Tried and true business principles go a long way toward building success. But if you want cutting edge business ideas in a tech era that is being redefined on a monthly basis, you have to keep your eye on the start-ups. So here are 50 fresh start-ups that are rocking 2009 (including a few from past years that have surged through the down economy).

1. Bing : The first two “startups” are new ventures from the Internet’s biggest players. Microsoft’s latest brainchild attempts to bring practicality and power to the search engine market (and maybe to exact a little revenge for the Yahoo! sale that wasn’t to be).

2. Google Wave : Your Google Account has not yet been activated for Google Wave—if it had, you wouldn’t be reading this, you’d be feeding your newfound Wave addiction. At least that’s what we’ve been led to believe with the hype over the newest big development in the social network universe.

3. Anyclip : Post any clip from any movie ever made. Legally. Yeah, “whoa,” is right.

4. Zillow : In a short period of time it has become the default choice for real-estate searches, packed with features and overflowing with cool. When the housing market lagged, Zillow’s popularity and relevance skyrocketed.

5. Muttr : All the things you aren’t supposed to tweet are destined to be muttered anonymously and shared gratuitously on Twitter’s evil twin.

6. SpawnLabs : Essentially Sling Box for gamers, allowing users to access an HD gaming console over the Internet using a Sling HD Pro device.

7. Story Something : Parents can have bedtime stories—based on direct contact with the authors—custom written for their children and sent straight to their mobiles or web browsers.

8. Rackup : Priceline meets eBay meets the gift card rack at the supermarket. It offers customers the chance to get gift cards for less than they’re worth—and retailers get the benefit of prepaid revenue from loyal customers.

9. Beterz : An online sports betting community—but for free and without the broken kneecaps. Users can connect with friends, boost their cred, and even earn prizes.

10. Kukoo : This email client aims to make electronic communication work for the user and not the other way around. It helps users schedule the times they’ll check email and prioritize important messages over junk. It also informs senders when to expect a reply.

11. Plagium : Are you being plagiarized? Is plagiarized material being submitted to you? A simple cut and paste in this customizable search will let you know if the truth that’s out there is a ripoff.

12. CoTweet : Already a leader in facilitating corporate twitter accounts that retain a personal feel, this platform is an excellent tool for brand management and CRM.

13. BuddyTV : TV watching with schedules, summaries, show highlights, and snarky reviews all organized into neat little compartments. The more diverse the TV industry gets, the greater the hold BuddyTV takes on the market.

14. Picnik : Online photo editing site that makes image correction easy and file organization across social networks a snap.

15. CarDomain : Car and racing enthusiasts converge on this social network designed for motorheads and the vehicles they love.

16. Localbacon : The model sounds as strange as the name: job seekers, not their prospective employers, pay for the service, making the listing space more attractive to the hiring company—and lowering the chance a good resume will get lost amidst thousands of frivolous applicants.

17. Wetpaint : A service that makes it easy to create a fan site or social network built around any area of interest.

18. LearnVest : Financial Management software with the content of an economic adviser and the personality of a specialist social network. Offers users tools and support at any juncture of their financial journey.

19. Udorse : Turns users into their own advertising/PR agency, allowing them to promote the products, services, places, people, and brands they love using their own photographs and descriptions—and with the chance to make their own money.

20. Mailmyweb : Stuck behind a company firewall (or policy) that won’t let your browse past your corporate site? Mailmyweb allows users to send in url’s of interest and receive the full content by email.

21. Twitres : Anyone with a Twitter account can tweet a link to their resume, hosted by the ResumePark service. Excellent supplement to an existing business idea.

22. The Swop : This is a startup for the startups. Based in London, this service encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to promote, share, and utilize the services of other up-and-coming businesses.

23. Healthywage : How do employers save money on their employee health insurance coverage? Reward healthy lifestyle improvements with monetary bonuses tracked and implemented by Healthywage.

24. RefMob : Referral programs are annoying—who wants to accost their friends for the chance at $15 off your next bill? RefMob users do, with all their available referral programs in one easy-to-use location that does away with the awkward coupons.

25. 5to1 : A needlepoint blogger doesn’t want S&M dating service ads popping up on her blog’s sidebar overnight—but if she did, 5to1 could make it happen. They coordinate advertisers and content owners for peak relevancy and pinpoint timing.

26. ToonsTunes : Online community for kids that doubles as a recording studio where kids can create and share their own MP3s.

27. Red Beacon : It’s essentially OnStar without the satellite or the car—it’s the Yellow Pages on steroids. Redbeacon brings local service providers to the user, complete with price comparisons, bids, and urgent requests with ETA notification.

28. iTwin : Remote file sharing with no setup, no complicated downloads, and no real tech knowledge required. Plug one USB drive into one computer. Plug its twin into a second. They’re connected by a “cableless cable” and ready to file share instantly.

29. ClaseMovil : Web-based education taken to an internationally connected level. It’s a mobile classroom that customizes and integrates the learning process beyond pre-conceived boundaries.

30. Hark : This cross-network link-sharing service promises to make our current understanding of “real time” look slow as molasses. Enables users to see true real-time links to what every contact on any social network is discovering.

31. iMo : Want to use your iPhone or iPod Touch as a PC gaming controller. There’s an app for that: iMo.

32. Clicker : Old school TV remote controls used audible clicks—but this ain’t your grandpa’s clicker. This service organizes the billions of TV-quality Internet watching options that could have many couch potatoes kissing their satellite dishes goodbye.

33. Insttant : This news aggregator turns the public Twitter stream into an online news service, complete with headlines, photos, and graphics. 140 characters meets the New York Times.

34. The Whuffie Bank : Can you convert your social networking cred into currency? The Whuffie Bank wants to do just that in their attempt to make generosity and goodwill profitable.

35. Toybots : Webkinz gave online identities to stuffed animals. Toybots Woozees complete the circle with online control of real-world toys. Before long, your kid’s teddy bear could have more apps than your iPhone.

36. Lissn : What if Twitter were nothing but conversations? That’s the premise of Lissn, where the discussions are organized by geography, by topic, and with no need to trace the back and forth of @ mentions.

37. Trollim : Some warriors use swords. Others use artillery. The real geeky ones use code and do battle on Trollim. Finally an arena where their skills can be appreciated.

38. Mota : Sell your car on your own with the full-featured services of a dealer (a reputable one)—warranties, driver history, financing offers, and expansive sales listings. Good carma, indeed.

39. Stribe : In five minutes, site owners can equip their content with Stribe social networking software that engages users and, with additional paid services, enriches the owner’s customer usage data and site profitability.

40. Clixtr : This iPhone/smartphone app uses photo uploads with event tags and location data to create a geo-social network that make anyone a virtual bystander to hot happenings around the world.

41. Yellowbird : How do you describe an innovation that captures images and portrays them in a three-dimensional likeness on your flat computer monitor? With a really, really long url.

42. Yext : Yext takes the business model of pay-per-click advertising and applies it to phone calls in a pay-per-call model in a revolutionary, results-based take on the Yellow Pages.

43. OptiSolar : A manufacturer of PV (photovoltaic) solar panels with ambitious plans for providing traditional energy companies and their customers with renewable energy.

44. Cocodot : Event-planning, guest coordination and communication, and celebration branding that takes eVite style technology, adds the touch of a professional coordinator, and places it in a do-it-yourself context.

45. Crowd Flower : When a temp or two just won’t cut it: an outsourcing company that hires and trains its own staff and can provide Web solutions, content moderation services, and even project management to the business in need of efficient, short-term solutions.

46. Sungevity : This solar-powered startup markets to individual consumers, providing free quotes and affordable solar panel installation.

47. Affective Interfaces : Imagine: a market research panel where participants tell you exactly how they feel about every aspect of your product—without answering a single question. Affective Interfaces uses facial expression recognition software on Web cam images to gauge emotional reaction to images, messaging, and the overall brand.

48. FHTML, Inc. : It’s not an abbreviated curse—it stands for FluidHTML, a new scripting language that puts Flash capabilities into a more manageable dialect, especially for novice programmers.

49. Perpetually : A shocking Web development can span the globe in an instant—and it can disappear just as fast. This Web archiving service is a corporation’s, lawyer’s, or politician’s dream, preserving entire Web sites in a click be it for helpful posterity . . . or damning evidence.

50. This spot is reserved for your start-up.

Please take a moment and share some of the impressive new tech business ideas with the rest of us.

image

You Might Also Be Interested In These Business Ideas:

No matches