30 startups creating the future of work that will prosper in 2020, according to VCs

• As the coronavirus crisis forces people to work remotely, tools that help them stay connected and productive are booming in popularity.
• We asked a select group of VCs to name enterprise startups that could take off this year as a result of the changing work environment.
• Each investor named two "future of work" startups: one in their portfolio, and one company they admire but have no financial interest in.
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The coronavirus outbreak has changed not only where people work from, but how they work and what tools they use.

Already, apps like Zoom and Slack have seen huge increases in usage in the past few weeks, as users grab onto ways to stay connected in their work and personal lives while social distancing.

The urgent need for better work tools could catapult some enterprise startups into the pantheon of unicorn startups, as their users multiply and venture capital investors jump to fund them.

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We wanted to find the startups that are already transforming the future of work, defining the new ways in which people are doing their everyday jobs. We reached out to a select group of venture capitalists with enterprise bets in their portfolios and asked them to name the startups that are positioned to have very good years.

When we spoke to each investor, we set some ground rules for participation:

1. The VC had to tell us about one startup in their portfolio. After all, they had enough conviction in the company to write it a check.
2. We also asked them to name one "future of work" startup where they have no financial interest. Those are the companies they're closely watching, maybe with a bit of envy.

Their nominations cover all aspects of work, from processes like recruiting and onboarding to products such as video conferencing, chatbots, and email.

Here are the 30 startups they named, listed in alphabetical order:

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