B2B companies are the backbone of many industries.
If you're in the B2B world, you know how competitive it can be to stand out. That's why we've compiled this list of the top B2B companies doing just that.
From automation to cybersecurity to HR and beyond, these companies offer unique opportunities and innovations to inspire your business.
Read on to discover some of the most exciting companies in the B2B space in 2023!
What is B2B?
"Business-to-business," or B2B for short, is a model that represents transactions between two businesses rather than "business-to-consumer," or B2C.
In other words, when one business sells a product or service to another, that's a B2B transaction.
B2B plays a vital role in the economy. Many products and services businesses must operate are sold outside of consumers' domain.
For example, a company that manufactures computer chips might sell them to one that builds computers, then sells the finished computers to consumers. Businesses also need specialized services, like legal and accounting, which they sell on a B2B basis.
Still, even though consumers aren't directly involved in these transactions, their presence is crucial to why B2B companies work together. After all, B2B companies exist to create products and services that consumers will eventually buy, which ties everything together.
What separates B2B from B2C?
B2B and B2C are two different types of business models. The main difference between the two is pretty simple:
- B2B companies sell their products or services to other businesses.
- B2C companies sell directly to individual consumers.
There are a few key ways that B2B and B2C differ beyond their target customers.
One big difference is the scale of the transactions. B2B is twice the size of B2C, with transactions typically much larger in size and volume since businesses buy products or services to use in their operations or resell to other companies.
B2C transactions, on the other hand, are usually smaller and involve individual consumers buying products for their personal use.
Another difference is the marketing and sales tactics each type of company uses. B2B companies typically focus on building long-term relationships with their clients since they often sell high-value products or services that require a lot of trust and collaboration.
B2C companies focus more on mass marketing and advertising, aiming to reach many individuals simultaneously.
Top 10 biggest B2B companies in the world
In today's fast-paced business world, the most prominent players are those who can adapt and innovate in the ever-changing landscape of technology. Unsurprisingly, the biggest B2B companies are mostly tech-related, with only a few exceptions.
Let's look at these B2B giants and see what differentiates them.
Microsoft
Industry: Information technology
Microsoft is a multinational technology company that develops and sells software, hardware, and productivity services. With a market cap of over $2.2 trillion, there's no doubt that it's one of the largest B2B companies in the world.
Its focus on innovation and collaboration sets Microsoft apart from other B2B companies. Microsoft has a vast network of partners and developers who develop and distribute software that works seamlessly with its operating systems and various online and cloud-based services.
IBM
Industry: Information technology
With over 290,000 employees, IBM is one of the world's largest tech companies, providing software, hardware, and services to global corporations across various industries. Their offerings include cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and more.
IBM has been a significant player in the technology industry and a staple for many businesses since it was founded in 1911.
Adobe
Industry: Software
Adobe is a major player in the market for digital marketing, content creation, web development, and various creative and media solutions for companies.
The company, best known for its software as a service (SaaS) bundle known as Creative Cloud, which includes apps such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, and Acrobat, provides innovative products and services to businesses of all sizes for their content needs.
Wells Fargo
Industry: Financial services
As one of the largest US banks, Wells Fargo provides various financial products and services to individuals, businesses, and institutions.
Wells Fargo has a long history dating back to the mid-19th century and has grown to become a globally recognized banking institution. They also serve entrepreneurs who need access to traditional banks, offering services such as mortgages and commercial loans.
UPS
Industry: Logistics services
United Parcel Service, Inc., commonly known as UPS, is a leading package delivery company and a key global player in supply chain management. With 1.6 million shipping customers and 11.1 million delivery customers in over 220 countries and territories, UPS is the go-to choice for reliable and speedy deliveries.
UPS is known for its exceptional logistics strategy, which combines air, water, and land transport to deliver packages across long distances. They've also begun using drones to deliver packages to areas inaccessible by road or air.
Accenture
Industry: Information technology, consulting
Accenture has over 738,000 employees, making it the largest consulting firm in the world. The company offers consulting, technology, and outsourcing services across various industries. Its clients include multinational corporations, government agencies, and non-profit organizations.
What sets Accenture apart is its focus on helping businesses adapt to the ever-changing digital landscape. They offer services that help companies implement new technologies, streamline operations, and improve overall performance.
Intel
Industry: Technology, semiconductor manufacturing
Intel is an American multinational technology company that designs and manufactures microprocessors, chipsets, and other hardware and software products. They are the second-largest semiconductor company in the world, only behind Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSM).
Among Intel's strengths is its dedication to innovation and advancement in the tech industry, from introducing the world's first single-chip microprocessor to investing in research and development that revolutionized smartphones and tablets today.
Currently, Intel is making significant investments in cloud computing and artificial intelligence.
Oracle
Industry: Technology, software
Oracle is an established software giant with over 140,000 employees worldwide, making it one of the world's largest companies.
Oracle caters to industries like healthcare, retail, and transportation that want to capitalize on the digital revolution by providing top-notch enterprise software. Database software, cloud engineering systems, and enterprise software products are some of Oracle's key products, as they strive to push the boundaries of what's possible.
SAP
Industry: Software
SAP is a global software company that provides enterprise resource planning (ERP) and other business solutions to companies globally. Founded in Germany, SAP is among the world's largest B2B companies, with an estimated 425,000 customers across 180 countries. It is the largest non-American software company by revenue.
The company's ERP software helps businesses manage their operations, finances, and human resources, among other things. SAP also offers a range of other business solutions, including customer relationship management (CRM) software, supply chain management (SCM) software, and business intelligence (BI) software.
General Electric
Industry: Technology, manufacturing, financial services
GE, or General Electric, is a high-tech industrial company, one of the world's largest industrial conglomerates. It provides various products and services, including aircraft engines, power generation, renewable energy, healthcare technology, and more.
With over 170,000 employees and operations in over 100 countries, GE has established itself as a global leader in innovation and technology. Its success as a B2B business is attributed to its strong focus on research and development, strategic partnerships, and a customer-centric approach.
30 more B2B companies that deserve your attention
Want more? Say no more. We've compiled a list of 30 more B2B companies changing the game and need to be on your radar.
From cloud-based software to cutting-edge innovation for various sectors, these companies offer products and services that can revolutionize your business.
Foursquare
Industry: Location-based services
Remember Foursquare, which allowed users to check in at places? It remains a location data company that provides a technology platform for businesses to build location-based experiences, but on a global scale, mainly working behind the scenes.
A leading B2B provider in the location-based services industry, it has verified over 14 billion explicit consumer check-ins. It is the primary location-based technology behind some of the biggest brands, including Twitter, JetBlue, Uber, Spotify, Airbnb, and Coca-Cola.
Upwork
Industry: Freelance marketplace
Upwork is an online job platform that connects businesses with freelance workers worldwide. Companies can post job openings, and freelancers can apply for them, showcasing their skills and portfolios.
With Upwork, businesses can hire highly skilled talent flexibly and cost-effectively while managing projects and interacting online. Freelancers also benefit from the platform, as they can work remotely, choose their clients and projects, and set their rates.
Upwork's success as a B2B business lies in its ability to streamline the hiring process and provide a global talent pool, making it easier and more efficient for companies to find and work with the right freelancers.
Miro
Industry: Collaboration platform
Miro, a leading online collaborative whiteboarding platform, allows teams to brainstorm, ideate, and collaborate in real time, regardless of location. Its user-friendly interface, advanced features, and integration capabilities have made it popular for businesses looking to streamline their remote collaboration efforts.
Miro has emerged as a valuable solution for various industries, including tech, finance, and education, by providing a versatile tool for visualizing complex information and projects. With a strong emphasis on customer satisfaction, Miro has built a loyal following and continues to grow as a successful B2B business.
Monday.com
Industry: Project management
Monday.com is a popular project management software that many businesses use to improve team collaboration, streamline workflows, and increase productivity. It allows companies to manage projects, track progress, and communicate with team members simultaneously.
With features like customizable templates, timelines, and dashboards, Monday.com can be tailored to fit the specific needs of any organization. Its success as a B2B business comes from its intuitive and user-friendly interface and its ability to integrate with other commonly used tools such as Slack, Google Drive, and Microsoft Teams.
Salesforce
Industry: Cloud computing services
Salesforce is a cloud-based software company that provides a wide range of services to help businesses manage their customer relationship management (CRM). It offers a suite of enterprise applications, including sales, service, marketing, and commerce cloud solutions, and a platform for building custom applications.
The company's success is built on its focus on customer success and its ability to provide customizable solutions tailored to businesses of all sizes' unique needs. Salesforce's commitment to innovation and keeping up with the latest technologies has helped it become one of the most notable emerging B2B companies.
Cisco
Industry: Information technology, communications
As a global technology company, Cisco specializes in networking and communication equipment and solutions. Its products include routers, switches, wireless systems, security products, and various collaboration tools.
Cisco's success comes from providing reliable and secure networking solutions. Its products and services help businesses securely and efficiently connect and collaborate with their customers and employees. Cisco also offers cloud-based services, such as Webex, that enable remote working and virtual meetings.
Slack
Industry: Communications platform
Slack is a chat platform that helps teams communicate and work together more effectively by providing various collaboration and messaging tools.
What's great about Slack is that it integrates easily with other apps, including Google Drive, Trello, and Zoom, so you can keep everything in one place. And with remote work becoming more common, Slack has become an essential tool for many companies to stay connected and productive.
DocuSign
Industry: E-signature cloud
Founded in 2003, DocuSign provides digital signature technology and transaction management services. With DocuSign, businesses can securely sign, send, and manage important documents online. It's a user-friendly and convenient solution that has become popular among all industries.
DocuSign's success comes from helping businesses save time and money by streamlining document management. Their platform's features include secure e-signing capabilities and AI-powered agreement analytics tools that give users insights into the legal concepts included in documents and how they benefit from them over time.
Poggio Labs
Industry: Software, customer data management
Based in San Francisco, Poggio Labs makes software to help businesses manage customer data better. They designed their applications to solve data challenges related to go-to-market strategies.
Their unique approach to data-first application architecture helps businesses create smarter, more personalized customer relationships. Poggio Labs also has an intuitive front-end system, so companies don't have to worry about complex data management systems.
Sprig
Industry: Product research
Sprig is a San Francisco-based company that raised $60M to pioneer an innovative approach to product research. They help companies learn from their customers in real time and deliver award-winning product experiences.
Popular companies like Dropbox, Square, Opendoor, Loom, and Shift use Sprig to understand their customers at the pace of modern software development. They can build customer-centric products that deliver a sustainable competitive advantage.
Templafy
Industry: Document management
With over two million users and 600 enterprise customers, Templafy is a fast-growing international company with over 60 nationalities working together across six global offices.
Templafy focuses on content enablement technology, enabling professionals to create high-performing documents faster. Their platform helps connect content to users in real time, allowing employees to focus on their work instead of getting stuck on documents.
Worksmith
Industry: Facilities management
Worksmith is a platform that helps commercial tenants and property owners/managers find qualified local service providers for repairs, maintenance, and cleaning. They've already connected over 5,000 locations for leading brands like Burberry, Nespresso, Outdoor Voices, and Recept Pharmacy.
Worksmith's marketplace connects property owners with local service providers specializing in emergency maintenance, cleaning, garment and linen care, and open/close services. So, whether you need to fix a leaky faucet or clean your space, Worksmith can help you find the right provider for the job.
CaptivateIQ
Industry: Sales commission management
CaptivateIQ is the leading sales commission software helping companies turn sales expenses into business drivers.
Having been recognized as a Strong Performer in "The Forrester Wave: Sales Performance Management Platforms, Q1 2023," they've been trusted by brands such as Affirm, Tipaldi, and Plaid and are on a journey to modernize incentive compensation.
CaptivateIQ offers a robust, flexible commission management platform that enables sales, finance, and operations teams to sync their data, design plans, and build workflows that work best for their organization.
Unity
Industry: Game engine
Unity, founded in 2004, is the world's leading platform for creating and operating real-time 3D (RT3D) content. Creators, ranging from game developers to artists, architects, automotive designers, filmmakers, and others, use Unity to make their imaginations come to life.
With over 5,000 employees, Unity is a large and thriving company serving clients from various industries worldwide.
LegalZoom
Industry: Online legal services
LegalZoom is a company that offers accessible legal help to everyone. They have used technology to transform the legal industry by providing online services since 2001. Millions of customers have relied on them to start and run businesses, protect brands and intellectual property, and create wills and trusts.
As an industry leader for over 20 years, LegalZoom remains committed to innovation, constantly creating new legal and tax products to impact the world positively.
Toast
Industry: Restaurant management
Currently serving over 74,000 restaurants, Toast is an all-in-one platform designed to help restaurants run their businesses more efficiently.
Toast provides software and financial technology solutions, including point of sale, payments, digital ordering, marketing, team management, and more. By serving as the restaurant operating system across all channels, Toast helps restaurants increase revenue, streamline operations, and provide exceptional guest experiences.
ChowNow
Industry: Restaurant food ordering system
With over 100 million orders under their belt, ChowNow makes it easier for diners to discover local restaurants and their delicious creations while also helping restaurants connect with new and existing customers.
ChowNow has been helping local restaurants since 2011. The company's goal is to help these restaurants grow and compete sustainably. They are passionate about boosting the local restaurant industry and have been successful in doing so through their innovative ordering platform.
Firework
Industry: Digital advertising services
Firework is an immersive digital transformation and engagement platform with shoppable video, live-streaming commerce, and monetization capabilities.
They currently power over 600 direct-to-consumer brands, retailers, and media publishers worldwide, bringing TikTok-like interactive video experiences to your websites and app. Firework enables businesses to create and host native, shoppable video content for engaging product discovery, seamless shopping experiences, and a deeper emotional connection with consumers.
With offices in the US, Canada, Poland, Slovakia, Brazil, and China, Firework has raised over $90 million in capital.
Atlas
Industry: HR platform
As the largest Direct Employer of Record (EOR), Atlas is an HR platform based in Chicago that helps innovative companies streamline their global people operations.
With operations in over 160 countries, Atlas brings localized experience and expertise to an enterprise-grade technology platform that supports thousands of companies and remote teams.
They offer an expertise-enabled technology platform that allows companies to expand globally, onboard talent, manage compliance, and pay their global workforce without needing a local entity or multiple third-party providers.
Certinia
Industry: Cloud Salesforce platform
Formerly known as FinancialForce, Certinia accelerates business growth by giving businesses a complete, customer-centric view of their operations through Salesforce's leading cloud platform.
Certinia is a leading provider of cloud-based ERP, Professional Services Automation (PSA), and Customer Success Operations solutions. With over 1,400 customers in over 30 countries, Certinia enables organizations to unlock customer insights, deliver innovative experiences, run a digital business, and achieve agility and resilience.
SimPRO
Industry: Cloud Business management software
SimPRO is cloud-based software that helps streamline field service workflows, improve cash flow, and grow revenue. They help businesses save time, increase efficiency, and improve their bottom line by automating processes and providing real-time insights.
Over 7,000 clients use it across five global offices to manage and optimize field service operations. SimPRO provides world-class field service management software solutions to the trade and specialty contracting industries, such as security professionals, plumbers, electricians, HVAC, solar, and data networking.
GlossGenius
Industry: Beauty and wellness business management system
Based in New York, GlossGenius specializes in B2B software solutions for beauty and wellness businesses. Their powerful salon software helps drive bookings and grow revenue for thousands of small business owners in the US.
GlossGenius offers an all-in-one platform that includes SaaS and fintech solutions, allowing business owners to manage their entire business operations in one place. With its elegant, vibrant, and intuitive software, GlossGenius is rapidly becoming one of the go-to solutions for beauty and wellness businesses.
Livestorm
Industry: Business video engagement platform
As a powerful online meeting, webinar, and virtual event tool, Livestorm is a web-browser platform that provides teams with all the workflows around video engagement to promote, host, and analyze online events.
Livestorm is built with ease of use in mind and serves companies of all sizes, from startups to Fortune 500s. It has been recognized as a G2 Leader in Webinars, Easiest to Use, and Fastest Implementation. Brands like Shopify, Honda, Spendesk, and Revolut trust Livestorm for premium video engagement at their online events.
CompanyCam
Industry: Contractor photo-based solution
CompanyCam is a job site capture and communication tool designed specifically for contractors, including roofers, remodelers, plumbers, and more. Its user-friendly app helps contractors easily capture and organize photos and videos of job sites, communicate with team members, and keep track of important project details.
Based in Nebraska, they take pride in offering a product that is not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing. As a fast-growing startup, CompanyCam is continuously improving and expanding its platform to meet the needs of its users.
Madison Logic
Industry: Account-based marketing platform
Madison Logic is a leading account-based marketing platform that has empowered large, fast-growing companies since 2005. The platform helps businesses convert their best accounts faster by finding and engaging with the most influential members of the buying committee throughout the customer journey.
Madison Logic's platform uses unique proprietary data to identify and prioritize the accounts that matter most. It then engages them across multiple channels to accelerate the buyer's journey.
Some of the biggest companies in the world, including Google, Microsoft, Cisco, and Facebook, rely on the platform to increase engagement and speed up sales cycles, which positively affects ROI.
Bubble
Industry: Visual programming platform
You don't have to know how to code to create web applications with Bubble. It's the perfect solution for building a website or app quickly and easily.
With Bubble, you can create a fully-featured web app in minutes without any technical expertise. Leading companies worldwide use it, including L'Oréal, Gartner, Veed.io, Lyft, HubSpot, and Zendesk.
Bubble empowers entrepreneurs to build better and faster. It's the go-to platform for startups and entrepreneurs who want to quickly get their ideas off the ground.
ComplYant
Industry: Digital tax assistance
Based in Los Angeles, ComplYant provides small business owners easy-to-use tools to manage all their tax requirements from a single dashboard. The company aims to make tax resources more accessible to entrepreneurs, helping them feel confident in their tax management and avoid costly penalties.
ComplYant aims to level the playing field so that small businesses can benefit from the same great tax support as big companies. They do this by empowering entrepreneurs with technology and putting the power back into their hands.
Crafty
Industry: Food and beverage management platform
Crafty is a management platform that helps companies track their food, beverage, and supply programs worldwide for their in-office, remote, and hybrid teams.
They have worked with some of the world's biggest brands, including G2 and Yelp. They've helped manage over 260 global client offices and serve more than 300,000 employees per month.
The Crafty platform is centralized, easy to use, and provides customized solutions to meet each company's unique needs.
Drata
Industry: Security and compliance automation platform
With Drata, companies can streamline their compliance efforts across multiple frameworks, including SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, and more. By automating control monitoring and evidence collection, Drata enables businesses to maintain a strong security posture. It also reduce costs, and save time preparing for annual audits.
Thousands of companies, including Notion, Calendly, and BambooHR, rely on Drata to help them streamline their compliance efforts and protect sensitive data.
Ontic
Industry: Cybersecurity
A leading provider of protective intelligence software. Ontic helps Fortune 500 companies and emerging enterprises protect their assets, customers, and employees from physical security threats.
Its SaaS platform helps companies build long-term resilience by collecting and connecting data to comprehensively view potential threats and take necessary actions to mitigate risks. They also provide expert training, guidance, and program development using best practices and proven protocols.
Ontic aims to be a trusted resource for the security, safety, and protection communities, receiving Frost & Sullivan's Global Entrepreneurial Company of the Year in 2022.
The world of B2B is constantly evolving, and it's exciting to see so many innovative companies emerging.
With everything from HR tech to no-code platforms, from security and compliance automation to job site management, these companies are disrupting traditional business practices and empowering startups.
Who is using automation?
From small startups to large corporations, various industries use automation. While there are few fully automated jobs, about 60% of all occupations can automate around 30% of their work.
Regarding sales and marketing automation, it's not just the big tech companies taking advantage of the benefits. Businesses of all sizes and industries use automation tools to streamline their sales and marketing processes.
Companies leverage automation from healthcare and finance to retail and manufacturing to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and drive revenue growth. In summary, whether using automated email campaigns, lead scoring, or social media management tools, businesses looking to remain competitive are using automation to stay ahead.
Final thoughts
That concludes our list of the top B2B companies you should know about. By utilizing cutting-edge innovations, these companies are leading the way in improving efficiency. As well as productivity and profitability for businesses of all sizes.
It's also clear that automation is a significant player in increasing productivity in many businesses. If you're unsure where to start with automation, don't worry—Wrk has got you covered with its powerful automation tools to connect all your business practices seamlessly.
The best part? You can try Wrk at no risk with a free trial. Take control of your future and connect with Wrk today!
