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It can be difficult to stand out from the crowd as a startup, especially in the Bay Area. Startups are sprouting up every minute and begging for the attention of VCs and journalists alike. But who are the real success stories? Who will we see around in five or 10 years?

Lead411’s Hottest Companies in
San Francisco

1. Aravo Solutions Inc.
2. Booyah Inc.
3. Castlight Health
4. ClairMail
5. Cloud Engines Inc.
6. Cloudmark Inc.
7. Clustrix
8. Cyan Optics Inc.
9. CyberArts Licensing LLC
10. Delivery Agent, Inc.
11. Ecast
12. Eightfold Logic
13. Engine Yard
14. Envivio, Inc.
15. Eventbrite
16. Flurry, Inc.
17. Glam Media, Inc.
18. Glassdoor.com
19. Healthline Networks, Inc.
20. Hi5 Networks
21. Involver
22. IPWireless
23. JiWire, Inc.
24. Joyent Inc.
25. Kontera Technologies, Inc.
26. LeadQual LLC
27. Lithium Technologies
28. Livescribe Inc.
29. Lookout, Inc.
30. LoopNet Inc.
31. Meraki Inc.
32. MOG Inc.
33. MuleSoft
34. NetShelter Technology Media
35. Okta
36. Pandora
37. Polarion Software
38. Prosper Marketplace, Inc.
39. Quantcast Corporation
40. Rapleaf
41. Reply! Inc.
42. richrelevance™
43. Scribd
44. Sensys Networks
45. Sugar Inc.
46. Tapjoy
47. Teachscape
48. TokBox Inc.
49. TRUSTe
50. Twilio
51. Twitter
52. Ustream TV
53. Workday, Inc.
54. Xobni Corporation
55. Xoom Corporation
56. Yola Inc.
57. Zendesk Inc.
58. Zoom Systems
59. Zoosk Inc.
60. Zynga

Just ask Lead411. The information services company has scoured through 2,200 San Francisco-based companies to determine which are the hottest in terms of growth and revenue for its annual “Hottest Companies in San Francisco” award.

Some of the top 59 companies are no brainers, like Twitter and TRUSTe. Others are companies in software, wireless, Internet, hardware, or media that are still under the radar (though maybe not for long), like Cyan Optics and Mog. Expect to see great things from the startups on this list in the not-so-distant future.

The Quiet Newcomers

“We were pleased to see so many companies not yet developed into startup superstars,” said Thomas Blue of Lead411, “It’s exciting to identify these companies so early in their careers. We fully expect them to become household names within a few years.”

Take Glassdoor.com, the website destined to change how employers and employees interact. The career and workplace community, which recently received $12 million in funding from Battery Ventures, allows users to find and anonymously share reviews, ratings and salary details about specific jobs for specific employers.

Sensys Networks, which is on this year’s Inc. 500 list, makes and installs in-ground, wireless sensors that detect traffic at intersections and on freeways to provide better data collection, control and aggregation and to manage traffic flow. The company has increased its revenues by 256% from 2007 to 2009 ending with $13.2 million in 2009.

Each of the 59 finalists for the “Hottest Companies in the San Francisco” award have a story to tell.

The Criteria

To qualify for the award, the companies had to meet certain criteria:

• Be in software, wireless, Internet, hardware, or media industry
• Be privately held and operate in San Francisco
• Have 150% increase in revenues over the past two years and over $3 million in yearly revenues; OR
• Have over $12 million in funding in the past two years

The Future Definitely Looks Bright

If the award winners are any indication of what to expect in the future in technology and media (and we think they are), we are going to continue to see innovations that change the way we work, play and connect.

Take Ecast, the hospitality network that delivers digital music, games, entertainment, information and interactive advertising to more than 10,000 bars and nightclubs across the United States. Its multimedia jukeboxes do more than play the latest Rhianna song: they can also suggest a drink based on ingredients, find local concerts and offer in-house promotions.

Or JIWIRE who is removing the difficulty of finding Wi-Fi hotspots by offering access to the largest multi-national hotspot directory encompassing 11,000 locations, as well as how-to guides for getting unwired.

Teachscape provides data-driven, outcomes-based software solutions and services that increase student achievement by improving instructional leadership and practice. In other words, it’s a company that is helping both teachers and students succeed with technology.

All these are companies that are changing the face of our world. By supporting their efforts, we can be a part of the next wave of invention. To view the winners of the “Hottest Companies in San Francisco” click here.

This post was written by Susan Payton, owner of Egg Marketing & Public Relations. She also writes on Lead411’s blog.