2025’s Fastest-Growing Startups: From AI to eSIMs – TK

2025’s Fastest-Growing Startups: From AI to eSIMs

The landscape of startups is constantly changing. It is a dynamic environment where companies must be agile and adaptive to survive and thrive. In recent years, several factors have shaped the startup ecosystem, including a weak economy, higher loan rates, and a lack of venture capital funding. These challenges have forced many firms to modify their operations and strategies in order to remain competitive and sustainable in the long run. Despite these obstacles, some new enterprises have managed to weather the storm and are growing rapidly, reshaping industries from IT to retail. These are the fastest-growing firms of 2025.

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One such company is AI Perplexity, a generative AI-powered conversational search engine based in San Francisco, California. Founded in 2022, AI Perplexity has seen a search growth of 7,200% in the past five years, with monthly website visits reaching 123.6 million. The company’s Series C funding stands at $915 million, and its main offering is an AI-powered chatbot that provides users with accurate and contextual information. With 10 million monthly users and $20 million in annual recurring revenue, AI Perplexity recently received a $500 million investment, bringing its valuation to $9 billion.

Another rapidly growing startup is ZeroTier, a secure peer-to-peer network provider based in LA, California. Established in 2015, ZeroTier has seen a search growth of 456% over the past five years, with monthly website visits reaching 1.5 million. The company’s Series A funding stands at $15.9 million, and it currently supports over 2 million monthly active devices in 220 countries and territories. ZeroTier recently secured $13.5 million in Series A investment to expand into new markets and develop innovative products.

Deepgram, an automated speech recognition and voice AI firm, is another fast-growing startup based in San Francisco, California. Founded in 2015, Deepgram has experienced a search growth of 2,800% over the past five years, with monthly website visits of 838,100. The company’s Series B funding stands at $85.9 million, and its main products include speech-to-text, text-to-speech, and audio intelligence AI models. Deepgram recently introduced Aura, its latest real-time text-to-speech API, catering to conversational AI agents and voice bots.

Scale AI, a provider of high-quality training data and digital infrastructure for AI applications, is experiencing rapid growth in San Francisco, California. Founded in 2016, Scale AI has seen a search growth of 579% over the past five years, with monthly website visits reaching 464,800. The company’s Series F funding stands at $3.5 billion, and it recently raised $1 billion in Series F fundraising, bringing its valuation to $13.8 billion.

Cradlewise, a smart bassinet provider, is also making waves in the industry. Founded in 2019 in San Francisco, California, Cradlewise has seen a search growth of 9,500% over the past five years, with monthly website visits of 55,400. The company’s seed funding stands at $7 million, and its smart bassinets track sleep depth and soothe infants when they wake up. Cradlewise made $8 million in revenue in 2023.

PhotoRoom, an AI-powered picture and video editing startup based in Paris, France, is experiencing exponential growth. Founded in 2019, PhotoRoom has seen a search growth of over 99x in the past five years, with monthly website visits reaching 18.5 million. The company’s Series B funding stands at $64 million, and it has garnered 150 million app downloads and 30 million active users since its launch. PhotoRoom raised $43 million in Series B investment, bringing its valuation to $500 million.

Preply, a language tutoring business based in Brookline, Massachusetts, is rapidly expanding. Established in 2012, Preply has seen a search growth of 1,011% over the past five years, with monthly website visits reaching 21.8 million. The company’s Series C funding stands at $171 million, and it uses a marketplace concept to connect students with teachers from 180 countries.

Airalo, an eSIM provider for travelers based in Singapore, is experiencing significant growth. Founded in 2019, Airalo has seen a search growth of 3,650% over the past five years, with monthly website visits reaching 3.9 million. The company’s Series B funding stands at $67.3 million, and it provides eSIM data subscriptions in over 200 countries.

Oura, a maker of elegant health-tracking rings based in Oulu, Finland, is also on the rise. Founded in 2013, Oura has seen a search growth of 1,129% over the past five years, with monthly website visits reaching 2.9 million. The company’s Series D funding stands at $421 million, and its rings track heart rate, sleeping habits, and body temperature.

Tailwind, a visual production platform for content creators, is gaining traction. Founded in Oklahoma City in 2012, Tailwind has seen a search growth of 467% over the past five years, with monthly website visits reaching 6.6 million. The company’s Series B funding stands at $10.7 million, and it helps brands automate tasks like hashtagging, color palettes, and scheduling.

In conclusion, startups are changing rapidly in response to external challenges and opportunities. These are just a few examples of the fastest-growing firms in 2025, reshaping industries and driving innovation. With the right mix of vision, strategy, and execution, startups can overcome obstacles and thrive in today’s competitive landscape.

Picture of Aarushi Sharma
Aarushi Sharma

an editor at TK since 2024.

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