Top 36 innovative 3D printing startups in 2025

Top 36 innovative 3D printing startups in 2025

Top 36 innovative 3D printing startups in 2025

October 24, 2024

3D printing companies with outstanding innovations to improve manufacturing

In 2020, 3D printing was estimated at around $13 billion, and by 2026 it’s expected to reach up to $63.46 billion, hence, that’s one of the reasons why there are many 3D printing startups that are already bringing amazing solutions to the world. From hobbyists to innovators, 3D printing has found its place to replace traditional manufacturing in many industries.

What are 3D printing startups?

3D printing startups are innovative companies that develop 3D printing solutions that will impact the future of the industry. These startups are working on filling the existing gaps in manufacturing while driving innovation in technology, materials, and applications, hence they became an inseparable part of the additive manufacturing sector.

3D printing startups that are creating a better future

Whether you need 3D printing services or you are curious about the innovations of 3D printing professionals, you will be amazed by the amazing work these 3D printing startups are doing. From developing new tools and technologies to simplify 3D printing, to medical equipment and personalized drugs, these 3D printing companies are bringing the revolution in the manufacturing industry.

Relativity Space

Founded in 2015, Relativity Space is reshaping the rocket industry through innovative 3D metal printing technology. Compared to traditional aerospace manufacturing, Relativity can design and launch rockets at unprecedented speed. Instead of the usual years-long process of castings and assembly, Relativity prints its rocket engines, tanks, and structures out of metal alloy powder beds using specialized in-house printers.

This allows them to go from raw materials to flight in just 60 days for an entirely 3D-printed rocket. By automating production with custom printer software, Relativity builds with far less labor time and supply chain complexity than established aerospace firms. Their simpler process also checks for defects during printing rather than after assembly.

Syenta

Syenta utilizes advanced 3D printing techniques in electrochemistry to revolutionize the manufacturing of critical electronic components. Their proprietary process facilitates rapid, precise production of semiconductors, batteries, sensors, and more with less energy demands. By using electrically conductive liquids instead of solid-state metals, Syenta’s novel printers deposit material with nanoscale control reducing material waste.

Components printed directly from the liquid state also demonstrate performance improvements in flexibility, voltage capacity, and longevity over conventional semiconductor fabrication. With faster, greener 3D additive printing optimized for electronics, Syenta provides key infrastructure for scaling next-gen technologies essential for clean energy, mobility, and communications while minimizing environmental footprints.

Replique

Founded in 2021, Replique built an innovative production model for spare parts. Their digitized inventory and certified printer network allows just-in-time printing of replacement parts. This eliminates the need for manufacturers to warehouse slow-moving parts.

The Replique platform manages the end-to-end process digitally. Their software integrates scans, payments, digital rights and print queues across hundreds of industrial printers internationally. Each local parts producer is rigorously vetted for quality and security.

Luxexcel

Luxexcel is one of the most promising 3D printing startups uniting the leaders in tech that have developed and patented the methodology to 3D print lenses. By uniting the forces of leaders in tech and eyewear, Luxexcel decided that the best application for their technology is prescription eyewear lenses even though, they can print many other types of lenses as well. 

This technology, with one step, replaces 30+ process steps in traditional lens manufacturing. Moreover, Luxexcel’s automated platform that creates a lens at the push of a button, creating various lens designs from a bottle of liquid, eliminating the need for extensive lens inventories and stock are just a part of the many manufacturing benefits this 3D printing startup offers.

Reflow

Another reason why 3D printing is the future of the manufacturing industry, besides the simplified manufacturing process, is the ability to transform waste into building materials. Speak of which, Reflow is a 3D printing startup that creates sustainable 3D printing materials by recycling plastic waste.  

For that purpose, they’ve established a team of recyclers, makers, and designers to achieve their mission to tackle plastic pollution while co-creating meaningful designs. As many environmental startups say, Reflow agrees that sustainability is a design opportunity, therefore by today they have 140,634 bottles repurposed into a manufacturing solution.

Beamler

Beamler is an on-demand additive manufacturing platform that connects engineers and designers to a global network of professional 3D printing services. Bult for manufacturers and designed for engineers, you can leverage Beamler simply by uploading your 3D model file, writing your measures, and selecting the most suitable material for your project. 

Then, after signing in (or registering) to your personal Beamler account, you will submit your quote request and your order will be delivered to your address. With this easy-to-use platform, a whole spectrum of additive manufacturing technologies will be available at your fingertips.

Xilloc

Xilloc is one of the most promising 3D printing startups in the world, dedicated to developing 3D printing solutions to improve the healthcare industry for the benefit of patients. Their goal is to create personalized implants and prosthetics, to replace the current standard models. 

Because everybody is different and unique, their goal is to provide patient-specific implants to reconstruct parts of the human skeleton. To make sure they are giving patients the very best product, they implemented a Quality Management System that is evaluated, approved, and certified according to EN ISO 13485.

Tiamet 3D

Tiamet 3D developed a method for creating affordable 3D printing materials. Their goal is to turn the ordinary 3D printer into a performance part generator by integrating their patented nanodiamond filament. Moreover, they try to do their work by using recycled plastic and fibers wherever possible.

By using specially treated carbon fiber and incorporating nanomaterials, Tiamet 3D created extremely high-strength nano-composites, which is a great improvement of material straight. Lastly, most of their parts have integrated nfc chips, so if you purchase some of their parts you can find more about the materials of the specific part. 

Polymaker

Polymaker has united a team of professionals that are passionate about 3D printing to produce high-quality 3D printing materials by controlling every step of the production process. They believe that materials are the enabling factor that will realize 3D printing as a final production tool, therefore, they are developing from high-performance plastic to unique aesthetic solutions.

What makes Polymaker one of the best 3D printing startups in 2022 is their research and development laboratory where all of the materials are formulated and fine-tuned. Moreover, they have testing equipment that has the latest technology advancements to foolproof their products before they put them on the market.

Builder 3D Printers

Builder 3D Printers have developed a variety of 3D printers, of which their Extreme 3000 PRO has over 1×1 meter in build capacity. On that account, that is the perfect machine for creating parts, tools, jigs & fixtures in-house and on-demand.

With Builder 3D Printers you can have a fully functional high-quality prototype within days. The automatic bed leveling, filament detection, and battery pack are just additional features that make these printers revolutionary in the 3D printing industry.

colorFabb

colorFabb is another 3D printing startup known for its innovative and reliable 3D printing solutions. Established in 2013, colorFabb’s team of professionals developed innovative and functional 3D printing filaments and application development and solution-based services. 

Their filaments are available for worldwide shipping. Moreover, besides in-house produced filaments, this 3D printing startup also offers materials from selected partners. With solutions like this, 3D printing materials are available to people in all industries and working environments.

3D4Makers BV

Using the best materials and finest techniques, 3D4Makers BV is also creating a variety of different types of filaments. With years of polymer production experience, this 3D printing startup created unique materials such as PEEK, PCL, PEKK, PEI, etc, and also produces on customer requests. 

They have a unique way of producing filaments, and the filaments do not come into contact with water in the process of production. After the production process is finished, the filament is immediately packaged in a vacuum bag so it can be a moisture-free product.

FEPshop

FEPshop is a 3D printing startup that sells, distributes, and develops 3D Printers, parts, FEP, UV Resin, tools, upgrades, and more. By having an extensive collection of UV Resins for SLA, DLP, and LCD 3D printers, FEPshop became a shop with the largest selection of FEP FIlm and sheets for 3D Printers in Europe. 

Furthermore, they develop and stock many hard-to-find unique spare parts for popular resin 3D printers and the DIY market.

BASF Forward AM

BASF Forward AM is one of the largest portfolios of high-performance 3D printing materials in the chemical industry worldwide. Therefore if you are looking for a partner to start thinking additive or you are an AM expert eager to learn more about their high-performance materials, get in touch with this 3D printing startup. 

What makes them special is that they’ve developed a full range of services to help their customers, and now they can accompany their customers in every step of the process, from design and simulations to parts printing and testing.

Multiply Labs

Multiply Labs is undoubtedly the future of individualized drugs manufacturing. To faster manufacture the individualized medicines of the future, they’ve developed robotic systems to enable the automated production of personalized drugs. 

This year, they’ve also started working on building robots to expand access to cell therapies, by automating cell therapy manufacturing. Furthermore, they believe that the future of pharma production is robotic because that is the only way each patient will receive a therapy that is tailored to his/her specific needs.

Integral Reality Lab

Can you imagine being able to print your favorite game character? Integral Reality Lab made that possible. This 3D printing startup transforms digital products into physical objects, which means you can prepare and perfect your 3D models for 3D printing, and even implement your game to enable monetizing your digital assets. To do so, offer custom fully-colored collectibles using their latest 3D Printing technology.

Integral Reality Labs offers a wide variety of services to match your production needs. They can help you create unique figures or a whole line of figure masterpieces. From advanced color 3D printed models to full custom projects, this 3D printing startup gives you endless possibilities to use your creative imagination.

MTB3D

MTB3D is another extraordinary 3D printing startup with a skilled workforce that can help you with 3D printing, 3D scanning, and 3D modeling from an early stage. MTB3D is based in the Netherlands and is considered the fastest 3D printing service. 

They also have great personal supports, so no matter if you have a small paper scratch or detailed design, the team of MTB3D will help you bring your ideas to life.

Glowforge

The team of Glowforge creates stuff that creates stuff. As cool as it sounds, Glowforge 3D printers are quick to set up, easy to use, and they work with hundreds of different materials. It also has a live camera preview, free web-based software, autofocus and 3D engraving, and more. 

Creators around the world say that since owning such 3D printer, they are saving a bunch of time because they can customize their product within minutes. With Glowforge you will also be able to prototype on the fly, personalize and customize items, easily and with a short period of time.

nTopology

With all these innovations and solutions depending on 3D printing, it’s crucial to have a 3D printing startup that will find solutions to make the 3D printing process smoother. Hence,  nTopology by developing revolutionary products for advanced manufacturing is one of the most promising 3D printing startups. 

nTopology developed the world’s most innovative engineering design software to access a better modeling technology. So, from now on you can take complete control of your design workflows and design whole processes instead of designing just parts of it. Even though nTopology offers solutions to tackle the specific challenges of any industry, by now, their solutions apply in aerospace and defense, automotive, and medical industry.

Fast Radius

By offering on-demand manufacturing services, cloud-based virtual warehouses, and additive technology, Fast Radius is one of the 3D printing startups that provide great products and logistics assistance to manufacturing companies. 

What makes Fast Radius different from other companies is its end-to-end support. Working with Fast Radius doesn’t mean you will only get your prototypes or production parts, but it also means partnering with you at every step to make your desired products better. By developing a great buyer-supplier relationship with their clients, they prove that their team of experts care for your products as much as you do.

VELO3D

VELO3D developed a platform that unlocks your design freedom and provides everything you need to begin production immediately. It also offers access to a scalable supply chain for your most advanced designs or for legacy designs with an aging supply chain. 

Their team of professionals believes that they can take humanity further by solving today’s most complex engineering challenges with new technology solutions. For that purpose, they’ve developed an intelligent, integrated suite of software and hardware. Underlying manufacturing process enables enhanced geometric flexibility, reduced cost of parts, traceable part quality and accuracy, decreased production time, and ownership that manufacturers demand.

Nexa3D

Nexa3D is a 3D printer startup passionately committed to unlocking the potential of 3D printing and delivering it to industries around the globe. By harvesting the power and capabilities of LSPc technology, Nexa3D enables dramatic increases in the print speed of parts and changes the face of 3D printing across many industries.

Additionally, their 3D printing materials are tailored to the LSPc process, delivering speed, durability, and accuracy. With these and many other solutions, 3D printing time is reduced to mere minutes instead of hours or days.

Additive Industries

Founded in 2012, Additive Industries offers complete 3D printing systems for high quality metal parts production. Their modular printer, software, and automation components enable industrialized AM.

By developing complete platforms optimized for serial 3D printing, Additive aims to make metal additive manufacturing practical for volume production use cases like aerospace and automotive.

Formlabs

Founded in 2011, Formlabs pioneered prosumer SLA 3D printing technology enabling high-resolution desktop printing using lasers and liquid resins. Their all-in-one ecosystem simplifies industrial-strength printing.

Formlabs aims to drive adoption of 3D printing by lowering barriers through integrated hardware, software, and materials tuned for reliability and ease-of-use. Their focus is realizing AM’s benefits at-scale.

MightyBuildings

Founded in 2017, MightyBuildings produces precision-engineered light steel-framed panels infused with insulation during 3D printing. These Mighty Panels snap together on site to construct dwellings faster.

By blending 3D printing and prefab techniques, Mighty Buildings can offer affordable, sustainable housing built to the highest quality standards. Their process aims to accelerate home construction.

3YOURMIND

Founded in 2015, 3YOURMIND provides software to manage every part of the AM process from order management to production planning and execution across machines. Their tools aim to scale 3D printing.

Core solutions span job handling, nesting optimization, build preparation, remote monitoring, and more. 3YOURMIND aims to integrate AM into larger manufacturing systems and enable digital inventory.

Equispheres

Founded in 2012, Equispheres utilizes a proprietary technology to engineer high-performance spherical metal powders with refined particle size control. Their powders enhance 3D printing capabilities.

By providing superior raw materials, Equispheres aims to enable stronger and more complex industrial part production using additive methods. Their materials enhance print resolution, surface finish, and material performance.

Dyndrite

Founded in 2015, Dyndrite offers an accelerated geometry engine and dev kit enabling hardware makers to build faster, more capable additive machines and software. Their software utilizes AI, simulation, and vision.

By providing a robust computational core, Dyndrite aims to help partners create hardware and software that unlocks new possibilities for industrial 3D printing at-scale. Their tools assist innovating the additive manufacturing stack.

ThreeKit

Founded in 2015, ThreeKit empowers brands to render high-quality 3D visuals from CAD models and product data that can be configured, customized, and experienced online by shoppers.

Their end-to-end solution automates interactive 3D product renderings and personalized visualization for marketing and sales. This aims to boost product engagement and conversions.

Brinter

Founded in 2018, Brinter offers an open-source, customizable 3D bioprinter optimized to print living cells for medical and pharmaceutical research. Their technology aims to make bioprinting more accessible.

Designed for versatility, Brinter’s printer accommodates multiple printheads and can integrate with incubators and robotic arms. Their open platform aims to standardize bioprinting for expanded creativity.

CGTrader

Founded in 2011, CGTrader offers designers and makers a platform to upload and sell 3D assets with full commercial rights. Buyers can access affordable 3D content on-demand for business or personal use.

CGTrader’s global community marketplace aims to make high-quality 3D creation more accessible to producers and consumers alike. Their platform enables transacting digital visual assets.

HeyGears

Founded in 2021, HeyGears aims to be the go-to service for companies to quickly turn CAD files into physical parts and prototypes. Their seamless digital experience replaces tedious back-and-forth communications.

With manufacturing hubs across Europe, China, and the US, HeyGears enables customers to get quoted, optimized, and produced parts delivered in days. Their expertise in design analysis and supplier management provides confidence in quality.

Shapr3D

Founded in 2016, Shapr3D’s mission is to liberate designers and engineers from the confines of desktop workstations through next-generation mobile CAD software. Their app transforms the iPad Pro into a highly capable 3D modeling tool for modern product development needs.

With an intuitive touch interface and powerful geometric modeling engine, Shapr3D brings unmatched versatility and portability to computer-aided design. Industries from manufacturing to architecture have embraced the app for its ease of use and capabilities.

Branch

Founded in 2014, Branch aims to disrupt the construction industry through advanced additive manufacturing techniques. By printing directly on-site, their technology reduces manufacturing, transportation, and labor costs while enabling architects’ most complex designs.

Branch has delivered 3D printed installations for Google, the US Navy, and multiple museums and universities. These projects demonstrate the versatility of large-format 3D printing for construction.

 9T Labs

Founded in 2019 through a merger of two startups, 9T Labs aims to disrupt aerospace, automotive, and medical manufacturing with more efficient composite printing technology. Their systems produce complex geometries unattainable through traditional methods.

9T Labs is already working with major partners like Lockheed Martin to explore applications. By increasing design freedom and reducing part weight, their technology offers significant benefits for mobility and energy efficiency across industries.

Fictiv

Launched in 2013, Fictiv aims to accelerate product development cycles through streamlined access to manufacturing capabilities. Their hardware agnostic tools enable optimized workflows from prototype to production. Fictiv’s reliability has earned them a customer base that includes SpaceX, Google, and Amazon.

Fictiv’s on-demand model provides businesses and startups the flexibility and responsiveness needed to rapidly iterate designs and bring innovative products to market. Their digital platform democratizes manufacturing access for enterprises and entrepreneurs alike.

What all these 3D printing startups have in common

3D printing startups are revolutionizing the additive manufacturing industry for many years now. With the massive number of new 3D printers and material manufacturers, software developers and machine distributors had to be creative to stand out from the crowd. That resulted in great 3D printing startups that are changing the manufacturing industry forever. 

Moreover, the great appliance of this technology in almost every industry is creating a better future for everybody. By revolutionizing medicine, automotive, and other industries, 3D printing startups proved that their expertise has the potential to make the world a better place.

Discover more creative startups that might interest you:

  • Innovative sports startups encouraging people to have a healthier lifestyle.
  • The best cyber security that are working on keeping the Internet a safe space.

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32 environmental startups with innovative solutions (2025)

32 environmental startups with innovative solutions (2025)

32 environmental startups with innovative solutions (2025)

October 23, 2024

Amazing environmental startups that are on a mission to save the planet

Environmental startups are also known as green startups and are stealing the spotlight in the business world more and more in the past few years. With climate change becoming an enormous threat in today’s world, the need for businesses that make environmentally-friendly products and services significantly increased.

What are environmental startups?

Environmental startups are the ones who aim to create a sustainable and financially viable future, by producing or offering environmental-friendly products or services. These startups for example use materials that are environmentally friendly so they can help to reduce global warming.

32 best environmental startups worldwide

Even though there are plenty of businesses that are becoming green businesses because it’s good for their branding, we’ve found 32 environmental startups who are putting the planet before their profits for real.

Invenergy

Founded in 2001, Invenergy is a major company focused on developing large-scale clean energy generation facilities. They have over 200 project sites across the globe that are either already operating or under construction. Some of Invenergy’s main areas of clean power development are wind farms, natural gas power plants, water purification centers, and solar panel fields.

For example, they build major offshore wind turbine arrays able to provide renewable power to hundreds of thousands of homes. They construct natural gas power stations with advanced emissions controls. And they develop large solar installations that convert sunlight into electricity for the local utility grid.

MPOWERD

As a Certified B Corporation, MPOWERD seeks to address energy poverty globally while promoting sustainable business practices. The company’s flagship product is Luci, an inflatable solar-powered light designed to provide renewable lighting to the estimated 1.3 billion people lacking electricity access. Compact, durable and waterproof, each Luci Light features high-efficiency LEDs that provide over 24 hours of radiant, ambient lighting from 7 hours of solar charging.

MPOWERD’s suite of eco-friendly Luci products empowers developing communities by fostering education, productivity and safety through renewable lighting solutions. By creating reliable, affordable solar-powered lights, MPOWERD works to uplift lives while reducing dependence on wasteful kerosene lamps and minimizing CO2 emissions from traditional lighting sources.

Emitwise

We are starting the list with Emitwise and their AI technology for measuring, reporting, and reducing the carbon footprint of your operations and supply chain. For that purpose, carbon accounting and technology experts designed this platform to help you future-proof your business for a net-zero carbon world. 

By using Emitwise you can fully automate your carbon accounting across all business units and supplies. The platform is easy to use, breaks down your data, and generates powerful visualizations. That way it enables sustainability teams to identify opportunities for improvement and effectively engage stakeholders.

Aurora Solar

Founded in 2013, Aurora Solar by this day has designed over 6 million solar projects. Hence, the favorable impact their platform has on the environment it’s obvious. 

With Aurora Solar, you can confidently design and quote systems from your desk, generate bankable Shade Reports, streamline your entire solar project lifecycle to move faster and accelerate revenue, and even more.

Moreover, their Lead Capture AI turns visitors into qualified solar leads and shows your customers what solar could look like on their homes and how much they could save. And if your goal is to increase sales, then using their Sales Mode will help your team sell faster, one call close, and powerful 3D Design On-the-Go.

Mosaic

Mosaic is another outstanding environmental startup that connects customers’ desire to benefit from solar, with the financing and services that are most suitable for their needs. They work directly with the leading solar and home improvement companies, therefore they make financing fast and affordable for homeowners.

With their innovations in technology and financial products, Mosaic provides easy access to affordable and sustainable home improvements. Therefore, having a sustainable lifestyle has never been more simplified. 

By today, they’ve helped 180k homeowners switch to sustainable solutions, which once again proves that their dedication to using the power of business to significantly impact climate change makes the world a better place.

Laska

With their innovative process, Laska evaluates waste in the most effective way possible, or as they say, their mission is to “convert the life”. They are one of the best environmental startups in 2022 because they have developed a product that is uniting both, the financial gains and measurable environmental impact.

With their upcycling expertise, Laska upcycles end-of-life tires with innovative, sustainable, and eco-friendly approaches, and brings them into the economy as energy and raw materials. Their mission is to eliminate negative impacts on the environment and society, significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions, while also creating a product that satisfies the need.

Skeleton Technologies

Skeleton Technologies is founded in 2009, today represents the biggest technological advancement in the industry in the last 20 years. Their driving force is the idea of changing the energy storage industry, and by developing and producing the best ultracapacitor cells, modules, and systems, they’ve proven they are able to help companies save energy.

And as more and more people are finally becoming aware of climate change, in 2019 they have 3X revenue growth and more than 100 million euros in order intake. And that has two beneficial sides. On one hand, businesses are willing to invest in such eco-friendly products, and on the other hand, the experts of Skeleton Technologies have the resources and motivation to further develop environmental innovations and fight climate change.

Cirrus Shower Ltd

Studies have shown that a water crisis is threatening the world and that in fact, we might run out of usable water, but it’s good to say that we have strong business warriors in this field as well. Cirrus Shower is one of those environmental startups that are developing water-saving solutions we can use in our everyday life.  

Their innovative nozzles use water-atomizing technology to increase water efficiency and reduce water consumption by 75%. Moreover, the Cirrus Shower solution also requires less energy to heat the water, which means the environment benefits not only by saving water but by saving energy as well.

And while saving the planet, pleasure is not excluded as well. There are French aromatherapy pods that infuse your shower with natural essential oil goodness. Hence you will be wrapped around with a cloud of therapeutic aromatherapy bliss.

Algenesis Materials

Did you know that 532 billion pounds of plastic are landfilled or incinerated each year? Algenesis Materials, being aware of that, started producing fully biodegradable plastic made from algae and helps the planet recover from the pollution caused by products that are made from fossil fuels. 

This material science and technology company united the knowledge of amazing scientists on a mission to help the planet recover from the pollution caused by products made from fossil fuels. They redesigned plastic materials and their patented technology became the world’s first high-performance, renewable, and fully biodegradable plastic material made from plants.

FUERGY

FUERGY is a team of specialists with decades of experience in the energy sector. After realizing the advantages and potential an energy efficiency solution could deliver, they founded FUERGY so they can create a whole new energy ecosystem.

Their goal is to switch from conventional electricity consumers to innovative green power consumers. Hence, with their in-house developed software and hardware, you can turn your regular power grid into a Smart grid. As a part of their innovations, they’ve developed two products: brAIn – a smart energy storage solution, and mAInchart – a dispatch system for energy retailers.

Homeboy Electronics Recycling

Homeboy Electronics Recycling is another one of the most innovative environmental startups, offering a nationwide recycling program. Their list of recyclables electronic devices includes everything with a cord, cable, or battery. Their social mission besides providing customers with the highest quality electronics reuse and recycling solutions also includes employing people who face systemic barriers to work.

Moreover, with the world becoming more tech-hungry than ever before, and only 20% of the electronic waste produced globally being recycled, the impact this startup has on our environment is huge. By fulfilling any e-waste, IT asset disposition, or data destruction needs you may have, they save the world, one device at a time.

Krill Design

Krill Design, through a process of circular economy, enhances the waste of the food chain and transforms the resources of nature into eco-design products. Have you heard of a lamp made out of orange peels? Even though it might sound unbelievable at first, it’s actually possible with Krill Design innovations, and moreover, it looks amazing. 

By transforming your company’s organic waste into new biomaterials, Krill Design can create products in line with your business desires and needs.

AMP Robotics

AMP Robotics is a recycling robot company dedicated to reimagining and actively modernizing the world’s recycling infrastructure. They strongly believe that technology unlocks the limitations in the waste industry and they leverage the advantages of artificial intelligence and robotics to pursue their mission. 

The mission of this environmental startup is to enable a world without waste. One of their driving forces is their optimism that environmental harm is not a lost battle, and there is still a chance to do something about it. Hence, they are developing new tools, methods, and approaches to solve problems quickly and be a force of change.

Absolar Solutions

Founded in 2020, Absolar Solutions has a mission to decarbonize every property within the UK and beyond. Their unique data and advanced modeling deliver powerful insights across solar radiation, property attributes, and potential energy efficiency measures. ​

This award-winning environmental startup has a team of experienced energy, sustainability, and real estate professionals. With their help, customers can understand their solar energy potential, prospective return on investment and facilitate installations.

Scindo

Scindo is shaping the future of recycling by recycling the unrecyclable. They are harnessing the power of enzymes and are creating a novel biological platform to turn low-value plastic landfill waste into high-value molecules. 

Even though there are a lot of experts working on developing recycling solutions, there are still plastics that can’t be recycled with current methodologies. This is where Scindo comes in to help. This environmental startup creates a more circular economy for plastics by developing an alternative to landfills and incineration.

Carbominer

Carbominer is a Ukrainian hardware environmental startup working on innovative technology that’s able to capture CO₂ from the ambient air locally, thus eliminating at least 35% CO₂ supply costs. Therefore, they’ve set two global goals. One is CO₂ removal, and the other is food production. 

Carbon dioxide causes the atmosphere to heat up faster and that’s the greenhouse effect that causes global warming. Hence, Carbominer uses its qualified workforce to slow down the rising CO₂ level and fix climate change.

Molekule

Molekule’s flagship product is an air purifier with acclaimed, award-winning technology. PECO technology that is developed by Molekule over 25 years by research scientists is an innovative technology that uses free radicals (the same radicals used to destroy cancer cells) to break down pollutants at a molecular level, including viruses, mold, bacteria, allergens, and chemicals. 

Furthermore, compared to standard filters, the air purifier developed by Molekule can destroy pollutants 1000 times smaller and can destroy over 99% of SARS-CoV-2 in 1 hour. This demonstrates how PECO adds a layer of protection against airborne viruses.

Heliogen

Heliogen is focused on developing solar energy solutions that are powerful enough to eliminate the need for fossil fuel energy. Their professional team is working towards unlocking the power of sunlight to replace fossil fuels.

Heliogen’s unique breakthrough technology precisely aligned an array of mirrors to reflect sunlight to a target on the top of a Sunlight Refinery tower, delivering high-temperature, carbon-free thermal energy. This technology is sustainable, scientifically proven, and cost-effective and makes Heliogen one of the most promising environmental startups in 2022.

Redaptive

Redaptive markets its services as EaaS (Efficiency-as-a-Service), helping shepherd its clients through the processes of planning and installing clean energy solutions. Furthermore, they help companies maximize their savings by only charging for energy usage with a monthly utility bill. 

What makes them different from other energy efficiency or sustainability providers is that Redaptive manages the funding, project installation, procurement, and maintenance of LED, HVAC, geothermal, solar, and other sustainable energy and energy efficiency programs.

Encamp

You no longer need spreadsheets, consultants, and outdated EHS software so your company can stay green and manage its environmental compliance. One of the most promising environmental startups, Encamp, developed a centralized platform for managing risk, evaluating regulations, and filing paperwork. 

Moreover, this platform automatically submits reports to agencies and empowers your team to collaborate better and improve knowledge sharing by eliminating outdated technology, inconsistent data management, and copy-paste reporting. Companies that are using this award-winning platform are considering it as a wonderful time saver since Encamp ensures that all the State regulatory requirements are met and any fees are paid on time.

Wunder

Founded in 2014, Wunder simplifies securing financing for commercial solar projects. Their online marketplace streamlines connecting developers to capital sources for funding projects.

Wunder’s platform provides loan origination, underwriting automation, and application tracking for solar construction and long-term financing. This aims to accelerate deal flow and lower customer acquisition costs.

Coral Vita

Founded in 2019, Coral Vita operates commercial coral farms utilizing renewable energy and aquaculture technologies. Their land-based facilities grow resilient coral up to 50 times faster than ocean reefs.

The healthy farmed corals are then transplanted to revitalize damaged reefs. Coral Vita’s farms also raise awareness through community education and eco-tourism visits.

R-Zero

Founded in 2020, R-Zero emerged as businesses and schools sought solutions for operating safely post-pandemic. Their UV-C tech provides whole room disinfection without chemicals. The devices continuously monitor and improve air quality too.

R-Zero’s products allow people to congregate indoors with less worry about transmitted diseases. The company also focuses on environmental responsibility – their units reduce energy waste and use recycled materials.

Bottle+

Founded in 2019, Bottle+ has developed a sustainable alternative to bottled sparkling waters and sodas. Their reusable bottle contains a carbonation system that injects tap water with CO2 to make sparkling water on demand.

Users simply fill the bottle from the sink and press a button for fresh fizzy water. This eliminates the need for hauling cases of bottled bubbly drinks while dramatically cutting plastic waste.

Apeel

Founded in 2012, Apeel has created an innovative protective coating made from plant materials that doubles the shelf-life of produce. Their product forms an invisible extra “peel” when applied to the surface of fruits and vegetables.

This peel slows water loss and oxidation – the main causes of spoilage. Produce coated with Apeel’s edible protection stays fresher longer, reducing waste across the supply chain.

Inspire

Founded in 2013, Inspire provides renewable energy systems like solar panels and home batteries alongside smart energy optimization. Their digital platform gives homeowners control over clean energy production and consumption.

Inspire pairs customized solar and battery installations with real-time usage monitoring via app. Homeowners can track and adjust systems to minimize energy costs. Automated energy advisors optimize savings.

Rheaply

Founded in 2016, Rheaply operates an online marketplace for buying and selling used lab instruments and supplies. This enables circular sharing of resources within the research community.

Rheaply’s platform connects asset owners with buyers, handling logistics and transactions. Items like microscopes, centrifuges, and refrigerators are rehomed to maximize utilization instead of sitting idle.

Optera

Founded in 2021, Optera provides companies with an ESG data management system to oversee carbon and sustainability initiatives. Their platform centralizes measurement, reporting, and reductions planning.

Key features include supply chain emissions tracing, progress dashboards, and scenario modeling. This enables users to quantify impacts, set actionable goals, and track performance over time.

Integriculture

Founded in 2019, Integriculture aims to produce cultured meat and seafood using cell cultivation technology. Their process grows real animal cells without slaughter to create alternatives to conventional meat.

Integriculture focuses on Southeast Asian markets and products like chicken, shrimp, and crab. Their regional approach allows hyper-localized production and distribution to consumers.

Watershed

Founded in 2020, Watershed provides an end-to-end climate management system for companies to track, reduce, and offset their carbon footprint. Their software calculates emissions across operations and supply chains.

It then guides users on decarbonization strategies, displays progress to goals, and facilitates high-quality carbon credit purchases to neutralize remaining emissions. This streamlines corporate climate action.

Grow a Wish

Grow a Wish was founded in 2019 with a mission to make giving more meaningful. Their greeting cards contain native flower seeds embedded in the paper. Recipients can plant the card to grow flowers after enjoying the message. This provides an extra layer of joy and remembrance from each card. 

The wildflower seeds also benefit pollinators and the environment when planted. Grow a Wish partners with charities focused on poverty, children’s education, and the planet.

LevelTen Energy

With LevelTen Energy, even the smaller companies can invest in cleaner energy since they offer renewable energy in amounts and prices proportional to each company’s needs. LevelTen Energy is the world’s largest marketplace for renewable energy buyers, sellers, advisors, and financiers.

They’ve developed the most sophisticated, real-time project and PPA analytics in the industry, and online RFP and planning tools, standard contracts, and instant data which helps companies easily find the best deals.

What all these environmental startups have in common

These environmental startups are working towards the same goal – shaping our future for the better. For that purpose, the world’s most ambitious experts in the field by leveraging technology have developed solutions that are already proven to make a positive impact. Lastly, all of these promising environmental startups are sharing the same goal when it comes to profits as well, and that is mid-to-long-term sustainability rather than just short-term profits.

Discover more creative startups that might interest you:

  • Food startups that are developing amazing food making and delivery solutions.
  • The best DeFi startups working on alternatives for the standard financal services.
  • Art startups with creative solutions for artists worldwide.

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12 perks of unplugging from social media for entrepreneurs

12 perks of unplugging from social media for entrepreneurs

12 perks of unplugging from social media for entrepreneurs

June 05, 2024

Social media for entrepreneurs

Social media has undoubtedly become a huge part of our lives. Whether you are using it from your personal account or for growing your business, it’s time-consuming and it can easily become a focus of your everyday life.

Therefore, since we all know what are the benefits of using social media, lets see what good can come from unplugging from social media for entrepreneurs. What is more valuable in life than an amazing social media marketing strategy for your business? What will make you happier than turning your followers into customers? The simple answer would be – your mental health!

 1. Feel better about your business and ideas

 2. Focus on your own lane

 3. Good for mental health

 4. Stay away from shiny object syndrome

 5. Breaking the cycle of social comparison

 6. Increased concentration

 7. It helps you sleep better

 8. Network face to face

 9. Avoid the inevitable PR risks

 10. Work-life balance

 11. Vanquish your FOMO

 12. Keeping away from negativity

Benefits of unplugging from social media for entrepreneurs

Not convinced about the benefits of unplugging from social media for entrepreneurs? Lets have a look at how unplugging from social media can help you live a healthy life while bringing good to your business path. 

Feel better about your business and ideas

When you do a digital detox and put down the social media for a while you’ll start to feel better about yourself, your business, and your ideas. This is especially true if you spend much of your digital life in various social media echo chambers that encourage conformity and groupthink and punish dissenting opinions or new approaches.

Therefore, unplugging from social media for entrepreneurs means being safe from failing to reach goals they have set simply because they feel like they will be judged by the social media or have allowed self-doubt to creep in because of things they have heard or seen on social media.

Focus on your own lane

Unplugging from social media for entrepreneurs throughout launching their business enables them to focus on their own lane. Constantly keeping an eye on your competition will decrease your creativity and distract you from what you set out to achieve. 

However, it is vital to keep a close eye on social media to understand what is trending, what mistakes others are making, and how one can learn from them. Hence, there is an important balance needed between being unplugged to achieve individuality and creativity whilst remaining plugged in to learn from others and remain connected with societal trends.

Good for mental health

The internet has helped to remove much of the stigma associated with discussing mental health, but it can also exacerbate mental health difficulties for entrepreneurs. Attachment to technology has been linked to a variety of mental health issues. 

Occasional social media users are nearly three times less likely to be depressed, but most young people – who are heavy users – are much more likely to be depressed and have a bad mental health rating. Entrepreneurs who don’t spend as much time on social media are more likely to have strong mental health and feel good about themselves in the longer term.

In a world where people are becoming more nervous all of the time, it would be foolish not to believe that smartphones had something to do with this. Constantly staring at your phone might lead to a sensation of anxiety and stress. 

Stay away from shiny object syndrome

Unplugging from social media for entrepreneurs will help them stay away from shiny object syndrome. There are always new ideas on social media and those can often seem very exciting. Just looking at a tweet with a great hook was enough to make the wheels start turning.

But often, these are not proven ideas. They’re concepts that sound good to a mass audience. And chasing them blindly can cause entrepreneurs to lose time, money, and their original vision.

Breaking the cycle of social comparison

The majority of people who use social media compare their lives to those of everyone they know. The issue is that this might have a negative impact on an entrepreneur’s self-esteem. For example, if everyone you know is succeeding in business but you’re still having trouble as an entrepreneur, you may feel alone and lonely. 

For some people, this can even lead to significant depression. Break out from this harmful pattern by disconnecting from social media and reconnecting with all of the positive things in your life. Social media pulls out your competitive nature, even if you aren’t conscious of it.

This is because the primary goal of social media platforms is to get others to notice your posts. Each like and comment is a barometer of how popular a post is, which might drive you to try to outdo others and even yourself. 

Increased concentration

Your phone can be a significant distraction in both personal and professional life. So, it’s best to switch your phone off and put it to the side so you won’t be inundated with emails and notifications while working. 

Social media is designed to keep you on there as long as possible because it uses algorithms and designers to keep you as addicted as possible. That’s why switching your phone off will help you concentrate on the project you’re currently working on and complete more work in less time.

It helps you sleep better

A good night’s sleep is essential for your overall health, both mentally and physically. The blue light emitted by our electronic gadgets can have a negative impact on our sleep because it interferes with the production of melatonin in our bodies. So you can start leaving your phone in another room and start enjoying your day without being tempted to go through your phone.

Network face to face

Unplugging from social media for entrepreneurs allows them to get out and network face to face. It’s true that virtual networking events are the new normal, but when you attend meetings and conferences, you get to socialize and vibe with others who could become potential clients or customers. This allows people to experience you in a different setting that showcases your expertise.

Avoid the inevitable PR risks

Unplugging from social media for entrepreneurs means being able to avoid the inevitable PR risks that come from being active on these platforms. Even if you’re careful to stay professional on social media, something as innocuous as liking a particular post or following a certain public figure can draw attention from the public or media.

These days, you have to assume that everything you do on social media is being screenshotted and shared. Staying off the platforms altogether is often the easiest route. You don’t have to worry about a one-off comment impacting your business’s bottom line. Plus, you’ll save a bunch of time that you can put towards growing your business and building viable strategies. It is truly a win-win. 

Work-life balance

Unplugging from social media for entrepreneurs helps to create separation between work life and personal life. If you are someone who uses social media heavily for your business, if you try to use it casually, you will probably end up thinking about work.

Vanquish your FOMO

When you first stop using social media, you can predict resignation syndromes. Experts say that this is because of the naturally inherent fear of missing out. After all, you could miss something entertaining or important if you step aside from your laptop or smartphone.

The notification amount makes it even heavier to stay away. But those who become addicted to social media can end up impairing their personal and professional relations. You can diminish this effect after your detox by appointing a once-a-day visit to your favorite social media sites. After that visit is over, do not seek social media for the rest of the day.

Keeping away from negativity

Social media is all about connection, but it hurts the way we connect. It significantly reduces the time for personal interaction and makes you get into a toxic environment where you tend to be rude, anxious, depressed, mentally exhausted, and emotional.

Therefore keeping away from negativity is one of the benefits of unplugging from social media for entrepreneurs. We often lose control over what we see while scrolling and we see posts that make us feel bad about ourselves. Entrepreneurs need to isolate themselves from those things by unplugging from social media or unfollowing the people who spread negativity.

Conclusion

The digital era surely shifted our priorities in life, but your mental health and unlimited creativity are still considered priceless things in life. Staying true to yourself and feeling fulfilled in life will definitely make you happier – which might mean you need to take some time as an entrepreneur and unplug from social media.

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Pros and cons of age diversity in the workplace in 2025

Pros and cons of age diversity in the workplace in 2025

Pros and cons of age diversity in the workplace in 2025

June 05, 2024

What are the benefits and downsides of having age diversity at the workplace

When we speak of improving the modern work environment, we can’t ignore that diversity plays a crucial role. Age diversity in the workplace is one of the most important sign of an inclusive and effective workplace.

Since the average workplace now includes members of at least four generations in the workplace, companies that embrace all ages are more likely to succeed. Nevertheless, it’s a fact that age diversity in the workplace can bring some challenges – however, when you compare the benefits you can claim vs. the challenges you need to overcome, it all pays off.

Benefits of having an age diversity in the workplace

Each generation contributes its own set of talents to your company. Although younger employees may possess a stronger understanding of technology, older employees may possess superior interpersonal abilities. Combining these abilities by having an age diversity in the workplace significantly improves your organization as a whole.

It can help reduce employee turnover

Employee turnover is reduced as a result of enhanced performance and productivity, which is a significant benefit. It has also been noted that workers over the age of 55 can contribute to decreased turnover because they are loyal employees who tend to stay in their positions for a longer period than younger employees. Employers benefit from decreased turnover expenses as well as more highly skilled and experienced staff.

Amber Morland, CEO, and Founder of WinCope

Boosts performance and productivity

Age diversity in the workplace can boost the overall performance of a business. In addition, studies have shown that organizations with mixed-age work teams have increased productivity among both older and younger employees. Furthermore, when groups are involved in difficult decision-making activities, age diversity within work teams is favorably connected to performance.

Adam Fard, Founder and Head Of Design at Adam Fard’ UX Agency

It increases the demand on a global basis

From my experience, age variety is vital in meeting customer requests and increasing efficiency. An organization with a diversified skill set and expertise is better able to address the needs of individuals of all ages. This enables the company to fulfill demand and provide service on a worldwide scale.

As they have more matured experience as well as the young potential to turn risks into possibilities, organizations with age-diverse employees will have more courage to perform a procedure. This will allow the company to make more money, expand its business, and execute its plans more quickly.

Bradley Bonnen, Founder and CEO of iFlooded Restoration

Making better decisions

Discrimination based on age is widespread, and that’s a shame. Having a mix of ages among workers provides several benefits, including cognitive diversity leading to better decision making. Although abstract reasoning may decline with age, experiential knowledge rises.

Studies show that employees who are part of a mixed-age work environment are likely to be more motivated and satisfied in their jobs. Considering these benefits, why wouldn’t you leverage the advantages of having age diversity in your workplace?

Ryan Stewart, Founder of Webris

It can produce the most innovation

One of the biggest benefits of having age diversity in the workplace is the fact that diversity of experience is often what can produce the most innovation. Much can be said about the importance of racial and gender diversity, but age can be important as well.

People who lived and worked before much of our modern technology were ubiquitous possess certain skills and intuition that the younger generation hasn’t had to cultivate. Connecting dots between a wider set of skills and experiences is shown to lead teams to better decisions and more profit for companies.

Nikki Gonzales, Head of Growth and Partnerships at Quotebeam

Skills diversity

Maintaining a workforce with various talents and competencies, with people capable of working in conventional forms and those able to see beyond those forms into a new market and technical paradigms, is the only way to remain competitive in the global market. Older workers can teach new workers existing skills, while younger workers can teach older workers new technology.

Ken Olling, Co-Founder and Chairman of MELD

Different perspectives

One of the biggest benefits of age diversity in the workplace is getting different perspectives, which ultimately drives innovation. For instance, each generation brings their own experiences and point of view. These different perspectives become a source of innovation, and harboring their strengths often fosters creative and out-of-the-box ideas.

Arvind Patil, Country Manager at Selectra

The downside of having age diversity in the workplace

However, some companies still refrain from maintaining age diversity in their workplace, due to the challenges they have to overcome. Although the benefits exceed these challenges it’s good to be aware of them before they become a problem and create a toxic work environment.

Seniority in the workplace

Older employees are experienced but tend to ask for seniority. They have a solid knowledge base in their career that is vital for business growth. They can be difficult to work with if they deem the younger ones unworthy or if they feel threatened. However, it can be remedied by transforming your work culture and let senior managers lead an example.

James Idayi, CEO of Cloudzat

Lack of communication

A lack of proper communication is a potential challenge that age diversity in the workplace brings. The younger members of the workforce feel that they are overshadowed by the achievements and experiences of their senior coworkers. So they feel that their opinion or ideas may not be given as much importance.

This leads them to keep to themselves and resentment forming over time. The older generation on the other hand has more of an ego issue. They don’t think they are answerable to those younger than them or that the ‘young ones’ could have better ideas or solutions than them. This creates a rift in the workplace which eventually brings down productivity if left unattended.

Bradley Stevens, CEO at LLC Formations

Conclusion

Age diversity in the workplace brings value to your business, so as an business owner easier it is important to be aware of the benefits of that age diversity brings in the workplace. The key thing when it comes to dealing with age diversity in the workplace is starting to address it heads on. Start small and make everyone feel included. This can be initiated by identifying one common goal and shifting attention to the goal rather than the differences.

Once the members of various generations begin to work together and concentrate on the goal, the divisions between their generations stop being the focal point, which will make the cons of age diversity in the workplace negligible. When everyone is on the same page it’s easier to recognize the strengths of colleagues from different generations and how those strengths support the company goal and offer aspects to the project that another generation does not have.

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23 important things successful people sacrifice to achieve greatness

23 important things successful people sacrifice to achieve greatness

23 important things successful people sacrifice to achieve greatness

June 05, 2024

All the things successful people sacrifice to achieve greatness

Many successful entrepreneurs like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Marc Zuckenberg achieve greatness at a relatively younger age. Although you may think they were given some secret formula for success, the truth is they made a sacrifice for success. In fact, a lot of sacrifices for success.

That greatness requires sacrifice is nothing new. Any successful entrepreneur will tell you that achieving greatness isn’t a smooth road driven by a comfy Porsche. Instead, there are things you must sacrifice to have a better future, and that often includes losing your BMW or girlfriend. (Yep, true story, you can read below.)

What is the price for greatness?

Truth is, the sacrifices for success can’t be measured with any amount of money. More often than not, to achieve greatness you have to pay emotionally or socially. Don’t believe us? Read the testimonials of these 25 accomplished entrepreneurs.

Family

When I started Cirkled In, just like any other entrepreneur, I was very optimistic and thought we’ll be successful very quickly since our idea was so awesome. 

However, it always takes more time, more money and more resources. I have been doing Cirkled In for 5 years and the biggest cost I have paid and still paying is not being involved in my kids’ lives. They have grown from 12 years old to 17 years old and younger one from 9 years old to 14 years old. 

I have barely been part of their lives as I’m working non-stop for my company. Consistently 80-100 hour workweek is normal. In fact, I have used them to do tasks as well. We did not celebrate 13th birthday or even 16th birthday. Now the older one is applying to colleges but I have no time to spend with her. 

As an entrepreneur, I think, feel, sleep, eat, breathe my company. Everything else has gone on the back burner. Just recently we started taking one vacation as a family, driving to a beach after no vacation for years. Right now I’m on vacation with my family but still answering my emails and phone calls etc.

Was it worth it? I don’t know but I hope it was. When I’m on a deathbed, I didn’t want to say – I wish I had tried. So I’ll have that satisfaction. But I may have traded that with another regret – I wish I was there more for my daughters.

Reetu Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO of Cirkled In

Sleep

Along with my partner, we created our first e-commerce store 3 years ago. At the time we both were working full time at Deloitte as tech consultants and would work 6 hours a night after our day jobs on our site. We both sacrificed sleep to get the site off the ground running and making sure it was successful. Barely sleeping 3 hours a night and doing nothing but working (either on our day job or on our side project). We needed to do it to make sure that our side project succeeded. 

We realized we never looked forward to our day jobs anymore and was only doing it for the security of the paycheck. It was all worth it because after 6 months our site was consistently making more than our day job and we quit. Within the first year, we had made over $1million in revenue and was able to travel the world while we worked. 

Since then we’ve been able to use that money to start other sites, buy an investment property, start a new branded store Kimonol.com and created a personal brand for ourselves called Commerce Chicks with nearly 50k followers on TikTok.

Carmen Huang, Co-founder of Commerce Chicks

Health

The biggest sacrifice for success I had to make? I would have to go with health, hands-down, as the effort and time I dedicated to running my business was ruining my work-life balance. Some things I could deal with such as lack of sleep and having to be constantly alert, as I consider myself a high-energy person. What was affecting me the most was what I ate though, as I was overeating from staying up late and eating junk food to make the situation worse.

So finding myself with increasingly high fat and cholesterol levels after a checkup, I decided to flip the switch and go vegan a few years ago.

Stefan Smulders, CEO of Expandi.io 

I sacrificed my health in order to find business success. After setting up my website, my first few years were spent breaking even until several things happened in quick succession. I landed a book deal, scored a lucrative freelance contract, and wrote an article that went viral. Suddenly, I had more work offers than I knew what to do with, and I was too afraid to turn any of them down.

I was afraid that as soon as I said no, the opportunities would dry up. Instead, I began to work 18 hours a day, from 6 a.m. to midnight, for weeks on end, writing until I could barely function. I didn’t leave my house for three months.

Obviously, it was an unsustainable way to live and my prolonged stress levels unfortunately led to me developing an auto-immune disorder and suffering a breakdown

Was it really worth the sacrifice? No, it wasn’t. But it taught me an important lesson on prioritising your health above all else — I’ll never make that mistake again.

Lauren Juliff, Founder of Never Ending Footsteps 

Sanity

Entrepreneurship is a brutal road that has been much more stressful than when I worked for other companies as an employee. As an entrepreneur, all responsibilities, decisions, and stresses fall on you. And usually, failure has enormous consequences, such as financial peril for you or your family.

I was much more relaxed and less stressed as an employee of someone else’s company, but I don’t regret becoming an entrepreneur. It was absolutely worth it because of the benefits of successful entrepreneurship, such as financial freedom and unmatched autonomy and flexibility. I’ve learned to cope with the stress and how to manage my mental health.

Jayson DeMers, CEO at EmailAnalytics

Freedom

In the early stages of a startup, as a business owner, you tend to sacrifice your own freedom for longer-term success. Initially, you are unlikely to have a large or established team and as such, you have full accountability and responsibility. In turn, this can often mean that you are always on call to an extent. Taking days off or going on holiday is problematic due to the lack of someone to replace you during this period.

As the business grows and the team becomes more established, you can then start to transfer some of this accountability and responsibility to relevant managers when required. You get your freedom back! That initial sacrifice is necessary though. Tight margins and a sink or swim situation can be a monthly occurrence. As such, you sacrifice your freedom (and time and sleep) in order to transition out of your self-made captivity. It’s worth it in the end!

Simon Ensor, Founder & Managing Director at Catch Works

Games

My biggest sacrifice was certain hobbies that I’ve had for years – mainly playing video games. It’s very easy to lose track of time when video games are in the picture, and I think that in the long run it definitely helped increase my productivity as I have more time to get work done, as well as maintaining a schedule for other important activities such as exercise.

Itamar Blauer, Founder of Itamar Blauer

Social life

One thing I sacrificed while growing my business was my social life. I believe you need uplifting and ambitious people around you to be a successful person, but it’s easy to become distracted by social events. I limited how often and what I did with friends. This allowed me to grow my business faster with the saved time and focus on doing only meaningful activities socially. In the end, I’m happy I did it and now that my business is thriving I can use the freedom to spend more time with friends and family.

Carmine Mastropierro, Founder of Mastro Commerce

Fun

The one thing I sacrificed was my time for everything that you considered fun. Growing a business, especially a successful one requires your full attention and focus especially during the stages of growth. Most of my time is reinvested into spending on marketing, budgeting, and creating processes for hiring and training employees.

The business requires most of my time and to be there when things don’t go right. If my time was spent elsewhere besides my business, I would get lost and will have to try and catch up and fix a lot more problems.

Over the years and the time sacrificed to making the business work has paid off. We have systems in place for the business to run smoothly and adapt to recurring problems. We want to continue expanding and growing and sacrificing time is always a must.

Benjamin N., Founder of Full Color Cleaners 

Love

I think the most painful or symbolic sacrifice I made to become a successful entrepreneur was selling the Xbox my first love saved (for 3 years and 4 months) to buy for me. I sold it to get the SEO course that transformed my career. Most of my friends tried to discourage me from taking that step, specifically advising me that there was an endless pool of SEO tutorials for free on YouTube. 

But I knew that, unlike the popular saying, the best things in life were no longer free. I knew that the key to having lucrative information was having rare information. My girlfriend was hurt, she felt I disrespected her, leaving me for my friend.

You won’t see Tim Cook coming to YouTube to teach you how to create an iPhone 11. I was very sure that vital content is never viral content! Turns out I got 204x value of my investment – and still counting!

Lotus Felix, Founder of Flawless Content Shop

Vacation

The one thing I sacrificed to succeed was personal vacation. When I worked my full-time job, I sacrificed my personal vacation for two years to grow my accounting firm and write a tax book.

It paid off greatly. After releasing my book in 2016. I was able to leave full-time employment in 2018, tripling my yearly salary. I am a full-time Small Business Tax Accountant and Business Strategist and help other employees become bosses.

Yvette D. Best, Founder of Best Services Unlimited 

Time

When someone mentions things successful people sacrifice to achieve greatness, the first thing that comes to my mind is sacrificing my time. Before I started BroutonLab, I worked a part-time job as a data scientist to leave time and finances to build my business. Building up the finances and courage to launch a data science company, time was the most significant sacrifice. With Michigan’s Virtual CFO, I can manage my company’s financials more efficiently and have more time to focus on growing my business and achieving my goals.

However, with good time management, I was able to succeed on both business and private ends, and I know it would all be worth it in the end. I became super productive and efficient but some personal hobbies and interests were indeed pushed to the side.

I worked hard for several years, but I was able to see the results. When I started my business, working hours stopped relevant as I had to be available pretty much the entire day to communicate with our clients from all around the world.

Now I regret nothing. I learned a lot from this experience, even when I was working long hours. Today I have more than 15 top data scientists working with me, and the business runs like clockwork. We carry out exciting projects for clients worldwide and can see how our technology can transform businesses and the lives of people. What can be more satisfying?“

Michael Yurushkin, Ph.D. in Physics and Mathematics, CTO & Founder of Broutonlab

Colleagues

I left a great career in product management in Silicon Valley to start the company, and while leaving the paycheck was certainly a sacrifice, the biggest sacrifice was the camaraderie of my colleagues at work. I’m entirely on my own now – I have some freelancers helping me with a few things, but it’s just not the same as being part of a

team. I’ve been lucky enough to always work with people who I really liked and respected, and I miss that both from a social perspective and just a shared responsibility perspective. The entrepreneurial life can be lonely!

Alex Willen, Founder of Cooper’s Treats

Travel

The one thing that I sacrificed for success when I first became an entrepreneur was my travel hobby. For the first several years after I launched my business all of my travel was business related, with no time for sightseeing or taking in the local culture. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur I would take several trips a year to new destinations. This was something that I highly valued, as it helped me gain a deeper appreciation for the world and it developed my global perspective. 

Looking back it was certainly worth it, as I view this sacrifice as temporary in my life. Now that my business is more established my personal travels have come back to an extent, although not to the same level as before.

Stefan Chekanov, Co-founder and CEO of Brosix Instant Messenger

Lavish lifestyle

The biggest sacrifices we had to make as a family was taking a step back and downsizing our lifestyle. Gone was the BMW and we went from a 2 bedroom luxury apartment to a 1 bedroom. We sold extra furniture, artwork, clothes, and anything else of value. Best decision we ever made.

Dan Alexander, Founder of UptownShowroom

Work-life balance

The lines between my work and personal life blurred. I always think about work even when away from the office – day and night. Responding to emails and calls from clients that urgently need attention has been the priority. At the end of the day, it’s been always important to balance work priorities and personal life, and make time for my family and mental health; however, making sacrifices for my business and providing the best customer service to our clients have been the main reason for our company’s rapid growth throughout the years and has absolutely been worth it.

Arash Fayz, Co-Founder and Executive Director of LA Tutors 123

Gym

Sadly to say, before starting my business I was an avid gym-goer, and there were weeks when I would go up to 5 times for at least an hour. When my business took off I found I had less and less time for going to the gym, so I gradually reduced the time in there. It took a few years, but I found myself not going to the gym at all anymore.

Fortunately, I’ve since realized that it’s not very healthy to go without any exercise for long periods of time and I have again started exercising, but this time by doing calisthenic exercises at home.

Mike Sheety, Founder of That Shirt

9-5 safety

One thing I have sacrificed to succeed as an entrepreneur is the mental safety net you get from having a real 9 to 5 job. In a real 9 to 5 job, you simply focus only on your tasks and you don’t worry about how to pay your taxes, how to structure your company, what happens if someone threatens to sue your company, what happens if you lose customers or search traffic, how to outsource work or hire others, how to strategize or take your company to the next level and then execute on it, or any of the other hard realities and tasks you have as a business owner. 

When you work for yourself you give up the mental safety net and security of having a job and take a lot more onto your own shoulders. It is 100% worth it for me even though it can be much more stressful at times, because of the unlimited upside and the freedom.

Stacy Caprio, Founder of Growth Marketing

Financial security

I sacrificed the ease of financial security. If you want freedom to do what you want to do, when you want to… you are likely your own boss…a business owner. An entrepreneur understands that no business has assured success tomorrow, or the next day, or the next. 

Was it worth it? Is it still worth it? Yes. I do not have the luxury of an assured paycheck, but I have discovered that as an entrepreneur and business owner I can identify opportunities and decide for myself how much I would like to make, how much freedom I want and what I will enjoy doing today and tomorrow. That will always be worth it.

Lissa Speer, Co-founder of Gigi Raffe

Preconceived notion of success

The one thing I’ve sacrificed in order to succeed was any preconceived notion I had that success, or even progress, would come quickly. I originally had a 5-year plan for the business – but I quickly realized that timeline was foolish and was based on nothing other than me succumbing to media clickbait headlines that tout speed, rocketship trajectories, hockey stick growth curves, blitz-scaling, etc. Those might work for some businesses, but it wasn’t going to work for ours. 

It’s now been 11 years since we started Fracture, and we’ve come such a long way since the beginning, but at least in my mind, we’re nowhere close to achieving true success. I’m confident that we’ll get there, but first I had to sacrifice this superficial need for speed that was more harmful than anything else.

Abhi Lokesh, CEO & Co-founder of Fracture

Oneself

One thing that I have sacrificed as an entrepreneur is me. Focusing on building my business with long hours, growing teams (the good and bad with that), accepting all the responsibility when things go wrong and the stress of being a leader is taxing but it’s worth it to be able to do what I love, creating generational wealth, building up my teameducation/learning, taking care of my family and the flexibility/freedom that it provides is worth it.

Melissa Wyatt, Owner of MW Enterprises

Personal relationships

In order to succeed in business, the number one thing that I’ve had to sacrifice is relationships. It’s a hard reality to know that as you go up the ladder of success, your circle and friends and relationships get smaller and smaller. 

My life has changed so dramatically over the last year and I see time and time again why someone had to be removed from my sphere of influence because they did not belong. You can’t mix fear and failure. Your circle has to be one of a fearless pursuit for excellence which eliminates many people. 

All in all, it has been worth it because the people that I am aligned with are properly aligned with the vision and mission for my life and for that I am grateful because it allows me to grow into the person I desire to be so I am able to help others on their path to success.

Kristen Fenrick, Founder of Klearly Kristen

Professional relationships

When I decided to branch out and open my own boutique real estate firm, I had to sacrifice some professional relationships. As a Realtor most of us work under a brokerage umbrella and there is a familiar relationship that exists there. 

Once I decided to create my own brokerage for the betterment of my family and creating a legacy for them I realized that the relationships I had didn’t extend beyond the geographical boundaries of being in the same office. It was a hard thing to accept. Prior to opening my own brokerage I had a small team of Realtors and only one joined on this new adventure. 

Ultimately, it was the best decision for me and my family which allows me to be at peace with the decision. I’m able to create the environment and standards of operation that go with my values and beliefs. Plus I now have a business that can extend beyond me to my children and children’s children if they so desire.

Crystal Swearingen, Owner of Crystal Clear Realty

Comfortableness

Among the many things successful people sacrifice to achieve greatness is your sense of comfort. The path to success is fraught with obstacles, yet it can also be enjoyable and rewarding at times. The point is that you will never make a change if you are unwilling to leave your comfort zone and do something unusual. 

To become extraordinary, as the term implies, you must be willing to go above and beyond. You cannot do what the majority of people do and expect an exceptional outcome. To achieve tremendous success, you must do what the majority of people are unwilling to do. Yes, it will be difficult and at times it may seem crazy, but this is the route that will transform you into a different person.

Travis Lindemoen, Managing Director of Nexus IT Group

Conclusion

Nothing worth comes the easy way, least of all success in business. Making a sacrifice for success is inevitable. However, be careful not to lose the things that matter and make you happy along the way. 

Hopefully, if you are having a tough time and are feeling overwhelmed by everything you sacrifice, all the above things successful people sacrifice to achieve greatness are your consolation that everything is completely normal and you are on the right path.

However, keep an eye on the red flags that show you crossed a line with your sacrifices. You don’t want to wake up one day and realize that the sacrifices for greatness you made cost you happiness, health, and peace. Yes, it’s better to cry in a Lamborghini, but make sure you don’t cry too often. Otherwise, go and sell it.

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