The most exciting entrepreneurs today are changing the way we will live in the future.
Together with the team at Social Media Week, Entrepreneur has picked 10 startups that are re-engineering the ways in which humans interact with the Internet. From revolutionizing the way that young professionals learn new skills to the way in which websites are built and updated, these companies are redefining what can be achieved online.
All 10 of these Startups to Watch will be formally presented as part of Social Media Week in New York City later this month. For a sneak peek, check out the summary highlights below.
AFFECTIVA
Founders: Rana el Kaliouby and Rosalind Picard (Picard is no longer with the company)
Launched: April 2009
Do you ever look at someone and wonder, “If only I knew what he (or she) is thinking?” In business, that information is priceless. The best salespeople can read their customers well and target their pitch accordingly. But what if there was a more scientific way?
It may sound sci-fi futuristic, but the Boston-based startup Affectiva is answering that very question for the digital world already. With software that reads facial expressions, Affectiva can analyze and track the emotional response a viewer is having to a piece of digital content. Knowing how people are reacting to your online content can has a plethora of applications — from helping companies market more efficiently to enabling movie producers to release the most emotionally-gripping trailers. All of that can translate into more social and viral content and increased sales as a result.
Already, Affectiva has received nearly $22 million in five rounds of funding. In a nod to the innovative scientific technology the startup is working with, the National Science Foundation is one of its investors.