The United States boasts the largest and most dynamic startup ecosystem in the world, with major hubs like Silicon Valley, New York City, and Boston. This ecosystem is characterized by a strong venture capital presence and a supportive culture for innovation and entrepreneurship. The U.S. continues to lead globally in technological innovation and startup activity, contributing significantly to economic growth and job creation.
As of 2024, the U.S. is home to approximately 77,927 startups. The startup ecosystem is supported by substantial venture capital investments, which totaled around $162.6 billion in 2022. This robust financial backing highlights the confidence investors have in the U.S. startup market, ensuring ample funding for innovation and growth.
Key strengths of the U.S. market include a highly skilled workforce, advanced technological infrastructure, and a culture that encourages risk-taking and entrepreneurship. The presence of major tech companies like Google, Apple, and Facebook fosters a collaborative environment and provides ample opportunities for startups. Additionally, the U.S. government offers support through various grants and tax incentives, such as the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.
Silicon Valley remains the epicenter of innovation, driving advancements in AI, biotechnology, fintech, and clean energy. New York City excels in finance and media, while Boston is strong in biotechnology and education-driven startups. These regions are crucial to the U.S. startup ecosystem, offering a wealth of resources, talent, and opportunities.
Cities like Austin, Denver, and Seattle are emerging as significant tech hubs. These cities provide a favorable business climate, quality of life, and are becoming attractive locations for startups and talent. The rise of remote work has further expanded opportunities for startups to access talent from various regions, contributing to the growth of these emerging hubs.
The U.S. startup market benefits from a comprehensive support system of accelerators, incubators, and co-working spaces. Programs like Techstars and Y Combinator have been instrumental in nurturing early-stage startups, providing mentorship, resources, and funding. These support systems help startups at various stages of their journey to scale and succeed.
Despite its strengths, the U.S. startup ecosystem faces challenges such as high costs of living, regulatory hurdles, and intense competition for talent. These challenges can create barriers for new startups and require strategic navigation to ensure long-term success.
The U.S. startup market features a diverse customer base and a culture that encourages innovation and entrepreneurship. The rise of remote work has expanded opportunities, allowing startups to access talent from various regions. The future outlook remains positive with continuous growth and innovation, driven by emerging technologies such as blockchain, quantum computing, and green energy.
The U.S. startup ecosystem is characterized by its resilience and adaptability. Despite challenges, the ecosystem continues to evolve, driven by a strong culture of entrepreneurship and technological advancements. This ensures the U.S. remains at the forefront of global innovation, contributing significantly to economic growth and job creation.
San Francisco Bay Area - New York, U.S.A. - U.K.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • PropTech • Hospitality (& Events) • FinTech (& Financials services) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Real Estate (& Construction)
Matt Heiman is the Founder & serves as Chief Executive Officer at Diagonal View. He Co-founded & served as Chief Executive Officer at Mobix Interactive.
San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A. - Canada
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Hospitality (& Events) • FinTech (& Financials services) • Mobility • Consumer • Woman Focused
General Partner at August Capital
Most Interested In
B2C Marketplaces B2B Marketplaces Consumer Internet Fintech API E-Commerce Education Enterprise Entertainment Future of Work Government Technology Health and Wellness Industrial IoT Productivity Proptech/Real Estate Robotics SaaS Social Supply Chain/Logistics Transportation Travel/Hospitality
Not Interested In
We tend to avoid healthcare-oriented biotech (patient facing).
Los Angeles - New York - San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Hospitality (& Events) • Businesses Solutions • Retail (& E-Commerce) • Logistics (& Distribution) • Messaging • Online Social • Consumer
General Partner at Forerunner Ventures
Most Interested In
Marketplaces, vertical saas, voice, hourly labor, financial services.
Not Interested In
Core enterprise, security, international early stage projects, people who tweet me to ask for my email address.
San Francisco Bay Area - Palo Alto, U.S.A.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Hospitality (& Events) • Businesses Solutions • A.I. (& Big Data) • Gaming (& eSports) • Local commerce • Aerospace (& Defense) • Online Social • Consumer
General Partner at Gradient Ventures
Darian Shirazi is a Co-Founder and serves as Board Member and Chief Executive Officer at Radius. He began his career in Silicon Valley at the age of 15 while working during the summers as a code tester for eBay. He then joined Facebook as one of its first fifteen employees, serves as an front-end software developer. He co-founded the mobile photo sharing site, Fotodunk. He also serves as an Advisor at 8VC.
San Francisco Bay Area - Miami Beach - Florida, U.S.A. - Singapore
PropTech • Hospitality (& Events) • Hardware (& Manufacturing) • Retail (& E-Commerce) • Cosmetics (& Fashion) • Entertainment (& Sports) • IoT (& Wearables) • Real Estate (& Construction) • Mobility • Consumer
Most Interested In
Currently we're interested in Consumer, Marketplaces, and Real Estate tech - but are opportunistic and really just want great founders in huge markets
Not Interested In
BioTech, Social Networks, Marketing Software, Big Data, AR/VR
New York - City, U.S.A.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Hospitality (& Events) • Retail (& E-Commerce) • Sales (& Marketing) • Food & Beverage • Logistics (& Distribution) • Payments • Mobility
Managing Partner-Branded Strategic Hospitality-Hospitality,Technology,Innovation & Capital
Managing Partner-Branded Strategic Hospitality-Hospitality,Technology,Innovation & Capital
Boston Massachusetts - San Francisco California - San Francisco Bay Area - Menlo Park California, U.S.A.
Hospitality (& Events) • AgroTech • Hardware (& Manufacturing) • A.I. (& Big Data) • Web Security (& Privacy) • Analytics • Cloud Services (& Infrastructure) • Aerospace (& Defense) • Nanotechnology • Online Social
Venture Investor, Company Builder, Dog Lover, Co-Founder & Managing Director at Neotribe Ventures.
Most Interested In
My focus is in solving 50 primal, first order problems by 2045. They will all be built using breakthrough technology that stretches the imagination. My goal is to help exceptional founders realize their highest ambitions. I work alongside entrepreneurs as their non judgmental brain partner, drawing upon my operating experience at 3 startups (one went IPO, one failed and one was acquired by Cisco) and lots of tribal knowledge about building world class companies.
New York - Los Angeles, U.S.A.
Hospitality (& Events) • BioTech • Sales (& Marketing) • Entertainment (& Sports) • CleanTech • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Medical Devices (& Hospital Services) • Healthcare (& Wellness) • Mobility • Consumer
Most Interested In
We provide liquidity for founders and investors for their private shares in great companies -usually mature enough to have meaningful revenue traction
Not Interested In
Pre-revenue companies or shares in companies where the investors and founders are not supportive of a secondary transaction
Argentina - Colombia - Sao Paulo, U.S.A. - Brazil - Mexico
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Hospitality (& Events) • Media • Retail (& E-Commerce) • Entertainment (& Sports) • Food & Beverage • Local commerce • Logistics (& Distribution) • Messaging • Online Social
Most Interested In
Online marketplaces, market networks, urban mobility, transportation, logistics
San Francisco Bay Area, U.S.A.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • IT (& TMT) • Hospitality (& Events) • Education • BioTech • Businesses Solutions • FinTech (& Financials services) • Hardware (& Manufacturing) • Retail (& E-Commerce) • A.I. (& Big Data) • Analytics • Developer tools • Food & Beverage • Mobile Apps • SaaS • Healthcare (& Wellness) • Music • Mobile • Online Social • Consumer • Productivity
Sean Parker is the Founder & serves as the Chairman at Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. He is a Co-Founder and serves as President at Facebook. He co-founded and served as the Chairman at Brigade. He is also the Founder and serves as Chairman at Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. He is a Co-Founder & serves as Executive Chairman at Airtime Media. He is also a Co-Founder & Executive Chairman of OKHello. Parker is also a Co-Founder of Screening Room. He served as a Board Member at Spotify and 3dna. Parker serves as the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Project Agape. He was an Executive General Partner at Founders Fund. He is an entrepreneur with a record of launching genre-defining companies that reinvent ways to spread information online. In 1999, at the age of 19, Sean co-founded Napster and changed how people think about and share music. Two years later, Sean co-founded Plaxo, pioneering viral engineering technology for updating contact information. Sean served as Plaxo's President until 2004, when he joined with Mark Zuckerberg to develop the online social network Facebook. He is the Co-Founder of Facebook. He served as the President at Facebook. In 2007, Sean co-founded Causes, which promotes on-line philanthropy
Irvine - San Diego - Los Angeles / Southern California - Newport Beach, U.S.A.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Hospitality (& Events) • Businesses Solutions • Sales (& Marketing) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Advertising • Analytics • Developer tools
General Partner at Ankona Capital
Most Interested In
Ankona invests in business end market SaaS companies "at the elbow" - companies with proven product/market fit that are poised for growth. We invest $5-$15M into companies typically generating $5-$15M in ARR.
Not Interested In
We don't invest in hardware, e-commerce, digital media, or consumer software.
Brian Mesic is a Co-Founder at Ankona Capital. Mesic is a Partner at Anthem Venture Partners. Since joining Anthem from McKinsey in 2000, Brian has led successful investments in pioneering companies such as Android (acquired by Google), RF Magic (acquired by Entropic), Planet A.T.E. (acquired by Intersil), Viewdle (acquired by Motorola) and Entropic Communications. He currently serves on the board of directors of Blurb, Card and StackIQ. He holds a bachelor's degree in Biology and Economics and an MBA from Dartmouth's Amos Tuck School of Business.