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.
Los Angeles - California, U.S.A. - Germany - Europe: Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Romania, Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece, Portugal, Sweden, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, Slovakia, Norway, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Icela
PropTech • Hardware (& Manufacturing) • Energy • CleanTech • A.I. (& Big Data) • Robotics • Real Estate (& Construction) • DeepTech • Mobility • Woman Focused
Most Interested In
We're interested in teams re-imagining cities in 3 areas - GHG reduction, climate adaptation and solving problems associated with high density (like traffic or public safety). Cities are complex, so founders continue inspire and amaze us by identifying new systemic issues and solutions. If you're re-imagining city life, we'd love to hear from you.
Not Interested In
We don't invest in edtech or healthtech. Certainly not a vote on whether we want to see these categories succeed, we just think they need additional focus/skills which we don't have. That said public health is a growing area of interesting.
Shaun Abrahamson is a Founder and serves as Managing Partner at Urban Us. Shaun is a Member of the Investment Committee, and he leads investment selection and communications with portfolio companies, members of the Network, and limited partners in Fund II. Before founding Fund I, Shaun was an active angel investor, investing in more than 20 firms between 2007 and 2013 in his personal capacity. Early-stage investing and advising is informed by his experiences building MediaSentry (acquired by SafeNet in 2005), Starmedia Network (acquired by France Telecom) and Oculus Technologies (MIT CADLab spin-out). In 1999, he was an early employee at govWorks, one of the earliest startups focused on serving local government. govWorks was ahead of the market and failed during the dot-com bust, becoming the subject of the documentary Startup.com in 2001. Shaun has written for organizations such as The Economist Intelligence Unit, The Huffington Post, and CNNMoney. Crowdstorm, published by Wiley, was his first book and is a guide to working with large online crowds to find and evaluate ideas. The book is based on Shaun's experience working with Starbucks, Omnicom Group, $300 House, and Life Edited. Shaun has an MSc from MIT; an MBA from the Berlin School of Creative Leadership; and a BSc from the University of Cape Town. He is also an Angel Investor.
Palo Alto California - Los Altos - San Francisco - San Jose - Berkeley - Oakland - San Mateo - Redwood City - New York - Los Angeles, U.S.A.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • PropTech • Media • Businesses Solutions • Retail (& E-Commerce) • A.I. (& Big Data) • Web Security (& Privacy) • Analytics • Developer tools • Real Estate (& Construction)
Partner at OVO Fund Seed stage tech investor who co-founded an e-commerce company, worked at an enterprise IT startup, incubated and launched a double bottom line investment fund in DC and pulled all-nighters on Wall Street as an investment banker. I'm interested in meeting scrappy, persistent, visionary and high integrity entrepreneurs with a chip on their shoulder. Specialties: Seed Stage Investing, US / China Startups, Capital Raising including Seed Stage Syndication, Supporting Entrepreneurs
San Diego - New York - Atlanta - Seattle - San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • PropTech • Businesses Solutions • Retail (& E-Commerce) • Sales (& Marketing) • Future Of Work • Insurance (& InsurTech) • Real Estate (& Construction) • Online Social
Venture Partner at JSV
Most Interested In
I love marketplaces, especially ones that enhance productivity, lower costs, and have big moats. Founding team at oDesk and Rev. Investor OfferUp, Alto Pharmacy, Crexi, and more.
Not Interested In
I love SaaS too, but better to pitch one of my partners Pete Solvik or Greg Gretsch. I don't do much pre-launch either.
Managing Director @jsv , 4th @odesk, cofounder / board @rev, @massachusetts-institute-of-technology.
San Francisco Bay Area, U.S.A. - Israel
PropTech • Hardware (& Manufacturing) • Energy • CleanTech • A.I. (& Big Data) • Impact • Real Estate (& Construction) • DeepTech • Mobility • Woman Focused
Urban Sustainability and Resilience focused VC. Co-Founder of Urban Us.
I'm co-founder of Urban Us, an asset manager specialized in early-stage startups upgrading cities for climate change. With a team that spans both coasts, the platform includes an early-stage venture fund, a BMW funded accelerator and an early stage credit fund. I've founded five companies, speak 4 languages, code, and have taught and lectured at the University of Chicago, UC Berkeley, and HBS. My leisure time is spent reading, playing instruments, and training Muay Thai.
New York - Austin - Los Angeles - San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • PropTech • BioTech • AgroTech • Retail (& E-Commerce) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Analytics • Real Estate (& Construction) • Healthcare (& Wellness) • Consumer • Woman Focused
Mascot of Life
San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • PropTech • Education • Businesses Solutions • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Medical Devices (& Hospital Services) • Real Estate (& Construction) • Healthcare (& Wellness) • Woman Focused
Most Interested In
Labor marketplaces and vertical markets. Vertical markets might include real estate, education, construction, healthcare, or any other large market that has been resistant to change.
Not Interested In
I've made a lot of SaaS investments in the past, but I'm interested in software companies that have a distribution hook.
New York, U.S.A.
PropTech • Hospitality (& Events) • Retail (& E-Commerce) • Cosmetics (& Fashion) • Entertainment (& Sports) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Developer tools • Food & Beverage • Medical Devices (& Hospital Services) • Real Estate (& Construction) • Healthcare (& Wellness)
Co-Founder, Seed Investor & Advisor
Co-Founder @rokkan exited to @publicis $PUB.PA, 15yr UX Vet, architecting transaction/content platforms for VirginAmerica, JetBlue, AmexTravel and Dish.
New York - San Francisco Bay Area - City, U.S.A. - Mexico
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • PropTech • A.I. (& Big Data) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Food & Beverage • Human Resources • Mobile Apps • Real Estate (& Construction) • Consumer
Most Interested In
Blockchain, marketplaces, space
Not Interested In
Sector agnostic
Boulder - Colorado, U.S.A.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • PropTech • Businesses Solutions • FinTech (& Financials services) • Retail (& E-Commerce) • IoT (& Wearables) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Advertising • Medical Devices (& Hospital Services) • Real Estate (& Construction) • Healthcare (& Wellness)
Most Interested In
Looking for strong teams, who think big, and are as early as idea stage.
Not Interested In
Lots of traction. I want startups that aren't afraid of pivoting if they needed to.
New York - Sao Paulo - San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A. - Brazil
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • PropTech • AgroTech • Businesses Solutions • Sales (& Marketing) • Cloud Services (& Infrastructure) • Developer tools • Insurance (& InsurTech) • Real Estate (& Construction)
Most Interested In
Security, real estate, enterprise SaaS, cloud infrastructure agtech, emerging markets
Not Interested In
Consumer