The new year has begun, the days are getting longer and technology teams are gearing up for an exciting year ahead.
The year 2025 is predicted to be full of new technology — most notably, finding more applications of AI tools to upgrade the way businesses reach customers, as well as new partnerships and strategies to deliver greater value to the customers they reach. As new products hit the market, businesses are keeping a close eye on trends in data to better understand how the modern consumer shops and lives alongside modern technology.
Twenty-two such businesses are featured on Built In’s winter tech watch, and they have a variety of exciting updates to share with the year ahead in mind. Interested in keeping tabs on the tech industry? Settle in with a mug of your favorite hot beverage, take a look at what these companies have in store for 2025 and dream of a warmer, more innovative future.
What Pfizer does: Pfizer is a pharmaceutical and biotechnology company aimed at advancing wellness, prevention, treatments and cures for diseases around the world.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Benefits at Pfizer
- Documented equitable pay policy
- Documented DEI commitment and strategy
- Employee resource groups.
A new platform for convenient care: In August, Pfizer launched a new digital platform, PfizerForAll. Aimed at making everyday health management more convenient for millions of Americans, the platform helps patients connect with qualified healthcare professionals for treatment and vaccines for preventable diseases like the flu, Covid-19 and others. PfizerForAll offers: access to same-day appointments; home delivery of prescription medicines, over-the-counter treatments and diagnostic tests; appointment scheduling for vaccinations and help paying for Pfizer medicines, as well as access to patient support services.
What Spectrum does: Spectrum is a broadcasting, internet and mobile service provider with nearly 100 million users and 500 million devices.
Career Development Perks at Spectrum
- Paid on-the-job training
- Tuition reimbursement
- Mentorship program
Excellence in cultivating early-career talent: Earlier this year, Spectrum received the 2025 Campus Forward Award for “Excellence in Internship Programming” from the recruitment platform RippleMatch. The award, which has been given to Spectrum three of the last four years, recognizes Spectrum for its commitment to nurturing interns, fostering a supportive environment and retaining the next generation of talent. Since 2020, Spectrum converted 333 interns into full-time positions, and in 2024 more than 93 percent of interns were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their experience at the company.
What NBCUniversal does: NBCUniversal is an entertainment provider that creates and distributes television programs, films and other streaming content.
Family Planning Benefits at NBCUniversal
- Fertility and adoption assistance
- Paid parental leave
- Childcare benefits
Career-growth culture: Employees report a thriving culture of growth at NBCUniversal. In a 2024 conversation with Built In, three NBCUniversal employees shared how transparent decision-making, collaborative team culture and mentorship from leaders at the organization helped them significantly advance their professional careers.
“At previous jobs, my experience was like being in a dark warehouse where I only have a flashlight to see a little bit of what’s in front of me, but I couldn’t see the whole or how my contribution ladders to the whole,” said Kate Radway, VP of product, engagement experience at Peacock. “I found that at Peacock, everything was illuminated in a refreshing and reassuring way.”
What ServiceNow does: ServiceNow is a tech company with a cloud‑based platform and solutions that deliver digital workflows designed to unlock productivity for employees and enterprises.
Family Health Benefits at ServiceNow
- Medical, vision and dental insurance
- Pet insurance
- Fertility and adoption benefits
At the forefront of AI adoption: ServiceNow was recently ranked as one of the “World’s Most Admired Companies” by Fortune, due to its innovation and technological advancement. To that end, the company has integrated AI across the ServiceNow platform to “empower, rather than replace,” human capabilities.
A recent company blog post states: “AI is already helping us make better business decisions, hire the best talent, and drive greater value for customers. In fact, our AI-driven platform powers 1 million business processes and 40 billion workflows for our customers.”
What Square does: Originally a point-of-sale system, Square now provides a full suite of payment and management tools for commercial businesses.
Inclusive Culture Benefits at Square
- Dedicated diversity and inclusion staff
- Employee resource groups
- Unconscious bias training
Reaching new customers through partnership: Near the end of 2024, Square announced a new partnership with global food distributor Sysco. The partnership, which integrates Square’s technology with Sysco’s Restaurant Solutions program, will allow Sysco customers to access and purchase Square software products more conveniently. This announcement also included new features for Square users working in food and beverage, like a bar tab function, instant payouts for third-party orders and house accounts for easier invoicing.
“Square’s technology is comprehensive and easy to use for operators and workers alike, and we know that their solutions can help food and beverage businesses work smarter, operate more efficiently and find new avenues of growth,” said Sysco Chief Administrative Officer Neil Russell.
What Optimum does: Optimum is a broadband and video services provider that offers internet, television and mobile products.
Insurance Benefits at Optimum
- Medical, dental and vision insurance on day one
- Critical illness, accident and hospital indemnity insurance
- Pet, auto and home insurance
Investing in the next generation: Recently, Optimum announced the continuation of its partnerships with FIRST, DonorsChoose and Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Each of these partnerships allows Optimum to provide funding and resources to local programs across the company’s 21-state footprint that support STEM education and community events. This continued investment signals the company’s commitment to creating an environment that fosters innovation, where children can learn and practice critical engineering, teamwork and leadership skills.
What Xero does: Xero is an online accounting, payroll and workforce management company with many applications that help connect small businesses to banks and other financial institutions.
Diversity and Inclusion Perks at Xero
- Unconscious bias training during onboarding
- Employee resource groups
- Documented commitment to gender equality
Excellence in customer satisfaction: This month, Xero announced that the company was awarded the 2024 SaaS Customer Satisfaction Award in the Finance category from the International Data Corporation. Assessed through surveys of more than 2,900 customers that measure over 30 customer satisfaction metrics across all geographic regions and company sizes, IDC recognized Xero as part of the highest-scoring group in SaaS customer satisfaction.
What Cash App does: Originally a peer-to-peer payment platform, Cash App now offers a suite of financial services including sending money, purchasing stocks and cryptocurrencies, and tax filing.
Future-Planning Perks at Cash App
- 401(k) with employer contributions
- Employee stock purchase plans and performance-based stock grants
- Internal learning and development tools for career advancement
Partnering for physical and financial health: In the fall, Cash App announced the Health is Wealth Challenge, a 45-day event hosted in partnership with the fitness tracking software company Strava. Aimed at encouraging users to build healthier habits, participants were challenged with completing 45 miles of walking, running or wheelchair activity, recorded in the Strava app. Those who completed the challenge were entered into a drawing for a potential $450 reward. The numbers mirror Cash App’s 2024 announcement that customers could earn up to 4.5 percent in interest on their savings through Cash App’s banking partner.
What Wipfli does: Wipfli is an advisory firm that helps clients navigate the modern marketplace, optimize performance and drive growth.
Diversity and Inclusion Benefits at Wipfli
- Commitment to recruiting veterans and providing veteran-friendly benefits
- Employee resource groups
- Gender-affirming care benefits
Standout marketing and communications: Wipfli was recently awarded five separate awards from the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals’ 2024 MarCom Awards, . Each award was given to a distinct piece of writing from the Wipfli team including thought leadership, case studies, reports and landing pages published in 2024. The awards highlight the hard work and ingenuity of the Wipfli team, and 2024 marks the fourth year that the company has received awards for its written content.
What Samsara does: Samsara is a cloud-based operations platform that empowers businesses to harness IoT data with actionable insights.
Flexible Perks at Samsara
- Flexible workspaces and scheduling options
- Quarterly reimbursement fund for employee-selected expenses
- Flexible PTO and family leave
Stronger connections through smart software: Samsara recently announced a new collaboration with vehicle manufacturer company Stellantis. The collaboration, which includes a new Samsara integration with Stellantis’ data software, Mobilisights, will bring Samsara’s operations platform to businesses across Europe. This integration provides fleet operators with smarter tools for managing their vehicles with new, hardware-free access to vehicle telematics data, such as GPS location, mileage and fuel levels.
What Applied Systems does: Applied Systems creates cloud software for the global insurance industry.
Growth and Recognition Benefits at Applied Systems
- Personal and professional development programs
- Internal social network recognition program
- Awards program for top-performing employees
Upgrading the insurance quoting process: In late 2024, Applied Systems launched Epic Quotes Commercial Lines for Canadian brokers. This commercial lines rating solution allows brokerages to pre-populate customer and risk data that already exists in Applied Epic, Applied System’s insurance agency management software, simplifying the insurance quoting process and reducing redundancies in data entry.
What Achieve does: Achieve is a digital personal finance company that helps customers manage debt, save money and make better financial decisions.
Wellness Perks at Achieve
- Flexible vacation time and hybrid and remote work opportunities
- Medical, dental and vision insurance
- Employer-sponsored mental health resources
New resources for resolving borrower debt: Recently, Achieve announced a $186 million personal loan securitization backed by Achieve Acceleration Loans, Achieve’s invitation-only product for members of the company’s debt relief program. The new securitization will help provide greater resources for Achieve customers looking to speed up the process of consolidating and resolving their current debts. This announcement marks more potential for borrowers to reach their financial goals faster as they manage their loans with Achieve.
What Opendoor does: Opendoor is a real estate technology company that provides a digital end-to-end home buying and selling experience.
Family Benefits at Opendoor
- Employer-sponsored family planning programs
- Employee assistance programs
- Paid parental leave
Bringing real estate funding to baby registries: Last year, Opendoor partnered with family registry platform Babylist to launch Baby’s First Home Cast Fund, an option for families seeking funds for a new home via their baby registries. The partnership is aimed to simplify the lives of parents as they welcome new members of their family while searching for a new home, and it mirrors a rising trend in cash fund items appearing in other online gift registries.
What Udemy does: Udemy is an online skills marketplace and learning platform, empowering organizations and individuals with flexible skill development.
Financial Perks at Udemy
- 401(k) with employer matching
- Company equity and stock purchase plan
- Performance bonuses
Upgrading the learning experience with AI support: Udemy announced new AI-powered features in 2024 aimed at increasing learner engagement and organizational skills. A new AI assistant, powered by a large language model that helps users speak directly with the assistant, helps learners find the right courses that fit their goals while providing instant support with helpful answers, summaries and step-by-step advice. On the organizational end, Udemy’s Skills Mapping uses AI to accurately track employee skill development, helping businesses target key learning areas for their employees more effectively.
What Acquia does: Acquia is a digital experience company that offers web hosting, content management and other services that allow brands to cultivate a smoother website experience.
Work-Life Balance Benefits at Acquia
- Flexible PTO
- Paid parental and adoption leave
- Paid volunteer time
AI-powered video content: Acquia recently announced several new product features to its digital asset management tool, Acquia DAM. Included in these new features is Acquia Video Creator, an AI-powered video editor that offers users a wealth of resources to create professional-grade video content with access to a library of digital assets and generative AI options. Additionally, two other AI-powered features, AI Video Transcription and AI Color FIltering, provide additional resources for managing video and image content and are available directly in Acquia DAM.
What Imprivata does: Imprivata provides digital security, identity and access management solutions for companies in life- and mission-critical industries around the world.
Office Perks at Imprivata
- Provided onsite meals and fully stocked kitchen
- Home office stipends for remote employees
- Onsite parking and commuter benefits
Coming together for a safer future: In 2024, Imprivata joined the FIDO Alliance, a nonprofit organization aimed at reducing reliance on passwords around the world. By joining this organization, Imprivata highlights a new, higher standard for digital security — one that envisions a future with easier and stronger security methods than password authentication. Through its work with the FIDO Alliance, Imprivata is helping establish best practices and global policy for a passwordless future.
What Benchling does: Benchling is a cloud-based research and development, biology-first platform for scientific data, collaboration and insights.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Benefits at Benchling
- Documented commitment to gender, race and age representation
- Inclusivity-focused learning opportunities for career advancement
- Employee resource groups
Celebrating important wins on the sales team: In a recent conversation with Built In San Fransisco, Benchling’s VP of Sales Jill Huckeby shared the comprehensive sales strategy and team culture that helps her team close out the sales year on a high note. Benchling sales team members rely on detailed deal reviews to identify critical gaps in messaging and utilize creative end-of-year incentives to get deals across the finish line.
In addition to a culture where every win is celebrated on a small scale, Benchling also has a biannual recognition event, the Leadership Principle Awards, for highlighting top performers and sales reps who close out the year on a high note are celebrated in the following year’s kick-off event.
What Ampersand does: Ampersand is a television advertising and insights company that helps customers reach their desired audiences with data-driven insights.
Career Development Perks at Ampersand
- Tuition reimbursement
- Mentorship program
- Job training and access to online courses
New trends in advertising reach: Ampersand recently released its 2024 National Insights Report, which uses the company’s proprietary viewership data to assess the efficacy of national advertising campaigns for trends and other key observations. One standout finding is what Ampersand calls “The Reach Plateau,” a data visualization of the average national campaign. In 2024, The Reach Plateau was six weeks, signifying that advertising campaigns tend to radically slow their audience reach after the six-week mark. These findings can potentially save advertisers massive amounts of budget as they look forward to programming large-scale advertising campaigns in 2025.
What Cleo does: Cleo is an ecosystem integration software company that gives customers visibility into critical end-to-end business flows.
Personal Investment Benefits at Cleo
- 401(k) with company matching
- Career development programs
- Ongoing training and development
Celebrating the past, looking to the future: 2024 marked the 12-year anniversary of Cleo’s founding, and President and CEO Mahesh Rajasekharan shared his reflections on the growth the company has made thus far alongside a few highlights from Cleo’s future roadmap.
“What started as an idea for making supply chains more resilient has blossomed into the world’s Ecosystem Integration category leader, with many proud accomplishments and tons of opportunity ahead,” he said.
Among the company’s future plans are goals to redefine ecosystem integration as a unique category of its own in the technology market, as well as to maximize Cleo’s end-to-end business solutions, increase the integration of AI-powered tools and set a high standard for customer satisfaction.
What Madhive does: Madhive is a television advertising technology company that provides easy-to-use, self-serve tools that allow customers of all sizes to reach their target audience.
Financial Perks at Madhive
- Company equity option
- 401(k) with company-matched contributions
- Performance bonuses available
Upgrading advertising for connected television users: In late 2024, Madhive announced an expanded collaboration with Experian, a global data and technology company, to give local advertisers greater access to Experian’s audiences. By integrating with Experian’s audience segments with Madhive’s Data Marketplace, Madhive can now offer more precise connected TV targeting, homing in on key demographics or regions in campaigns with greater accuracy. This integration marks a greater investment in reaching television audiences who typically stream television in combination with live TV watching.
What Scythe Robotics does: Scythe Robotics is an automation machinery manufacturing company reinventing how people care for the outdoor world by building intelligent, all-electric machines.
Comprehensive Benefits at Scythe Robotics
- Employer-covered health, dental and vision insurance
- Flexible PTO and remote-friendly office culture
- 401(k) and company equity
Connecting with customers in the field: At Scythe Robotics, making a product that customers love often comes with forays into the field to get the right feedback. Built In Colorado recently spoke with Customer Success Account Manager Garrett Flores about what a typical workday at Scythe Robotics looks like. On top of robust organizational skills and product knowledge, Flores shared that he often heads out of the office to visit local operators using Scythe Robotics’ machines to collect their feedback and offer helpful advice for getting the most out of their machines.
What AWeber does: AWeber provides a marketing platform with a suite of tools and resources for business owners to connect with their customers seamlessly.
Financial Benefits at AWeber
- Tuition and gym membership reimbursement
- Company profit share and 401(k)
- Employer-covered health, dental and vision insurance
A culture of ownership for engineer growth: In a recent conversation with engineering leaders, Built In had the opportunity to ask AWeber’s Director of Engineering Scott Miller about the importance of ownership on his engineering team. Miller shared his philosophy for having managers prepare engineers with key stretch projects and helpful coaching questions, and on the AWeber team, managers feel most successful when they’re able to get out of the way of engineers owning their own work.
