The Red Herring Top 100 Global event concluded last week with the crowning of a hundred of tech’s brightest startups. The two-day conference, which took place in Los Angeles, welcomed hundreds of founders, entrepreneurs and investors to meet, present their companies and debate the current state of the global tech industry.
The event concluded with an awards ceremony on November 15, at which this year’s top 100 tech companies were announced by Alex Vieux, chairman of Red Herring. A full list of winners can be viewed here.
Among many high-level speakers at the event, GCA managing director Steven Fletcher warned attendees about the large number of unicorn companies being created – and that many of their valuations could be at risk if history repeats itself. He also explained how firms get acquired in a market where the number of IPOs has stalled.
Simon Wu, of Cathay Partners, explained the rising phenomenon of cross-border funding, and how nations like China are pioneering new methods of commerce to accommodate for unique and changing user bases.
There were positives to be drawn everywhere at the conference. However Alex Vieux said that despite a positive 2017, another tech bubble “is not coming yet.”
Vieux championed the increase in world-beating companies coming from developing tech nations, of which a few were present at Top 100 Global. Bahrain, Belgium and Kuwait were all represented at the conference. That increased competition is having a significant effect on the industry. “There is nowhere to hide,” said Vieux. “Everywhere you go, there are a thousand startups.”