What it is: A consumer gadget company founded by Andy Rubin — the guy who created Google's Android.
Rubin intended Essential to be a smaller, more nimble competitor to Apple, Samsung, and other giant electronics companies. Its initial product, the Essential Phone, was one of the first to sport a large, nearly borderless screen, and it features a magnetic connector that allows users to easily connect accessories. After working on the phone in stealth for years, Rubin unveiled it in May.
Essential has had a rocky start. After reports indicated its phone had seen tepid sales, the startup slashed the device's price by $200. Meanwhile, Rubin took a brief leave of absence following a report that he had an "inappropriate" relationship with a colleague while working at Google.
Still, after raising a $330 million in funding and with the promise of a new smart-home product on the way, Essential remains a hot startup to watch.
Funding: $330 million total, with its most recent round led by Access Technology Ventures, according to Crunchbase.