Rare Startup Ideas

Build it

4 years ago

A platform for people with rare diseases to find research partners, and for researchers to find potential partners.

322

Build it

5 years ago

A startup that wants to connect buyers with people who have what they need, from spare parts to rare books.

220

Build it

2 years ago

A platform for real-time, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) measurements. Spectra Measurements wants to make it easy to compare the full spectrum of your brain with that of a healthy person.

154

Build it

3 years ago

A social networking app where you can message and chat with people who have a rare disease.

137

Build it

3 years ago

Hitting the $1 million to $2 million mark in funding over the course of 12 months is fairly rare for a startup. But it’s true in the world of payday loans. Money Mart has managed to do it for the past two years. They’re a next-generation bank that offers storefronts, mobile apps and online banking as well as traditional loans. They’re growing in Canada, the UK and the US.

83

Build it

3 years ago

Startups that fit into multiple categories, where founders have multiple roles — co-founder, CEO, CTO and CIO, or just the founder and CTO — are a bit more common today, but still rare. The challenge is that it can be difficult to measure how much of the company’s sales and profit go to the founder. Here’s a partial list of startups that fit into that category:

82

Build it

4 years ago

A company that specializes in isolating and extracting rare earth metals from huge piles of raw materials.

71

Build it

4 years ago

A platform for on-demand laser hair removal that uses infrared light instead of lasers, making it a more affordable option.

66

Build it

2 years ago

A social network and community for people with rare diseases, aiming to provide a “safe place for people to connect” and help manage their symptoms.

65

Build it

4 years ago

A team of students from Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center have created a 3-D printed, low-cost, wearable camera that can “see” in the infrared spectrum and uses a thermal-sensing camera to detect objects.

61

Build it

4 years ago

This startup is building a platform that integrates with existing accounting systems to make them more efficient and less expensive. This is the first class to have a student who is a full-time employee of a company, which the startup says is rare for a YC company.

58

Build it

4 years ago

The startup makes an infrared eyewear system that helps people read faster and easier.

57

Build it

3 years ago

A decentralized app store that lets people sell their personal items on the blockchain, with “personal item” defined as anything that can be legally bought and sold. The startup aims to be the first to sell physical items on the blockchain, including “vintage art”, “new, rare tech”, “antique furniture”, etc.

43

Build it

3 years ago

For the last 40 years, a startup without a clear exit strategy has been a rare breed. But today, one in five startups are bootstrapped, and it’s become a viable strategy for founders, who argue that if you find a product that people love, you can always charge for it and if it works, you won’t need to raise funding. Spredfast wants to make this the norm.

41

Build it

2 years ago

A new type of smartphone that can be controlled by a select group of people. The device is controlled by a few people who can call, text and video chat. The founder, Shai Bantum, was born with a rare heart defect that made it necessary for him to have a pacemaker. The company is in beta in the US and Israel.

37

Build it

3 years ago

If this company’s products are as good as its founders say, it’s possible that their launch is overblown. But let’s go into this anyway, because it’s obviously a big deal for entrepreneurs to get funded, and it’s rare for them to get funding from the founder’s mom.

30

Build it

2 years ago

The startup sells “mystery gifts” at holiday time, allowing users to share photos of their gifts and receive items anonymously in return. It’s a fairly rare opportunity to have a surprise gift or even a chance to win a free gift.

23

Build it

2 years ago

This product is designed to help people massage their muscles with light to help reduce pain and increase blood flow. It is the first product of its kind that uses a new kind of light therapy called near-infrared laser therapy. Cofounders Ryan and David Berger, both of whom have had shoulder problems, were the original inspirations for the product.

22

Build it

2 years ago

This company is trying to build a better way of gathering and sharing information about rare diseases.

17

Build it

2 years ago

This platform is a “rare” marketplace for buying and selling exotic and limited-edition cars.

13

Build it

8 hours ago

A startup that matches freelancers with companies needing urgent multilingual voice-over work from rare dialects.

0

Build it

4 days ago

A subscription box that ships lab-grown plant kits designed to produce rare natural pigments for artists and designers.

0

Build it

3 days ago

A startup that delivers monthly mystery boxes of rare houseplant cuttings with DNA-verified authenticity.

-1

Build it

19 days ago

A startup that uses blockchain to track and certify the ethical sourcing of rare minerals in consumer electronics, providing transparent supply chain scores for manufacturers.

-3

Build it

26 days ago

A startup that creates a platform for fractional ownership of rare collectible sneakers, using blockchain to track authenticity and handle shared resale profits.

-3

Build it

1 month ago 4 views

A startup that converts vintage family recipes into personalized meal kits with AR instructions, sourcing rare ingredients from global suppliers for home cooks.

-3

Build it

7 days ago

A startup that rents out portable micro-laboratories enabling small clinics in emerging markets to run on-site DNA sequencing for rare disease diagnostics.

-5

Build it

1 month ago

A social audio app for niche hobbyists, like vintage car restorers or rare plant collectors, hosting live "garage sessions" where experts demo fixes and answer questions in real-time.

-8

Build it

2 months ago

Virtual reality simulations for construction workers to practice rare safety scenarios at home, reducing on-site accidents and training costs.

-11

Build it

2 months ago

Blockchain-based marketplace for trading fractional ownership of rare collectibles like vintage watches or art, with insured digital twins for verification.

-22

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Rare Startup Ideas

A platform for people with rare diseases to find research partners, and for researchers to find potential partners.

A startup that wants to connect buyers with people who have what they need, from spare parts to rare books.

A platform for real-time, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) measurements. Spectra Measurements wants to make it easy to compare the full spectrum of your brain with that of a healthy person.

A social networking app where you can message and chat with people who have a rare disease.

A company that specializes in isolating and extracting rare earth metals from huge piles of raw materials.

A platform for on-demand laser hair removal that uses infrared light instead of lasers, making it a more affordable option.

A social network and community for people with rare diseases, aiming to provide a “safe place for people to connect” and help manage their symptoms.

A team of students from Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center have created a 3-D printed, low-cost, wearable camera that can “see” in the infrared spectrum and uses a thermal-sensing camera to detect objects.

This startup is building a platform that integrates with existing accounting systems to make them more efficient and less expensive. This is the first class to have a student who is a full-time employee of a company, which the startup says is rare for a YC company.

The startup makes an infrared eyewear system that helps people read faster and easier.

If this company’s products are as good as its founders say, it’s possible that their launch is overblown. But let’s go into this anyway, because it’s obviously a big deal for entrepreneurs to get funded, and it’s rare for them to get funding from the founder’s mom.

The startup sells “mystery gifts” at holiday time, allowing users to share photos of their gifts and receive items anonymously in return. It’s a fairly rare opportunity to have a surprise gift or even a chance to win a free gift.

This company is trying to build a better way of gathering and sharing information about rare diseases.

This platform is a “rare” marketplace for buying and selling exotic and limited-edition cars.

A startup that matches freelancers with companies needing urgent multilingual voice-over work from rare dialects.

A subscription box that ships lab-grown plant kits designed to produce rare natural pigments for artists and designers.

A startup that delivers monthly mystery boxes of rare houseplant cuttings with DNA-verified authenticity.

A startup that uses blockchain to track and certify the ethical sourcing of rare minerals in consumer electronics, providing transparent supply chain scores for manufacturers.

A startup that creates a platform for fractional ownership of rare collectible sneakers, using blockchain to track authenticity and handle shared resale profits.

A startup that converts vintage family recipes into personalized meal kits with AR instructions, sourcing rare ingredients from global suppliers for home cooks.

A startup that rents out portable micro-laboratories enabling small clinics in emerging markets to run on-site DNA sequencing for rare disease diagnostics.

A social audio app for niche hobbyists, like vintage car restorers or rare plant collectors, hosting live "garage sessions" where experts demo fixes and answer questions in real-time.

Virtual reality simulations for construction workers to practice rare safety scenarios at home, reducing on-site accidents and training costs.

Blockchain-based marketplace for trading fractional ownership of rare collectibles like vintage watches or art, with insured digital twins for verification.