DC's Fastest-Growing Companies
From The Farmer
Company: Direct-to-consumer provider of weekly farm-box food, connecting consumers directly to farmers and producers in the DC area. Founders, pictured, are Nick Phelps and Jason Lundberg.
Employees: 37
Growth: 150% in revenue; 165% in head count
Reason for growth: High level of service and word-of-mouth.
Latest news: Soon rolling out new features and products, including humanely raised meats.
Most people don’t know: While a food logistics company at its core, From the Farmer has built its own technology and web applications, making it a food company powered by technology.
Surefire Social
Company: Marketing-as-a-Service company that created a cloud-based digital marketing automaton platform for hyper local marketing for small businesses and multi-location national brands.
Revenue: $5.5M
Employees: 140
Growth: 60% in revenue; 50% in head count
Reason for growth: Company’s marketing automation platform (SurePulse), geared to small businesses, is built on an open tech stack, letting clients customize their user experience without being locked into proprietary software.
Top customers: Andersen Windows, GAF (roofing shingles), Louisiana Pacific Corp, Rite Aid/RediClinic
Latest news: Released new features on SurePulse so users can publish to and manage over 50 online directories. Company was also named to Inc. 5000 for second year.
Most people don’t know: Surefire Social built the first and only complete tech stack for hyper local digital marketing.
Modus Create
Company: Consulting services firm that moves apps into the cloud and onto devices.
Revenue: $7M
Employees: 66
Growth: 28% in revenue
Reason for growth: Added full stack development capabilities; market opportunity dramatically increased for HTLM5 and mobile web applications; and company expanded resources geographically.
Top customers: Fortune 500 clients (can’t be named), Spargo Inc, Tillster
Latest news: Opened new HQ in Reston; opened first international office in Romania, which has grown to 20 people in nine months; named fastest-growing software company in DC region by Inc Magazine; and hired new VP of sales, Jeremiah Smith.
Most people don’t know: Modus Create co-founder/CEO Pat Sheridan (above) is a former artist and has large mural paintings in DC. Pat and the team recently designed and built a 15-foot cardboard boombox that greets office visitors. Now attempting to wire it for sound so that employees can control it with mobile devices.
Urgent.ly
Company: An on-demand roadside assistance service that doesn’t require a subscription or membership fee. (Think Uber for roadside assistance.)
Employees: 10
Reason for growth: Rise of the on-demand economy. Over 200,000 drivers have used the service and millions will have direct access through connected car platforms, including AT&T Drive and Cost2Drive. Millennials are not joining traditional auto clubs like AAA and are instead choosing on-demand options.
Top customers: AT&T, MapQuest, Zendrive
Latest news: Raised $7M in Series A funding from Allianz Digital Corporate Ventures, Verizon Ventures and Forté Ventures.
Most people don’t know: The team sounds an alarm and throws confetti every time an auto club tests the Urgent.ly service.
TeleWorld Solutions
Company: Wireless integrator for network operators, OEMs and tower companies.
Revenue: $34M
Customers: Nextel, Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, SiriusXM
Employees: 320
Growth: 84%
Latest news: Named to Inc. 5000 list second year in a row.
Most people don’t know: TeleWorlds holds a tea time at 3pm daily, where employees in the office huddle for tea and biscuits and talk about the day. Great way to keep connected and have fun.
Did you miss Part 1 and Part 2 of the Fastest-Growing Companies series? You can help celebrate the Fasting-Growing Companies at a party on Oct. 20 at 1776-Crystal City.
