10 Hot Tech Startups Still on the Market

The emergence of the startup scene has helped shift today’s tech industry. Companies like Dropbox, Instagram, and Spotify all introduced new technologies that went on to revolutionize the way we interact with our devices and the public. And with the masses drawn to these digital tenderfoots, all of the major tech players are making it their business to get in on the action—dishing out millions, and in some cases, billions, to buyout the competition and utilize those services to enhance their platforms. Facebook recently made this same move when it acquired the popular messaging app WhatsApp for $19 billion a few weeks ago.

Now all the heavyweights, from Apple to Twitter, are exploring the field for the next big tech acquisition. So which newcomers still remain on the auction block? Read on to find out.

Suitable buyer: Uber

Offering rides for about a third of the cost of a taxi or Uber car, the peer-to-peer ridesharing service is becoming the most popular transportation option on the west coast. The mobile app enables passengers to request a pickup from drivers located in their area and accepts donations rather than charge fares. Available in over 20 cities and backed by $83 million in venture capital, Uber must figure out how to jump back in the driver's seat, even if it costs.

Suitable buyer: Google

The company responsible for stealing Dropbox’s thunder is also the most popular cloud-computing service to date. Box is pushing to reshape industries through its enterprise-centric features and app integration, searching for new ways to manipulate the files it stores. While rumored to IPO this year and valued around $2 billion, co-founder Dylan Smith already went on record stating he and secondary co-founder, Aaron Levie, would reject a $1.5 billion offer from Microsoft. Maybe $500 million more from Google would suffice.

Suitable buyer: Microsoft

Virtual reality seems to be the new buzzword in video gaming, as companies like Sony are entering the 3D octagon to develop their own VR headsets. The Japanese electronics giant can learn a thing or two from Oculus VR, which has garnered universal acclaim for its fully-immersive gaming goggles at every major gaming/tech convention. It’s raised $75 million in funding and continues to showcase how it will impact the way we consume media heading into the future. Microsoft can afford to break the bank on this one, especially if it plans on contending with Sony.

Suitable buyer: Airbnb

With two-thirds of Airbnb listings in the Big Apple considered illegal, New Yorkers are jumping on the virtual residential brokerage to rent apartments in the city. Now the service is helping users buy an apartment and schedule viewings in advance. Urban Compass is progressively solving the rental experience across all five boroughs, and after raising $30 million in less than a year, it might have the popularity and resources behind it to make apartment-hunting sites like Craigslist an afterthought.

Suitable buyer: Facebook

Internet dating is becoming the social norm. At the forefront right now is our favorite matchmaking mobile app. Tinder’s ability to narrow down potential suitors in your vicinity, along with its large user base and seamless interface is making the service not only the top online dating platform out, but arguably the second most popular mobile app next to Instagram. Already responsible for 500 million matches globally, it would only benefit Zuckerberg and Co. to buyout the property from IAC for social expansion purposes.

Suitable buyers: Facebook, Google, or Twitter

Whisper continues to gain a huge audience primarily because of its ability to offer something Facebook and Twitter can't: privacy. The addiction behind this secret sharing-social network comes from the comical, raw, and vulgar content shared on the app. Users can send messages anonymously and receive replies, which is a luxury not afforded on other communication platforms. Over 3.6 billion page views a month and a 90 percent user demographic of 18-24 year olds sounds like a win for any social media company.

Suitable buyer: Every smartwatch creator

All the major electronics manufacturers are breaking into the wearables market, yet most of them are failing to produce top-quality devices. It’s quite sad, yet also impressive to see a Kickstarter-funded company being the only one doing smartphones justice at the moment. That’s what Pebble is doing. And with the addition of its own app store, the hi-tech wristwatch maker is proving to be ahead of the wearable curve. Apple, Google, LG, Samsung, Sony, and everyone else might want to place their bid immediately.

Suitable buyer: Google

The mobile payment service has drawn primetime investors from PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel to Virgin kingpin Richard Branson, while raising a $25 million seed round, which is the largest ever in Silicon Valley history. Clinkle is rumored to use high-frequency sound to process payments without any special hardware required, simplifying the process on the user and business end. Over 100,000 people are signed up to use the app and plans are to roll it out across campuses nationwide in the next few months. Google Wallet and PayPal have stiff competition ahead of it. Though it’s nothing that a simple buyout can’t solve.

Suitable buyer: Apple

Smart home automation is hot right now. So with Google snatching up the most popular startup in the sector, Nest, everyone else is looking for the next best thing. SmartThings is the obvious choice, as its technology can automate and monitor hundreds of connected devices in the crib directly from an app. Recent partnerships with If This Then That will allow the service to work alongside other web apps like Facebook and Evernote. The company's full vision is for all apps to be connected across SmartThings systems. Considering Apple’s interest in the home automation market via patent filings, an acquisition would certainly open the lane to compete with Google, as well as have the platform run on the most advanced mobile ecosystem available.

Suitable buyer: Samsung

Granted the social network aggregation, magazine-format app has been around for a few years, it wasn’t till last year when the company made impacting changes and reached its full potential as a curation service. Flipboard’s embrac of the ecommerce space brought more eyes to the platform by offering personalized and shoppable content. Plus the inclusion of Windows 8.1 support helped expand mobile outreach across all major operating systems. The end result thus far has been an increased user base and an additional $50 million in raised profit, making it one of the few profitable startups around.