Startups Making $50k+/mo

Oil and Gas Analytics is an enterprise SaaS platform founded by Luther Birdzell in 2017 that uses AI and machine learning to optimize well-planning and forecasting in the oil and gas industry, helping companies identify 5-10% cost savings per well ($400K-$1M per well). The company has grown to 20 employees (including 6 consultants with geology/geophysics/petroleum engineering backgrounds), 5-10 customers paying $10-50K/month, generating over $50K MRR, with plans to raise Series A in Q4 to accelerate sales hiring.

Boost Insider is a SaaS platform founded by serial entrepreneur Heidi Yu in late 2014 that helps brands identify and work with influencers through advanced data analysis of 350,000+ influencers covering 20 billion fans globally. The company operates multiple revenue streams including a SaaS product (Social Book, Social Hours), advertising platform (10-30% take), and agency services, generating over $500k monthly in total revenue with the new SaaS model at approximately $50k MRR as of December 2017.

Blurbiz is a SaaS platform that helps media companies create and distribute mobile-optimized video content for Snapchat, Facebook, and other social platforms. Founded by Hamza Amir in March 2016, the company quickly reached $50K MRR across 20 enterprise clients (including Cheeky Magazine, Team Wobe, Allure) by July 2016. The company was raising a $2M Series A round at an $10M post-money valuation on the back of strong growth and a clear enterprise market need.

Travel Flan is an AI-powered travel advisory service founded by Kenneth Lee that generates revenue through three streams: consumer subscriptions ($10/month), airline commissions (up to 30%), and data sales to airlines and OTAs ($60k/year). As of June 2016, the company had 2,000 paying customers, was generating approximately $50,000 MRR, and had raised $125,000 from 500 Startups with plans to raise $1.5M at a $5M pre-money valuation.

Avocode is a SaaS platform that bridges the gap between designers and developers by allowing designers to share Photoshop and Sketch files with developers who can extract assets without needing design tools. Founded by 23-year-old An Vu and launched in February 2015, Avocode achieved $50,000 MRR by May 2016 with 2,800 paying customers growing at 15% month-over-month, entirely through inbound marketing with no paid customer acquisition.

Social Rank is a social media audience management SaaS tool that helps brands and agencies identify, organize, and manage their followers on Twitter and Instagram. Founded by Alex Taube, the company went from $5-7K MRR in 2015 to $50K MRR by May 2016 with consistent 30% month-over-month growth, using a freemium model with free basic product as a lead generator and premium/Market Intelligence paid tiers for agencies and brands.

We Love Numbers is a SaaS-based bookkeeping and financial advisory platform founded by Finn Kelly in March 2015. After one year, the company grew to 50 paying customers with $50,000 MRR at an average price of $1,000/month, targeting food & beverage, tech, and professional services sectors. Planning to raise $750K on a $6M pre-money valuation to accelerate growth.

GetResource.io is a recruiting automation SaaS founded by Troy Salton that automates outbound sourcing for growing technology companies, charging $5,000-$8,500/month. With three co-founders and $125K from 500 Startups accelerator, the company operates profitably with approximately 10 customers and generates around $50K in monthly revenue through word-of-mouth and network-based sales.

Libsyn is a podcast hosting platform that has been operating for 11+ years and is currently profitable. With over 29,000 paying podcasters hosting their shows on the platform, the company generates approximately $600,000 in annual revenue from subscription fees averaging $15-20 per customer monthly. Rob Walsh, Vice President of Podcaster Relations, shares industry insights about podcast downloads, iTunes algorithm mechanics, and advertising CPM rates ($30-50 range for shows with 5,000+ downloads per episode).

Latergram is a freemium SaaS platform that allows users to schedule and post to Instagram, launched in May 2014 by Matt Smith and co-founders. Starting with 20,000 signups at launch through heavy PR and founder outreach, the company grew to nearly 500,000 users and 3,000-4,000 paying customers generating $50,000 MRR by January 2016. The company raised a $1.2M seed round from investors including Rocket Ship and angels like Heaton Shaw and Aspect Ventures, aiming to reach $1M ARR in 2016 with 25-30% month-over-month growth.

Jen Scalea is a visibility strategist and business coach who built a multi-six-figure coaching and membership business. She generates approximately $50,000 per month on average (reaching six figures in some months) through a combination of one-on-one mentorship ($10,000 for four months, scaling to $15,000), a membership site with ~200 members ($30-47/month), and periodic course launches. Her growth came primarily through organic social media and word-of-mouth before adding paid advertising in April.

BuildGrowScale is a digital publishing and software company co-founded by Tanner Larson that sells e-commerce training courses (Ecom Masters) and membership products primarily through webinars. They generate over $500K monthly through a sophisticated funnel: 9,000 registered attendees → 3,000 live attendees at $3-4 CAC → 20% conversion on a $1,000 course → 50% conversion on a $100/month membership with 6.5-month average lifetime. Their official May 2024 launch generated $1.5M+ and they continue running evergreen webinars with exceptional retention and conversion metrics.

Grobotz, founded by serial entrepreneur Greg Peiatrusinski in May 2013, is an AI-powered SaaS platform that automates the top of the sales funnel by helping companies find and contact potential customers. After just three months of selling (August to October 2013), the company grew from $23k in first-month revenue to a $600k annual run rate with 50% month-over-month growth and zero churn after the first month, fueled by a rapidly scaling sales team and a $12k/year flat-rate pricing model.

Content Refined is a content marketing agency founded by Madeleine Lambert. She began the business last year and has grown it to $50,000 in monthly recurring revenue. Her growth was facilitated through serendipitous networking within The Dynamite Circle community, where she won an all-expenses paid trip to DC BKK conference offered by entrepreneur Greg Gerber.

The Hustle is a podcast that has grown to 600,000 monthly listens, up from 430,000 the previous month. The hosts discuss entrepreneurship, business ideas, and startup trends while sharing various business insights and guest interviews with notable founders and investors.