These are the top 15 startups helping even non-programmers build simple apps, ahead of an expected software developer shortage

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• Low code/no code tools are rising in popularity as software becomes increasingly necessary in the workplace, and the demand for developers to build it is slated to outpace the supply.
• Low code/no code refers to tools that can help non-programmers build simple apps and automate common tasks quickly and easily.
• It's expected to be a market worth $52 billion by 2024, with tech titans like Microsoft and Google competing with small startups to capitalize on the opportunity.
• Business Insider compiled a list of the top low code/no code startups based on nominations from venture capitalists and industry leaders.
• These 15 startups range from tools that can build many kinds of apps, to tools that are meant for specific industries like financial services or customer service.
• Click here to read more stories from BI Prime.

It's no secret that every company in every industry is looking to software and automation to keep pace in an increasingly digital world. The problem is that it appears the demand will soon outstrip the supply of programmers available to build the tools those companies need.

That's led to a big boom in the so-called low code/no code market - a trend towards tools that make it easier for even non-programmers to quickly and easily make simple apps and automate common tasks.

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Large companies have invested heavily in this space, most prominently Microsoft with its Power Platform product. Google recently acquired Seattle-based no code company AppSheet as it redoubles its own efforts in the space. Smaller startups, including popular services like Zapier and Airtable, are also establishing a foothold here.

The market opportunity here may be big enough for all of them. The market for low code/no code tools is expected to be worth a whopping $52 billion in 2024 - a huge increase from $6 billion in 2018 - according to a recent report from equity research firm RBC, citing P&S Intelligence.

"[The] business necessity of having to move fast has led to this explosion of turning people into citizen developers who normally wouldn't have the ability to build these applications and they now are able to….and we're at the beginning of it," Steve Loughlin, a partner at venture capital firm Accel, told Business Insider. Accel has investments in companies in the space, including Webflow, Zenaton, and Airkit.

A key feature of low code/no code is integrations, Loughlin said. These tools are able to integrate data from many different sources to build workflows, processes and apps.

Jake Saper, a partner at Emergence Capital, says that with so many tools on the market, serving a variety of niches and industries, the real test of success is going to be the community that grows around each one. A thriving user base can and will make reusable app templates that can be customized for specific usages, which then make the whole thing more useful to an ever-more-specific group of users.

"My hunch is that we're going to see the most successful low code/no code companies - basically one indicator of their success will be the vibrancy of their community and the vibrancy of their community could be measured on the basis of how frequently their templates are used and modified and added to," Saper said. Emergence does not have any significant investments in the market, but is watching the trend closely.

While the market is still emerging, there are some startups that have risen to the forefront as leaders in the low code/no code space.

Business Insider spoke to investors and industry leaders to compile the following list of the top low code/no code startups. Valuations are taken from PitchBook, unless otherwise noted: