This post by Blackstone Content Correspondent Summer Suleiman originally appeared on ideavillage.org.
Have you gotten over that post-holiday slump? Need a little boost? Maybe our list of businesses to watch in 2015 will get you back on top of your game.
From oil & gas technology to customized, gourmet dinners, we’ve got five companies that you should know about this year.
We selected these businesses based on their product, potential for growth and capital raised.
Dinner Lab
Dinner Lab is a social dining service that brings together undiscovered chefs with diners who are looking for something different than the conventional restaurant experience. Earlier in the year, Dinner Lab raised $2.1 million in a seed round. Starting as a bootstrapped company in New Orleans, Dinner Lab has now expanded to more than 20 other cities including San Francisco, Austin, Chicago, and Atlanta, to name a few.
Oseberg
Oseberg aggregates data from public domains to provide oil & gas companies with critical information for decision-making in the form of analytic software, and client services. They study each state’s unique rules and regulations to disseminate data for all their needs. Osberg is based in New Orleans, has expanded to Oklahoma and is hiring. We also hear that the company is being closely watched by venture capitalists.
IMOTO Photo
IMOTO Photo is a real estate marketing service that offers professional photos, virtual staging, and videos for sellers in the real estate market. In just a year, they have expanded to Mississippi, Georgia, Colorado and Alabama.
PosiGen
PosiGen offers lease and purchasing options for Solar Power systems, Solar Hot Water Systems, and Energy Efficiency upgrades. Posigen recently raised $40 million in capital from the Goldman Sachs Urban investment group and there have been talks of potentially raising more capital. PosiGen plans to hire 35 new full-time employees and expand to three new states by the end of this year.
Locally.com
Using patent-pending technology, Locally.com aggregates product catalogs directly from local Merchants. Locally.com identifies the shopper’s location and assembles a marketplace of nearby products including additional products that can be purchased from their online partners.
We’ll be keeping an eye on these breakthrough businesses throughout the year, and we’ll keep you up to date on #IDEAinsider.