4. Piktochart
Time for some serious startup appreciation. Infographic platform Piktochart launched with a team of just four employees in 2011 and has since become a creative niche powerhouse used by media giants like Forbes, Techcrunch and The Guardian (as well as by more than 6 million other users).
Although Piktochart focuses on one specific type of asset creation, its obsessive specialization has made the company difficult to ignore. And with exciting updates to its creative apps, including interactive infographic capabilities and collaborative design features, Piktochart has become an industry standard for visualizing data in stunningly new ways.
5. Hightail
Another niche leader in the creative software space, Hightail has emerged as a compelling solution for an inescapable — and often dreaded — part of the creative grind: the approval process.
Multiple rounds of edits from different approvers can quickly turn into a nightmare for creative teams. Plus, without a central platform to differentiate between older and newer versions of assets, it can be extremely difficult to keep them straight.
G2, an online tool that leverages thousands of reviews to help businesses make decisions on software investments, lists Hightail as an easy frontrunner for online proofing software. According to users, huge draws for the platform include its simple interface, wide range of security options and the ability to share large files.