On-demand nap bars, dog-friendly cafes and ice cream delivery services are among some of the top August 2017 start-up ideas that are causing change across different industries.
Although select shoppers are drawn to the high price points of luxury items, a growing number of budget-conscious consumers are responding to brands that offer fair price points. Examples of this include Miss A, which prices all of its cosmetics at $1, Twickets, which resells tickets at face value and Brandless, which sells a variety of consumers goods for just $3.
Some of the well-established companies that are offering the ingenuity of small companies include Amazon, which recently launched a variety of new products and services, KFC launching K Pro and brands like London Drugs and Sephora launching small-format retail shops.
Top 70 Start-Up Concepts in August
70
All-Day Nap Bars
'Siesta & Go' Rents Beds and Rooms for Catching Up on Sleep
69
Fast Food Salad Shops
KFC's K Pro is a Healthy Remix on the Famous Fast Food Restaurant
68
Female-Funded Investment Firms
'Female Funders' is a Platform Helping Women Pursue Angel Investing
67
Privacy Laptop Cases
Alcove’s Laptop Case Unfolds into a Private Workstation
66
Muted Streetwear Releases
Maylee's Debut Collection Features Refined Silhouettes & Neutral Colors
65
Entrepreneur-Specific Subscription Services
The FEoNA Box is a Service for Female Entrepreneurs
64
In-Car Vending Machines
Cargo Lets Uber Drivers Earn Extra Money Selling In-Car Essentials
63
Vegan Meal Vending Machines
leCupboard Offers a Healthy, Plant-Based Vending Machine for Food
62
Urban Camping Services
Campspace Lets Users Rent Campgrounds in Urban Environments
61
Moving TV T-Shirts
The T-shirt TV Acts as an Unconventional Advertising Medium
60
Bespoke Workout Supplement Platforms
The Scoop Service Lets Users Buy Customizable Supplements
59
Luxury Short-Term Rental Services
Airbnb Lux Will be the Firm's New Ultra-Premium Tier
58
Luxury Furniture Rental Platforms
This Rental Service is Targeted Towards First-Time Homeowners
57
Custom Salad Shops
Vancouver's 'Verdura' is a Fast-Casual Independent Restaurant
56
Female-Focused Entrepreneurial Subscriptions
The 'Leader Ship Box' is Made for Professional Women
55
Affordable Subscription Meals
Dinnerly by Marley Spoon is an Affordable Alternative Meal Kit
54
Robotic Lawn-Mowing Startups
HomeVP Installs Lawn-Mowing Robots In Your Home For a Monthly Fee
53
Rescued Food Restaurants
The Newly Opened Rice Bar Turns Food Waste into Delicious Creations
52
$1 Cosmetic Retailers
'Miss A' Offers All Beauty Products on Its Site for Just One Dollar
51
Small-Footprint Beauty Retailers
'Sephora Studio' is a New Store with Same-Day Ordering
50
Architectural Home Rentals
BoutiqueHomes Offers Holiday Rentals in Design-Focused Homes
49
Inclusive Doll Wheelchairs
The Lammily Wheelchair Sets a New Standard for Inclusivity in Toys
48
Exclusive eCommerce Kidswear
'Simple Joys by Carter's' Was Created Just for Amazon Prime
47
Community Dog Cafes
Boris & Horton Hosts Dogs for Coffee and Community Events
46
Liquid Nitrogen Ice Creameries
'Lab Sense' is Toronto's Newest Spot for Nitrogen-Infused Treats
45
Shoppable Storytelling Services
'Amazon Spark' is an Inspirational, Shoppable Platform
44
Working Woman Subscriptions
The 'Mogul Box' is Curated for Female Entrepreneurs
43
Sustenance-Dispensing Fridges
Foodles is a Connected Refrigerator and Vending Machine in One
42
Booze-Infused Jams
'Drunk Jelly' Wine-Infused Jam Elevates Any PB & J Sandwich
41
Vehicle-Branded Bike Sharing
The Ford Gobikes Offer a New Bike Share Program to the Bay Area
40
Ultra-Condensed Pharmacy Shops
London Drugs is Opening a Small Store Called 'LDExpress'
39
Football Stadium Screenings
Pittodrie Events is Hosting Corporate Clients for Outdoor Movie Nights
38
Geothermal Heating Start-Ups
Google's 'Dandelion' Will Use the Earth to Heat and Cool Homes
37
One-Hour Grocery Deliveries
Tesco Now Promises to Deliver Groceries to Your Door Within One Hour
36
Millennial-Focused Pizza Apps
Pizza Hut's Loyalty App Was Designed to Appeal to a Younger Market
35
Artisanal Sandwich Eateries
'PBJ.LA' is a Destination for Crust-Free, Gourmet PB&J Sandwiches
34
Consumer-Led Beauty Product Pitches
Sephora Lets Consumers Pitch Their Own Beauty Product Ideas
33
Codeless Chatbot Software
SaaS Startup HelloBOT Makes it Easier to Connect With Your Customers
32
Spouse-Spying Rental Services
'Ginza Ladis 1' Hires Actors to Stop Your Partner from Cheating
31
Instantaneous Mobile Payments
The 'PayNow' Service Lets Singaporeans Transfer Money Through Phones
30
Retro Alcohol-Infused Sodas
The Pop Shoppe Has Introduced 2 New Alcoholic Flavors
29
Loyalty-Based Coffee Chain Apps
Caffè Nero is the First UK Chain to Offer Straight-Through Payment
28
Universally Priced CPGs
Brandless Offers Common Household Goods Priced at $3 Each
27
Predictive Model-Building Platforms
Machine Learning Platform MLJAR Uses AI for Prototyping
26
Ice Cream Delivery Services
Baskin-Robbins Will Now Deliver Through a Service Called DoorDash
25
Customizable Eye Shadow Palettes
You Can Build Your Own Eye Shadow Palettes with Bleach London
24
App Review Startups
Telescope Notifies You in Real Time of Your Latest Mobile App Reviews
23
Customized Forms Services
Formester Helps You Create Personalized Forms for Marketing Purposes
22
Collaborative Team Tools
New Visual Project Management Tool Atlaz is for Tech-Focused Firms
21
Baggage Drop-Off Services
'Knock Knock' Offers Secure Storage for NYC Tourists' Bags
20
Bus-Battery Swapping Startups
This Indian Startup Makes Electric Buses More Convenient To Operate
19
SaaS Spreadsheets Startups
Spreadsheets.site Makes it Easier to Manage and Create Websites
18
Branded Ice Cream E-Shops
Consumers May Now Purchase Ben & Jerry's Online via the Official Store
17
Employee-Focused Travel Platforms
'GoBumpFree' Helps Airline Employees Evade Cancellation Fees
16
Online Automation Builders
New SaaS Venture Omlyx Helps You Build and Manage Automated Bots
15
Healing Herbal Tonics
WanKu's Blend of 20 Herbs is Known as the Andes Mountains Healing Water
14
Trailblazing Weather Forecasting Startups
ClimaCell Offers Ultra-Precise Weather-Tracking Services
13
Revitalizing Hangover Cures
'Morning Recovery' is Based on a South Korean Hangover Cure
12
VR Service Training Programs
This Fast-Casual Restaurant Training Leverages Google Daydream
11
Modular Dart Defense Systems
'Blaster Boards' Click Together to Make a Custom Nerf War Bunker
10
Female-Focused Rideshare Services
The Pink Car Service Caters to Women, Seniors and the Disabled
9
Streamlined App Development Platforms
The 'Cloudflare Apps' Service Helps Boost Market Exposure
8
AI-Fueled Medical Startups
The 'Qrativ' Startup Uses Smart Technology to Find Disease Treatments
7
Private Online Language Lessons
Rype Offers Users Private Virtual Language Teachers
6
Company Password Management Services
Web Dev Startup Passwork is a Password Manager for Teams
5
eCommerce Messaging Apps
Amazon Anytime Offers Voice and Video Calling, Plus Filters and More
4
Face-Value Ticket Resellers
Twickets Caps the Price of Resold Tickets at Face Value
3
Automated Messaging Community Invitations
Startup Community Inviter is for Slack Communities
2
Female-Focused Homesharing Communities
Overnight's 'Girls LOVE Travel' Group Emphasizes Safety
1
Online Invoicing Software
Pi.TEAM Provides Small Business Invoicing and Accounting Services
Related Ideas
Playful Toy-Inspired Pop-Ups
The Jellycat Café Pops Up at Shanghai’s Plaza 66 to Revive Traffic
Grocery-Inspired Beauty Pop-Ups
The Markup Marché by The Ordinary Challenges Industry Buzzwords
Trend-Aligned Menu Launches
Jamba's New Summer Bundles are Inspired by Gen Z and Millenial Trends
Summer Fragrance-Inspired Pop-Ups
Maison Margiela Launched a Pop-Up Café in Amsterdam
Fan-Created Menu Items
Creative Customer Orders Inspired the Taco Bell Fan Style Menu
Springtime Cafe-Inspired Coffee Products
Starbucks Spring Grocery Range Embraces Lighter Flavors
Snackable Frozen Appetizers
TAST!EZ's New Products Bring Restaurant-Quality Snacks Home
Gen Z-Influenced Drink Menus
These New McDonald’s CosMc Drinks are Headed to Over 500 Locations
Celebrity Coffee Machines
Ninja Launched Its David Beckham Limited-Edition Luxe Café Pro
Fashion-Inspired Food Marketing
Magnum Blends Beauty, Music and Luxury Culture into Its Brand
Summery Adventure-Inspired Drinkware
Starbucks Launched its 'Road Trip Collection'
Mobile Cafe Pop-Ups
Coach Introduced a Vibrant Coffee Truck in Gotemba, Japan
AI Startup Planning Tools
Startup Strategy Hub Provides AI-Driven Insights And Strategic Guidance
Fashion-Branded Café Experiences
Vogue Blends Retail with Immersive Hospitality Spaces
Multisensory Gourmand Pop-Ups
Lush's Café Gourmand Pop-Up Immerses Visitors in Cozy Scents
Functionally Focused Dog Campaigns
The Honest Kitchen's Inflatable Dogs Challenge Beauty Standards
Supermarket Tourism Campaigns
K-Supermarket's Tripadvisor Listings Share a Taste of Food Culture
Reward-Based QSR Promotions
SONIC Launches the 'Snacky Hour' Promotion for Summer Dining
Social-First Local Shopping Schemes
Shop Local by Tiktok Shop Makes Homegrown Goods Accessible
Experiential Student Activations
Just Eat's Hey U Up Campaign Coincides with Freshers’ Week
Human-Grade Dog Food Partnerships
The Farmer's Dog Partners with Walmart in April 2026
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Business Idea Generators
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Experiential Brand Cafés
Nutella Reimagines Its Chicago Café with Digital Ordering and a New Menu
Beauty Retail Delivery Partnerships
Ulta Beauty Has Added 1500 Stores to the Uber Eats Marketplace
Girl Dinner Experiences
Waverly Kitchen + Bar Curates Shareable Comfort Food Plates
Cafe-Inspired Eyewear
MUSE Turns Matcha and Coffee Culture into Wearable Frames
Fruit-Fueled Cafe Refreshments
Starbucks Japan Summer Menu Shows Off Three Different Drinks
Limited-Run QSR Releases
Weekly Wingstop Drops Share a Taste of Drop Culture
Mobile Luxury Boutiques
Mytheresa Tours the Hamptons with a Curated Mobile Boutique
Mobile Beauty Pop-Ups
Henkel’s göt2b Debuts a Citywide Mobile Beauty Experience
Startup Idea Analyzers
RivalRadar AI Evaluates Startup Ideas and Competitor Landscapes Instantly
Comprehensive Fast Food Reports
Yum! Brands, Inc. Explores Food Trends Influencing the Industry
CPG-Focused Innovation Launchpads
Albertsons Companies is Running Its Innovation Launchpad
Celebrity-Supported Chef-Crafted Restaurant Concepts
goop kitchen is Expanding to New York City
Cafe Drink-Honoring Merch
Starbucks Pink Drink Vibes Merch Pays Homage to the Popular Beverage
Compact IKEA Retail Spaces
IKEA Launches Smaller Stores Focused on Quick Visits and Essentials
Aussie-Style Hot Dog Trucks
Tourism Australia is Bringing a G'day Dogs Food Truck to NYC
Urban Food Hubs
M&S Expands City Stores with Bakery, Coffee, Sushi, and Fresh Food
Custom Painted Handbag Events
Bark Jacobs by Marc Jacobs Kicked Off with an Exclusive Soiree
Entrepreneurial Pitch Competitions
ASICS Ventures Introduces Knzen to Support Businesses
Entrepreneurship Adventure Platforms
Lemonade Lab Lets Kid-Run Businesses Accept Tap Payments
Curated Wine Clubs
Majestic and Saturday Kitchen Pair Exclusive Wines with Chef Recipes
Culture-Driven Product Launches
Church’s Texas Chicken launches Churchie Sauce with a local event
Hot Dog-Inspired Summer Campaigns
Regal and Nathan's Famous Launch Hot Dog Summer
Restaurant-to-Retail Expansions
Little Sesame Secured $8.5M to Scale Its Manufacturing Operations
Throwback Grocery Campaigns
Economic Nostalgia Inspired Instacart's Summer Like It’s ‘99
Curated Discovery Stores
The Shelf Spotlights Emerging Food, Drink and Wellness Brands
Experiential Grocery Campaigns
No Name launches a multi-city grocery goss campaign
Summer Snacking Retailer Ranges
ALDI August Finds Embrace LTOs, Protein and Snack Culture
Health-Conscious Kidult Meals
Café Gratitude’s $100 Happy Healthy Meal Comes with a Labubu
AI-Powered Grocery Apps
Tre'dish's Transparent Pricing Offers Real-Time, Geo-Targeted Comparisons
Plant-Based Dessert Expansions
Over the Moo Emphasizes Indulgence & Health-Conscious Recipes
Canine-Focused Wintertime Wellness Campaigns
PetSmart Marks National Walk Your Dog Month
Crafted Fast Food Beverages
McDonald’s Expands into Refreshers, Dirty Sodas and Energy Drinks
Compact Urban Grocery Retail
Whole Foods Expanded Daily Shop Stores into Three U.S. Cities
Curated Grocery Platforms Rise
FirstClub Launches Its Curated Grocery Platform
Boutique Jewelry Concepts
Rocksbox is Expanding Its Presence in Metropolitan Areas
Lightweight Restaurant Apps
Curate Boosts Restaurant Loyalty with No-Download Apple App Clips
Mobile Coffee Trailer Concepts
Bitty & Beau's Coffee Debuts the Mini Cruiser Franchise
Branded Café Pop-Ups
The OPPO Enco Air5s Debuted Through a Branded Café Pop-Up in Paris
Pet Food Campaigns
Open Farm Launched Its Pets Are Perfect. So, We Must Be Too Campaign
QSR-Branded Food Truck Tours
Shake Shack Canada is Embarking on Its First-Ever Food Truck Tour
back-to-school retail campaigns
Target rolls out its back-to-school & back-to-college campaigns
Radically Transparent Food Models
The Open Food Company Launches a $3M Seed Round
Pet Care-Focused Mobile Apps
Wag N' Wash Consolidates Its Grooming Services in an App
Pet-Focused Re-Branding Initiatives
My Perfect Pet Boasts a Comprehensive Rebrand
Startup Validation Tools
Product Market Fix Validates Startup Ideas Using Real Ad Tests And AI
Ai-Powered Freshness-Monitoring Grocery Platforms
Afresh Expands Its Service Coverage
Idea Generation Tools
One Million Ideas Offers Endless Inspiration for Companies and Users
Nutrition Ecosystem Restaurants
Fork to Fit Kitchen links meals, fitness, and wellness tracking
Multi-Revenue Fashion Platforms
Rent the Runway expands into resale, ads and cleaning services
Curated Resale Storefronts
eBay's The NYC Edit Storefront Shares Tastemaker Selections
Influencer-Backed Ice Cream Campaigns
Tillamook and Tefi Pessoa Debuted The Real Scoop Newsstand
In-Person Creativity Cafe Campaigns
The Made in Starbucks Campaign Spotlights Customer Creativity
Luxury Hotel Residencies
EDITION and American Express Launch an Exclusive Montauk Cultural Weekend
Low-Cost Back-to-School Campaigns
Target Back-to-School-idays Offers Discounts Up to 30%
All-Hours Micro Markets
Healthy Smart Mart is Enticing Entrepreneurs with Its New Model
Pet-Centric Travel Platforms
Dog Owners Can Book Stays and Plan Trips in One Place
Branded Nutrition-Focused Challenges
Fresh Express is Launching the Fresh Start Challenge
Content-First Shopping Experiences
Gopuff and SpaceXAI Launched Go, a Personal Shopping Genius
Accessible Design Campaigns
Canva's Really, Really Good Design Transformed a Sandwich Business
Restaurant-Supporting Loyalty Platforms
inKind Boasts Its Successes on Its 10-Year Anniversary
Menu Discovery Challenges
Original ChopShop's Feel Good Foodie Challenge Rewards Menu Exploration
Plant-Based Foodservice Appetizers
The Tipiak Vegan Canapé Selection Has Global Inspiration
Community-Centered Bakery Cafés
Paris Baguette expands through neighborhood café experiences
Drive-Thru Markets
Goods Offers Instant Grocery Pickup from an Underground Delivery System
Expanded Wellness Retail Assortments
Target Added 30% More Wellness Products to Its Shelves
Dog-Focused Food Trucks
Bab’in Spotlights the French Cuisine for Dogs at Central Park
Dining Concept-Forward Campaigns
Pappas Restaurants Announces Pappas Restaurant Weeks
Signature Food Giveaways
Craveworthy Brands' Bet on the Bite Shares Free, Fan-Fave Menu Items
Donation-Based Menu Deals
Domino’s Turns Pizza Purchases into Donations for Kids with Illnesses
Local Food Discoveries
Streeats Helps You Find Hidden Street Food Gems Recommended By Locals
AI-Driven CX Platforms
British Startup 'Serve First' Launches Its AI CX Platform Expansion
All-in-One Digital Dining Marketplaces
This OpenTable Marketplace is for Private and Group Dining
Operator Franchise Structure Models
Dog Haus Introduced Its Operator Partnership Program
Dairy-Free Ice Cream Campaigns
Over the Moo Taps Dog Cat & Mouse for a National Marketing Push
Human-Centered Marketplace Campaigns
Etsy's Shop Other Jeffs Celebrates Independent Sellers
City-Focused Influencer Platforms
Storytime Launches Storytime Marketplace in Cities
Limited Release Selling Tools
Squarespace Launched Its Limited-Release Selling Suite
Branded Pet-Fostering Challenges
The PEDIGREE Foundation Launched the Foster 50 Challenge
Pet-Inclusive Dining
BarkHaven Expands Food and Entertainment for Dogs and Owners
Seasonal Value Campaigns
Huey Magoo's Combines Value Meals with Collectible Cups
Pet-Pleasing Delivery Menus
Deliveroo and French Bandit Collaborated to Delight People & Pets
Dog-Honoring Fundraising Campaigns
Universal Joint is Running Its Dogust Campaign in August
Seasonal Reservation Street Installations
Uber UK Launches 'Reserve' by Mother
Community Hub Convenience Stores
Co-op turns local stores into delivery and service hubs
Small Business-Honoring Events
Fairfax City Economic Development Brings Back Small Business Month
Resealable Dog Food Tubs
Love Made Fresh's Scoop & Serve Tub Supports Flexible Feeding
Community-Driven Loyalty Programs
Salad House Turned Guest Spending Into Local Donations
Local Restaurant Activations
Pepsi Hosts Community Events to Drive Restaurant Discovery
Consumer Brand Launches
Labor Smart Announced Culturally-Driven Product Collaborations
Service-Backed Recommerce Platforms
Commonplace Launches Marketplace With Built-In Delivery
Community-Centric Fast Casual
The Stand Expands Community-Focused Restaurants Across California
Ready-Made Brand Marketplaces
Brands Like These Sells One-Off, Agency-Quality Brand Kits
Founder Marketing Resources
Better Marketing Blog Shares Practical Playbooks For Founders
Interactive Fast-Casual Dining
Pepper Lunch Expands Its Sizzling DIY Dining Concept
Market Demand Checks
Buildpad Helps Validate Business Ideas Using Real-World Reddit Data
Data-Led Brand Creation
AS Watson Builds Brands Using Shopper Insights and Loyalty Data
Startup Discovery Platforms
Rova Bullpost Rewards Users For Supporting Underrated Startups
Startup Deal Platforms
Discover Hidden Startup Gems With Micro Deals This Black Friday
Instant Branding Tools
Brandest Provides Exclusive Ready-Made Logos And Domains For Fast Launches
Strategic Reward-Focused Retail Campaigns
WeShop Launches 'Shopping Starts Here' Campaign
Commission-Free Food Marketplaces
Lunchbox & OPA! Deliver Alternative to Third-Party Marketplaces
Brandless Packaging Campaigns
McDonald’s Tested a Name-Free 'Famous Order' Promotion
Dual-Format Dining
The Granola Bar Opens Dine-In and Takeaway Concepts in New Yotk
Purpose-Led Emerging Brands Initiatives
7-Eleven Taps 27 Brands for Its 2026 Brands with Heart™
CPG-Focused Service-For-Equity Models
Crave Ventures Has Formally Commenced Operations
Autumnal Breakfast Dishes
Sunny Street Café is Launching Four Pumpkin-Inspired Items
Meal Delivery Brand Advantages
Clean Eatz Kitchen Signals to Its Advantages in the Market
Event-Driven Instant Retail
JD Sports Delivers England Shirts Through Uber Eats Before Kick-Off
Climate Tech Academies
Climestart Provides 105 Lessons To Launch A Climate Tech Venture
Elevated Diner Franchises
Billy’s Downtown Diner expands its modern diner concept in the midwest
Idea Validation Platforms
The Idea Hub Transforms Early Concepts Into Actionable Business Insights
Regional Noodle Restaurant Rollouts
Foodtastic Introduced the Noodlebox Expansion Plan
Startup Insight Platforms
App Stacks Reveals App Stories, Tech Stacks, And Builder Insights
West Coast-Inspired Menus
Shake Shack is Introducing a West Coast-Inspired Menu
Summer Barbecue-Themed Burger Menus
The Smashburger Summer of Smash Menu Features New Classics
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