The 21 hottest female-founded startups to watch in 2017

There's never been a better time to be a woman in the startup world.

There's no denying we have a long way to go. After all, venture capital firms are made up of mostly men, and some continue to suggest women aren't cut out for the tech world at all. And way more VC money is offered to male founders than women.

But more and more women are building multimillion-dollar startups, and venture firms like Forerunner Ventures, BBG Ventures, and Female Founders Fund all focus on female-founded companies.

It's paying off. 2016 saw female founders launch innovative companies and raise millions to help them grow, while startups in their second or third year of life began gaining ground.

And 2017 is likely to be even bigger. Here are some of the most exciting women-run companies to keep an eye on in the coming year.