⚡ AWARD 10 OF 10 · TEAM OF THE YEAR 2026

Best Startup to Work For 2026

For the early-stage tech company women in tech would most like to join. Startups get their own shortlist, so they compete with startups. Voted by women in tech who meet these hiring teams in person at OutGeek events in 38 cities.

A Cyvl team member pitching to women in tech at OutGeek Boston
OUTGEEK Award 10 ★ 2026 ★
⚡
WINNER REVEALED JANUARY 15, 2027
Voting closes December 31. One vote per award.
64 DAYS
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48 MIN
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WHAT THIS AWARD RECOGNIZES

The startup worth taking a chance on

Joining a startup is a bet. This award goes to the early-stage company where the founders are clear about the mission and the risks, people own real work, and new hires get the support to do it.

AWARD
10 of 10, OutGeek Team of the Year 2026
VOTED BY
Women in tech with OutGeek Plus, and OutGeek team accounts
VOTING
August to December 31, 2026
WINNER
Revealed January 15, 2027
NOMINEES
34 teams on the 2026 ballot
WHAT VOTERS LOOK AT
01

The founders

Clear, honest and visible, including at events.
02

The mission

A problem worth solving, and a plan people believe in.
03

Ownership

Real responsibility from day one, and credit for it.
04

Growth and stability

Funding, runway and how openly they talk about both.
05

Support for new hires

Onboarding, mentorship and reasonable hours, even when it’s busy.
⚖️ FAIR AND OPEN

How the winner is picked

1

Members vote

OutGeek Plus members and team accounts vote from August to December 31.
2

One vote per account

One vote in this award per account, and one in each of the other nine. Votes are final once cast.
3

Every vote is tied to an account

Each account votes once in each award: 10 votes in all, one per award.
4

Most votes wins

The team with the most votes on December 31 wins. We reveal the winner on January 15.
Women in tech chatting at OutGeek Salt Lake City
💬 BEFORE YOU VOTE

Questions to ask a hiring team

Ask them at an OutGeek event, or in Threads, where hiring teams answer members' questions.

  1. 1How much runway do you have?
  2. 2What’s the biggest risk to the company right now?
  3. 3What would I own in my first three months?
  4. 4How involved are the founders day to day?
  5. 5What does a busy week look like, and how often does it happen?
  6. 6How is equity offered, and how does it vest?
🗣️ IN VOTERS' WORDS

Why they'd join a team

“Small team but everyone I met had real ownership of what they were building. And the founder actually came to the event herself.”
OutGeek event attendee
“I was worried a startup would mean chaos and no life. They were really upfront about what’s hard and what they’re doing about it.”
OutGeek event attendee
ON THE 2026 BALLOT · 34 TEAMS

The 2026 nominees

Every team on the ballot for this award, A to Z. The leader stays hidden until January 15 so early results don't sway the vote.

🗳️
Voted? Tell your network.
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👑 LAST YEAR

2025: the top tech companies, voted by women in tech

In 2025, before the ten awards, voters picked one overall top 10. 2026 is the first year of the Best Startup to Work For award.

⚡ FOR HIRING TEAMS

Nominate your team for Best Startup to Work For

Nominate your company from an OutGeek team account. The $129/month account includes one category. Extra categories are $199 once and go on the ballot as soon as payment clears.

Press and winner kit: hello@outgeek.org

About this award

FAQ

Voting is open until December 31, 2026, and the winner is revealed on January 15, 2027. Until then the leader stays hidden so early results don’t sway the vote. 2026 is the first year of this award.

OutGeek Plus members and team accounts. Each account gets one vote in this award, and one in each of the other nine. Votes are final once cast.

It looks at one thing: early-stage companies, on their own shortlist. Best Company to Work For is the overall award, and each of the other awards looks at something else.

Most lists rely on employee surveys or data companies send in. This award is voted by women in tech who meet these hiring teams in person at OutGeek events in 38 cities, plus OutGeek team accounts.

Yes. Each award is voted on separately, so one company can win more than one.

Voting closes December 31, 2026. The winner is revealed on January 15, 2027, on this page and on the winning team’s company page.

Startups have their own shortlist: early-stage companies OutGeek has worked with, plus any startup that nominates itself from a team account. The $129/month team account includes one category. Extra categories are $199 once.

Winning teams get a feature in the OutGeek Journal, their open roles in our newsletter blast, their jobs featured on OutGeek, and social media support from our team.

No. The team with the most votes in an award wins.

Yes. A team account's vote counts like anyone else's: one vote in each award.

The other nine awards

All of Team of the Year →