100 of the world's most promising start-ups to watch in 2019

Every year, CNBC scans the globe looking for the 100 venture-backed start-ups that have the potential to transform industries and become tomorrow's household names. Our 2019 Upstart 100 list showcases young start-ups that are building and scaling businesses addressing the rapidly changing technological era we live in. Selected from more than 600 nominees globally, each one was scored on eight equally weighted quantitative metrics (read more about our methodology here).

Each Upstart has raised no more than $50 million in venture capital, which means valuations are still relatively low, while promise and potential are high. And although the unicorns of 2019 have represented at times frothy, fadlike market trends, the Upstart 100 companies present a broader picture of where venture capitalists are placing their bets in the more distant future.

The companies that made this year's Upstart 100 list represent nearly every sector of the economy, from enterprise software and finance to insurance, health care and retail. They come from 10 different countries, 16 U.S. states and DC. Of the 100, 25 are led by women. All of them are less than five years old, but 40 are less than three years old and 11 were founded just last year.

And all of the 100 companies on the list have quickly become entrepreneurial success stories worth keeping an eye on.