastest-growing non-transacted companies, based on their growth over the past six months, listed alphabetically:
AI Accelerator Institute (AIAI)
AIAI is an alliance of AI infrastructure innovators committed to creating the next generation of machine intelligence. The company develops cutting-edge machine intelligence, specifically focusing on accelerating AI.
Founded in 2020, Defensa is an extension of Red Dot Security Limited, a company that originally focused on bespoke systems for clients. They now offer their knowledge and equipment to anyone that might need a safe, reliable security system. They also research new equipment and software solutions to keep their clients up to date with the latest technologies in the security industry.
For providers whose primary difficulty is locating healthcare talent, Emonic makes it easy to identify and recruit exceptional healthcare professionals on their behalf. They are dedicated to ensuring their clients have access to the best possible candidates by fostering and maintaining interest, as well as connecting them with reputable healthcare organizations.
FootfallCam, Ltd. is a leading manufacturer of both hardware and software people-counting devices in the UK, and is changing the retail industry by delivering retail analytics such as opportunity costs. The company has developed into a technologically sophisticated system with many world's first innovations.
Hotel Management International, Inc. (HMI)
HMI specializes in hotel site selection, hotel contract negotiation for meetings and conferences, and complete virtual solutions. It operates various hotels, resorts, ryokans, wedding halls, travel and tourism businesses, and sports and cultural centers.
Lolly helps brands maximize their presence across social media by partnering with creators on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. With Lolly, businesses can quickly create, manage, and optimize their influencer marketing campaigns and more easily automate their influencer marketing workflows. Their database touts over 50 million influencers, and the company offers varied services to build scalable creative campaigns across multiple channels.
Matador AI, Inc. is a conversational marketing automation platform for dealerships that utilizes AI to help sales reps more easily contact and stay in communication with potential car buyers. Through their conversation automation platform, car dealerships can run automated workflows over SMS to nurture and accelerate buyers in their purchase journey.
Focusing specifically on fine wine and craft spirits, Maverick Beverage Company serves six states across the US, including Texas, Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota. Maverick Beverage Company strives to remain relevant and compete in markets increasingly dominated by a handful of large wholesalers while operating independently to better serve each market and deliver for their customers and suppliers.
Quality Sitework Materials (QMS)
QMS specializes in drainage, sewer, and specialty paving products, serving the civil building trades throughout the state of Louisiana. The company's products are used in drainage, sewer, water control, erosion control, and paving for municipal works, public works, and civil construction for infrastructure, commercial, and resident projects.
Wiza, Inc. offers an enrichment tool for sales, marketing, and recruitment. The company provides LinkedIn prospecting, scraping, and email verification solutions. It also lists professional and personal emails, phone numbers, social media handles, company info, and more.
If you're looking for your next great deal, Sourcescrub's deal sourcing platform can help you search over 40 million companies and find opportunities that best match your firm's specialized focus and investment thesis. With hundreds of thousands of sources and private company data signals you won't find anywhere else, Sourcescrub helps firms like Francisco Partners, LFM Capital, Vaquero, and more see more deals and win more often.
Want to learn more about the top 50 fastest-growing private companies of 2023 so far? You can download the full list as well as browse our full library of Best of Bootstrapped sourcing lists here.
