5 Best Companies to work for in Europe in 2018

How will our 2018 be? We, as Meritocracy, have our predictions: we will be talking more and more about a cash free world, and about bitcoins. So, which companies should you be checking out in 2018, and that we think will keep growing?

Satispay

This is a made in Italy company. It has been defined by KPMG and H2 Ventures among the 100 best fintech companies in the entire world. Satispay is the startup that allows you to pay from your phone, and it is the very first time an Italian company is in this list. It just signed a deal with PagoPa, which allows digital payments in the public administration (basically, you can pay taxes, fines, and tickets from your phone). It is the future of Italian fintech, and they are proving it by creating a lot of thrilling partnerships (from the Italian railway system, to the exhibition “L’Artigianato in Fiera” in Milan). It is definitely a company to keep an eye on, with a growing and glowing path in front of it. They will keep growing, and they will keep on finding the best talents for such a growth.

N26

For years banks have focused on building their brands. Then, N26 came out: easy to use, free, and something people take for granted. Fintech startup N26 announced another international expansion in the UK and US during 2018. The company also plans to launch savings, investment and credit features pretty quickly. N26 has been doing very well in Europe (it got its own banking license and attracted 500,000 customers) and is trying to create the retail bank of the future, provided with everything you need. Smartphones are becoming the foundation of the mobile banking system, and will continue to evolve and grow in that direction.

SumUp

Considering that the future will be cash free, we want to mention as one of the companies to keep an eye on also SumUp, that is the leading mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) company in Europe. SumUp, the leading financial technology provider, just announced a partnership with BancoEstado de Chile, the largest national bank of Chile, and declared also the launch of a joint venture offering mobile card acceptance to small businesses. Through the newly formed joint venture, SumUp increases its local footprint in South America to a second market. On September 4th, a press release came out that said they had launched in 15 new markets. The future is cash free, and this company is definitely one we will hear about in the future.

 

Conio

Because of this unprecedented growth, the number of transactions on the Bitcoin blockchain has also increased, with up to 400,000 transactions per day being conducted. You need to be prepared for an absolute onslaught of news about Bitcoin competitors. The market value of Bitcoin is not tied up to any reference asset: its value depends on the supply/demand balance, and it is not managed by central institutions. Its value can vary significantly every day, every second.
This is why we are including the Italian company Conio in this list, because bitcoin will be a hot(ter) topic. Through their platform, you can purchase Bitcoins, control them, deposit them, or use them to pay a dinner.  Bitcoin will be at the center of the attention, so this is a good reason enough to keep an eye on this company, which has Bitcoins as a core value.

Casper

Have you ever thought that buying mattresses could be fun? Well, with Casper, it is (lots of fun). Their idea was simple: producing the best mattress possible at an affordable price, selling a single model, and delivering it quickly and for free, with a 100-day trial period. And, it worked: Casper sold mattresses for $1 million in its first month.The NYC company has since then raised $70 million in venture capital, became a 120 employees company, and hit $100 million in cumulative sales. What’s going to happen in the future? They are reinventing sleep, a market that made many yawn, and created an incredible customer experience out of it (did you check their Instagram page for example?).
Casper is promising a great life (they sold 200$ million worth of mattresses, sheets, pillows, and dog beds even). The extra care they have for customers, their innovative delivery method created sky-high expectations on them. In the future they will accelerate the work, improve delivery speed, offer new services, like same-day delivery. Ah, you have maybe already seen them on the American Airlines planes: they partnered with them, and offer a 30,000 feet unforgivable sleep experience.