DC Inno’s 50 on Fire awards event is returning this December and as nominations start to roll in we thought we’d take a look at a few of the 2014 winners that have certainly lived up to the expectation that being on fire implies. Whether it’s new money, new space, new clients or all of the above, here are five that made the list last year who have only continued to heat up in 2015.

iStrategyLabs – The digital agency has been on a roll since becoming a 50 on Fire winner. ISL has continued to grow its team and could meet its goal of doubling revenue again this year after signing one of its biggest contracts yet with Volkswagen USA earlier this summer after six months of pitching to run its social media. This contract probably became at least indirectly tougher in light of recent reports that Volkswagen faked its emissions tests with the EPA, but it’s a challenge that ISL is well-suited to handle.

2U – Edtech is only getting hotter as an industry and 2U has been riding that wave all year. The company has been beating analyst expectations on Wall Street all year, boosted in part with new programs and new clients including Yale. 2U has been adding new staff as its services grow as well, including a former Deputy Secretary of Education.

Kit Check – Kit Check has been keeping very busy since winning last year, kicking off 2015 with a $12 million funding round. Its hospital pharmacy tracking software and RFID hardware earned it several patents a few months ago, which has helped give it the leverage to expand its reach to over 200 hospitals in the U.S. and Canada. That growth has accelerated of late, with new staff and new clients added on a regular basis even as it stands out in its field as unique.

Aquicore – Energy analytics and management startup Aquicore’s success this year started with a move to a new office in February, which set the stage for adding new clients at a rapid clip. That culminated in the recent $3.1 million seed funding it landed,  led by D.C. tech incubator 1776. That money is going right into adding more sales and marketing staff, setting the stage for Aquicore to add even more buildings to the approximately 500 it already manages.

Allen Gannett, TrackMaven – TrackMaven CEO Allen Gannett was named a 50 on Fire winner the same month that his company closed a $14 million funding round. The new capital boosted the company’s staffing growth and helped enable it to move to a new office space, four times the size of its previous space, that could accommodate its growing numbers. The corgi pictures and toys have kept up with the company however.