Startup explainer videos are slightly different from standard explainer videos. They are not only introducing or explain a product, but they are also introducing a brand.
So let’s now take a look at the top 30 startup videos (in no particular order) of the past few years. This also includes the best startup pitch videos.
1. Warby Parker Startup Explainer Video
Warby Parker does everything right in this video.
They introduce you to their product and tell you it’s a fraction of the price of the nearly-identical looking competitor.
Then they use humor to show you how much extra you can get with the money you save. And all in 40 seconds. A few actors and some props against a white background is deceptively simple.
Sometimes it’s difficult to convince a company that making a startup video so simple is a good idea.
“We want to show potential customers EVERYTHING,” is something we often hear.
But with this style, there’s nothing else to steal your attention. The only thing to take in is everything they want you to. Well done, from start to finish.
2. Yova Startup Video
The success of the YOVA startup explainer video is in its appeal to what is probably the biggest problem small businesses have; competing with the low prices of giant big box retailers.
Using clean, colorful graphics and a script that provides answers to every question a business may have, the video does an excellent job of explaining what YOVA offers.
Often, demo videos for startups avoid getting into details, as the main goal is to make an impression.
However, the creators here wisely realized that the challenge YOVA tackles is one that small business owners have been fighting to solve forever.
So instead of spending too much time on style, they hit viewers with plenty of substance; enough to get business owners to think, “Okay, yes, I could see how this would work.”
It’s a smart way to get viewers to follow through on the CTA.
3. Zocdoc Startup Pitch Video
There is nothing fun about doctor’s visits. Unfortunately, all the nonsense surrounding doctor’s visits is even worse.
Endless phone calls, appointment making, and the dreaded health insurance paperwork make the entire process miserable.
Basically, the only way you could make a startup explainer video in this space is to make it funny, otherwise nobody would watch.
And that’s exactly what was done here.
We get a humorous take on all the worst parts about Dr. visits in a short and sweet runtime. Even with humor, you don’t want to overstay your welcome when creating a video about a topic that makes people uncomfortable.
Bonus points for the dancing skeleton and using the Zocdoc “Z” as part of the main character’s face. Talk about making an impression!
4. eCTE Startup Explainer
Here’s another example of a startup video that uses information smartly. Just like in the YOVA video, the eCTE video went with an approach that explains more of the details of how it works than is usually found in startup videos.
5. Digit Tech Startup Video
It may not seem like it, but there is a lot going on in this animated explainer video from Digit. Just like with health, money is another topic that can make people shut down and tune out.
Digit’s voiceover is so calming, so soothing, it catches you completely off guard. It’s a powerful technique to keep viewers engaged combined with friendly, simple motion design graphics. It makes for a disarming video that makes you lower your defense and absorb their message.
A message that their app can help you save money in the background, which is exactly what you want in a busy life.
Check out our motion graphics page for more information and video examples.
6. Tracklib Startup Video
Colorful visuals, a fun introduction, and a great music soundtrack make Tracklib’s startup video stand out.
Starting with a scene that takes us through music history in just a few seconds, we become engaged, even if we aren’t the target audience.
And for the target audience, this works even better, building a solid solution for a problem anyone involved in media production has — how can we get good music at a reasonable rate? I’d go into detail, but thankfully Tracklib does it for me.
Trust me when I say they hit the nail on the head, and the solution they offer is one that every producer dreams about.
7. Nest Tech Startup Video
When this video debuted, Nest was already a standard in home technology. But, it still qualifies as a startup explainer video because it introduces another evolutionary concept; products designed to work with Nest.
Many people didn’t realize their Nest system could do more than control cooling and lights.
The goal of this video was to show the many ways it can do more. Additionally, it eases the fear many people have of complicated technology by announcing Nest will do most of the work on its own. It all comes together in a fluid, beautiful animated startup explainer video.
8.Be My Eyes Startup Video
We hear way too many stories about the scary side of technology. This is one about the inspiring side.
Be My Eyes is a service for blind people and volunteers who would like to help. It allows blind people who have a question they can’t figure out (what color shirt am I holding, is my milk expired, etc.) to use their smartphone to anonymously video chat with a volunteer. The volunteer can easily take a look on their own smartphone and help out.
The video makes it simple and easy to understand; so much so that I signed up for it myself.
What a great idea.
9. Volterman Smart Wallet Explainer Video
There are camps who will always state that all PR is good PR, and this video is a good example of that.
Like it or hate it, you will talk about this startup pitch video for Volterman Smart Wallet.
There are a lot of things that go right, like the big-budget examples of the wallet in action. There are also a lot of elements that are questionable, the biggest of which is the totally unrelated sex scene at the end.
That’s right — if you didn’t watch the entire three and a half minutes, watch it again.
For some reason there’s a sex scene at the end, and it has nothing to do with the product or company. But the goal of the video was to draw attention to their crowdfunding campaign, and that it did.
They didn’t just raise enough to fund their project, they raised over 2,000 percent of their goal — over 20 times what they were looking to get. In those terms, this startup video was a monstrous success.
10. Slack Live-Action Startup Video
Here we are with another humor-filled startup video that nails its target audience. If you’ve ever worked in an office with multiple projects, you know just how annoying trying to keep all your emails straight can be. Slack shows, with gentle humor and great acting, how it should be in the running for the go-to solution to your office communication needs.
11. Airbnb Explainer
This is the animated explainer video we in production all strive to create at some point. When you can create a one-minute corporate animated video that makes a short-term housing rental company commercial tug at the heart, you should be able to take the rest of the year off. I don’t know if this won any awards, but I’d be surprised if it didn’t. I’m not even going to talk about it, just go watch it if you haven’t already. Then watch it again.
12. Boomerang Explainer Video
Another great live action example, this video for Boomerang uses the tried and true method of humor and cleverness to get its message across. It also keeps the message simple, avoiding an information dump that can overwhelm the viewer. It tosses out a challenge, gives a solution, shows a rebuttal (what if they STILL don’t respond), and then offers up a solution for that as well. No one who watches this explainer video will leave wondering what the product does.
13. Ahrefs Animated Startup Explainer Video
When it comes to creating a website for your business, nothing is worse than having your competitors show up higher in the search rankings — especially when customers are trying to specifically find you. Ahrefs breaks down the service they provide to show exactly how they prevent this from happening. With colorful 2D motion graphics and cheery soundtrack, they make what can be unexciting details about SEO fun and engaging.
Check out our motion graphics production page for more information and video examples.
14. Sigfox Animated Explainer Video
This 2D animated startup video for Sigfox is an excellent example of taking a company’s branding and building an entire video around it. Using fonts, colors, and designs, this explainer video goes much farther than simply using the Sigfox logo. The entire video fits beautifully within the Sigfox personality. By the end of the video, the imagery and personality of the company has been imprinted on the viewer.
15. Gogoro
The art of the tease is in full effect with this startup video for Gogoro. For whatever reason psychologically, we humans respond strongly to teases. We become intrigued and just have to know more, and this video executes that perfectly. Throughout the introduction, we get countless glimpses of the product without ever seeing it being fully revealed. When we finally see the scooter, the entire story is told boldly without words. We get music and exciting visuals that satisfy the tease but create lots of additional intrigue. It’s a great video that leaves a lasting impact.
16. Mobcrush Gaming Startup Video
Here’s a startup video with some great character art and animation. This is a style that probably wouldn’t work with a B2B company targeting sales professionals, but fits perfectly with a gaming audience. Everything about the art design hooks you in, and the video manages to pack in everything you need to know in a short runtime. It’s a good recipe for the kinds of people who play games.
17. Patreon Startup Video
Convincing people to pay for art or content has always been a major challenge. There’s a reason the phrase “starving artist” is so common. We need art in society, but oftentimes there is a mental block when it comes to actually paying for it. And hey, it makes sense. If you’re struggling to put food on the table, supporting a musician or painter is pretty far down on your list of priorities. So Patreon’s challenge, then, was to make a passionate plea for why it’s so important for artists to be able to create freely and make at least a little bit of money for their efforts. Using testimonials from real artists and emotional triggers, this video does that job well.
18. Digitalocean Tech Startup Video
How do you know a startup promo video is successful? When you watch the whole thing, even though you’re not the target audience and don’t understand the product. Don’t worry if you don’t quite “get it,” I don’t either. But if DigitalOcean is a product your industry could use, you will. And because it was a funny startup video with an excellent voiceover and script, it keeps your attention all the way through. Even if you’re not in the market for an HTML SSD VIP uhh, whatever it all is.
19. Laclary
The startup explainer video for Laclary is a wonderful mix of technology and warm, folksy visuals. While the technology behind Laclary is revolutionary, the theme behind the video keeps it grounded and relatable to the target audience; regular, everyday grocery shoppers. The design, voiceover, and music all help to make the complex, futuristic idea of using augmented reality to purchase groceries as comfortable and normal as curling up on the couch and sipping tea.
20. Acrons Financial Startup Video
Similar to Digit, Acorns is an app that takes your spare digital change and automatically adds it to investment portfolios. The approach here is similar as well. Once again, a gentle voiceover, quaint visuals, calming music and a relaxing pace is used to overcome people’s defenses when money starts being talked about. It’s those little details that make explainer videos like this pack a powerful punch in an unassuming way.
21. Classdojo
At first glance, this explainer video for ClassDojo seems like it’s simply using monster characters as a way to grab attention and engage an audience. What we end up learning, however, is that the characters are more than that; they are based on actual assets from the company. This animated explainer video is a great example of fully maximizing a brand’s assets into the content. Of course, it helps that ClassDojo already has great material to work with.
22. Instacart
Short, sweet, informative, colorful, fun, brand-fitting. You name it, this funny startup video for Instacart has it and does it right.
23. Blue Apron
What’s the best way to sell food? Sell the relationships around the food. By showing all the things that make up sharing a meal just as much as the meal itself, Blue Apron taps into that warm, fuzzy feeling of sitting down at the dinner table with the people we love and care about. After all, a meal is only as good as the company you’re sharing it with.
24. Startup Video for Etsy
If you want to know what an animated explainer video looks like with a bigger budget, look no further than this startup video for Etsy Plus. The animations are drawn frame-by-frame. The transitions are painstakingly created so that each scene flows smoothly from one to the next. The details are sharper and more, well, detailed. All of these elements take additional time, or if you don’t have additional time, additional people. Most talented designers can create work on this level, but many budgets simply don’t allow the investment of extra time or designers to accomplish it. But if you do, going the extra mile may be worth considering.
25. Taboola
This animated startup video from Taboola shows that you don’t need complicated shots, fancy movement, and nonstop action to get your message across. Using the beach scene is a great platform, since that’s what the beach is all about — a nice, relaxed pace. Taboola gets their message out with a steady, calm delivery, which is a nice change of pace when you’re trying to market your content in the nonstop digital media world.
26. MedUX Tech Startup Video
Sometimes the best video marketing content is simple content. With MedUX, the message is incredibly simple. There’s a little bit of text, but for the most part what they want us to know is conveyed by the gorgeous visuals. We follow the butterfly around a digital world, seeing representations of “flying with data,” that aren’t any deeper than they need to be. It’s a great example of delivering a message without bombarding viewers with needless information.
27. ParkWise Startup Video
This startup video from ParkWise starts with a highly effective hook. We all know (whether we like to think about it or not) that time is the only resource we can’t ever get more of. So when ParkWise reminds us how much time we waste — a full week a year — just by looking for a place to park, it hits home. Hard. That opening hook is so powerful that you are compelled to keep watching to learn about how ParkWise will fix the problem, giving you more time to do the things that matter.
28. DefinedCrowd Startup Explainer
Let’s face it, talking about “unstructured data” isn’t exactly the most exciting thing in the world. And it’s not the type of startup demo video where you can add too much humor, emotion, or drama. It just doesn’t fit. So what can you do? Well, you start by digging deep into the brand. You craft a video that fits the tone of the business, simplifies complicated concepts, uses company colors and brand standards, and then you create a flowing, dynamic piece of content that is easily watchable. While simple-looking at first glance, if you break down the video into its parts, every aspect from music to VO to color to pacing has been carefully constructed to make this video from DefinedCrowd highly watchable and memorable.
29. Startup Video for Codacy
While using dynamic visuals is one way to take a complex idea and make it watchable, another is adding a human element. Codacy is another product that is necessary and entirely marketable, but a bit dense. So what to do then? We take the message and add human elements to make a great startup video. Even though they aren’t “real people,” the addition of human characters takes the brand and product and makes it completely relatable. We see figures dealing with real-world situations, and we see them getting a real-world solution with Codacy. Even though there’s no “real-world” visuals involved. It’s one of the great benefits of animated startup videos!
30. FairFly Explainer Video
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this look at the best 30 startup videos. While we focus on 2D animated explainer videos here at Yans Media, we also wanted to show you some great live action content as well. Partly because it can still be used for ideas in animated videos, and partly because they’re just great examples!
If you’re interested in your own animated startup video, we’re always available and happy to talk with you about your business and your goals. Contact us today to start the conversation!
This animated startup video from Taboola shows that you don’t need complicated shots, fancy movement, and nonstop action to get your message across. Using the beach scene is a great platform, since that’s what the beach is all about — a nice, relaxed pace. Taboola gets their message out with a steady, calm delivery, which is a nice change of pace when you’re trying to market your content in the nonstop digital media world.
