Working with accounting firm Plante Moran, which
examined financial documents provided by the applicants for 2018 through 2023, we had the following Fast 50 ground rules:
1. Coinflip
Methodology
Cryptocurrency hasn't been a very good investment recently, with a spring market meltdown wiping out $300 million in value in a matter of days. But for CoinFlip, bitcoin and other digital currencies have continued to fuel stunning, relentless growth, propelling the Chicago company to the top of the Fast 50 list for the second year in a row.
Photo credit
2023 revenue
509,389.3%
5-year growth
$89.2 million
Tech Cryptocurrency ATM operator; Chicago; Founded in 2014
Company description
178
Local employees
201
Total employees
Yes
Profitable?
Tech company in the SaaS space; Chicago; Founded in 2015
Company description
5-year growth
26,336.6%
Photo credit
Any investor or investment house seeking information about a company has ready sources at hand. You go to the Securities & Exchange Commission to find recent 10-K and -Q filings on profits and losses and you find what every analyst on Wall Street is writing about your subject by going to standard clearinghouses like Bloomberg. But Michael and Thomas Elnick, the twin brothers who co-founded Tegus in 2015, dismiss all that as mere qualitative information too easy to find.
2. tegus
(Hover over each box to view information)
2023 revenue
$27.1M
Local employees
252
Total employees
352
Profitable?
No
Yes
Profitable?
443
Total employees
262
Local employees
$508.9 million
2023 revenue
Financial technology platform; Chicago; Founded in 2012
Company description
5-year growth
345.5%
OppFi
39. OppFi
Yes
Profitable?
128
Total employees
119
Local employees
$172.2 million
2023 revenue
Third-party logistics broker; Chicago; Founded in 2010
Company description
5-year growth
333.6%
Transportation One
40. Transportation one
Yes
Profitable?
5,419
Total employees
944
Local employees
$2,305.6 million
2023 revenue
Food-service parts maker; Addison; Founded in 1987
Company description
5-year growth
331.7%
Parts Town Unlimited
41. Parts Town Unlimited
Yes
Profitable?
3,500
Total employees
450
Local employees
$125.0 million
2023 revenue
Child care and enrichment programs; Evanston; Founded in 2010
Company description
5-year growth
395.9%
Right at School
36. Right at school
Yes
Profitable?
122
Total employees
75
Local employees
$51.1 million
2023 revenue
Medical equipment provider; Mokena; Founded in 2010
Company description
5-year growth
352.3%
AA Medical
37. AA Medical
Yes
Profitable?
880
Total employees
311
Local employees
$1,650.4 million
2023 revenue
Vehicle service contracts; Northbrook; Founded in 2006
Company description
5-year growth
349.7%
Endurance Warranty Services
38. Endurance warranty services
No
Profitable?
1,353
Total employees
470
Local employees
$333.6 million
2023 revenue
Social media software; Chicago; Founded by 2010
Company description
5-year growth
323.3%
Sprout Social
42. Sprout social
Yes
Profitable?
39
Total employees
34
Local employees
$47.4 million
2023 revenue
Residential construction; Sycamore; Founded in 2009
Company description
5-year growth
318.1%
Silverthorne Homebuilders
43. silverthorne Homebuilders
Yes
Profitable?
135
Total employees
82
Local employees
$47.6 million
2023 revenue
Data solutions/analytics consulting; Oak Brook; Founded in 2013
Company description
5-year growth
284.3%
Wavicle Data Solutions
44. wavicle data solutions
Yes
Profitable?
80
Total employees
26
Local employees
$18.6 million
2023 revenue
IT consulting and staffing; Chicago; Founded in 2007
Company description
5-year growth
232.8%
Diversified Technology
45. Diversified technology
Yes
Profitable?
2,208
Total employees
1,101
Local employees
$604.9 million
2023 revenue
Waste management and recycling; Rosemont; Founded in 1999
Company description
5-year growth
229.8%
LRS
47. LRS
Yes
Profitable?
511
Total employees
368
Local employees
$108.3 million
2023 revenue
Home health care and medical staffing; Gurnee; Founded in 2002
Company description
5-year growth
227.6%
Brightstar Care
48. Brightstar care
Yes
Profitable?
74
Total employees
37
Local employees
$23.6 million
2023 revenue
Freight and parcel auditing services; Oak Brook; Founded in 1956
Company description
5-year growth
197.8%
ConData
49. Condata
Yes
Profitable?
460
Total employees
84
Local employees
$215.0 million
2023 revenue
Health care management consulting; Naperville; Founded in 2007
Company description
5-year growth
196.2%
Impact Advisors
50. Impact advisors
Yes
Profitable?
2,707
Total employees
443
Local employees
$1,833.5 million
2023 revenue
Global freight forwarder and logistics provider; Itasca; Founded in 1979
Company description
5-year growth
231.3%
AIT Worldwide Logistics
46. AIT Worldwide Logistics
We only considered companies headquartered in the seven-county Chicago area and founded on or before Dec. 31, 2017.
We excluded franchisees, regulated banks, utilities, real estate developers, real estate investment trusts and some holding companies, such as those that primarily buy or sell other companies/large assets.
Small companies —those reporting less than $15 million in 2023 revenue — were likewise not considered.
We disqualified companies that had more than one drop in revenue from 2018 to 2023.
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