#And the winner of this year’s Tech5 scaleup competition is…

The UK based virtual events platform reached an unprecedented growth explosion. Founded in June 2019, at the time Hopin was a humble operation of six people. Just two years later, it’s already become one of Europe’s most coveted tech unicorns, valued at $7.75 billion. It’s now a global operation of 260 employees. 

“Going from just an idea to a product so many people around the world have now used, in only two years, is an impressive story of growth and focus. Hopin’s recent $450M Series D investment was a firm endorsement of the company’s financial performance and growth,” Gilbert said.

The platform is an all-in-one virtual event solution where organizers can plan a virtual, in-person, hybrid, or internal event. It offers both digital venues and professional studio streaming options. Along with this, event marketing materials such as event pages and onsite badge printing can all be done from the same platform. But perhaps the biggest benefit for users are the data capture and lead gen capabilities it provides. 

Hopin is now being used by over 60,000 organizations globally. It counts the United Nations, Salesforce, Adobe, and Slack amongst its users, just to name a few. In fact, this year’s TNW conference is also using Hopin to stream sessions to virtual attendees across the world. 

But it wasn’t just about growth. Beyond that, the Tech5 judges were also assessing companies’ broader usability and social goals.

According to Tech5 judge and co-founder of TNW, Patrick de Laive, “We’re looking for companies that grow extremely fast and are disrupting their sectors.”

During lockdown, Hopin helped keep businesses running and people connected. It’s demonstrated its commitment to continue doing so by launching a free subscription plan. In addition, it recently announced a partnership with fundraising platform, GoFundMe, which will make it easier for nonprofits and social impact drivers to raise much needed funding during events. 

“The platform hit the mainstream at a tough time for the events industry and allowed people to come together while they stayed home. It’s dynamic, easy-to-use and our Tech5 winner for 2021. We’re looking forward to seeing what’s next for Hopin,” said de Laive.

Check out who our individual country winners are here!