4 Tech Startups to Watch in 2017

Technology has matured and become fully integrated as a way of modern life. Nowadays, tech startups look for ways to improve on existing business models and to deepen their reach in fields where they have a small foothold. Everything from farming to construction is getting interest from tech startups that are intent on finding ways to improve operations and create more efficiency than ever before.

World View balloon travel
World View stratospheric travel – photo credit: YouTube

Following are four tech startups to keep an eye on in 2017. If you don’t watch their stories unfold, you’ll never know whether they become the next big thing or get left by the wayside.

Gunslinger Studios

Exiles of Embermark - Gunslinger Studio

This studio is currently focused primarily on one mobile game, but it has plans to roll out more games in the future. Its upcoming offering in 2017 is called Exiles of Embermark, and it aims to put on smartphones the feel of a role-playing game that requires only the use of your thumb for play.

To date, there have been many gaming studios putting out RPGs for mobile devices, but few have brought in the cooperative feel of MMORPGs, otherwise known as massively multiplayer online role-playing games. Gunslinger Studios seeks to change that by packing the most popular aspects of MMORPGs into a small-screen experience. Although many phones are capable of playing resource-heavy games, the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge has plenty of processor power and a large HD display to help create a smooth playing experience.

Raken

Raken homepage

This app is named after the company itself, and it’s definitely a name to watch in 2017. Raken is designed for construction operations of all types and sizes. Workers and management put the app on their phones and use it to check in with everyone else throughout each day for the length of the project. Raken is similar to the bulletin board apps used in offices, but it’s aimed at the construction industry.

At the heart of the app is the fact that it saves a lot of time on a job site. Everyone communicates with one another by taking out their phones to use the app instead of stopping what they’re doing to run someone down for information. Raken also has features for tracking all sorts of relevant data in one place, eliminating the need for multiple programs.

World View

World View website

World View is a technology company that’s reaching toward the edge of space in an affordable way. The other methods of accessing this part of the atmosphere are costly and tricky, with few vehicles capable of doing the job. World View eliminates the need for vehicles by using its Stratollite method. The Stratollite is a high-altitude balloon that carries its payload through a trajectory and either holds it in orbit or performs circumnavigation. World View is currently operational, having completed more than 50 flights, and is accepting new customers for its services.

Prospera

Prospera website

This crop management tool uses sensors and cameras to monitor the overall health of plants and soil conditions. Information gathered by these instruments is sent continuously via Wi-Fi to the computer or smartphone app. With Prospera, field managers don’t have to guess whether a remote part of a crop is getting sufficient water and nutrients. Instead, all that’s needed is to boot up the program, look at the data gathered by the sensors and cameras, then make appropriate decisions to rectify any deficiencies in the crop.

This type of crop management reduces crop loss, makes it easier to target areas that need treatment, and improves overall crop yield for a better profit after harvest. Farmers get more yield out of their efforts and spend less time trying to find out where problems exist.

Takeaway

These tech startups all have one thing in common: they’re finding better ways to do an existing job. Some may call it artificial intelligence, others may call it micromanaging. But at the heart of these startups is the desire to make life easier for everyone, reduce waste, and increase productivity. They all seek to create overall efficiency to help businesses become more successful.