The Sifted Consumer 100 is Europe’s first dedicated annual ranking of breakout consumer tech startups. The list highlights consumer-facing companies founded in or after 2014 that are building products with the potential to scale beyond their home markets. Companies were evaluated based on a combination of factors including fundraising track record, consumer traction, employee growth, app performance, website traffic, search interest, and social media mentions.

Following an initial quantitative assessment, a shortlist of 150 companies was reviewed by a judging panel from Sifted’s intelligence and editorial teams, alongside SXSW. Judges scored startups on three criteria: reach, measuring how widely adopted a product is; habit, reflecting how deeply embedded it is in users’ lives; and buzz, assessing cultural momentum and brand relevance.

Polarsteps ranked No. 16 among startups from across Europe, alongside some of the continent’s fastest-growing consumer technology companies. It is the second-highest ranked travel company in the Consumer 100 and the highest-ranked company from the Netherlands. The recognition comes just two weeks after Polarsteps received the prestigious Koning Willem I Award, widely regarded as the Netherlands' foremost entrepreneurship prize. Together, these achievements reflect the company's continued growth and momentum as it helps more than 20 million travelers around the world plan, track, and relive their adventures.

“We’re incredibly proud to be included in the very first Sifted Consumer 100, especially because the ranking looks beyond growth alone and considers how much people use and love a product,” says Clare Jones, CEO of Polarsteps. “Seeing Polarsteps recognized alongside so many exciting European startups is a wonderful reminder that when you focus on building something people love and return to, growth follows.”

About Polarsteps

Recognized as one of Europe’s hottest scaleups, Polarsteps is the market-leading travel app that helps over 20 million travelers worldwide to plan, track, and relive their adventures in a beautiful and seamless way. Using pioneering technology and design, the all-in-one app builds itineraries, maps travelers’ paths across the globe in real-time, and provides a new way to share travel experiences. Headquartered in Amsterdam and powered by an international team of 100+ passionate travelers, we’re becoming the essential tool for modern-day explorers — before, during, and after their trips.