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.
Size of the Market
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
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.
Major Hubs
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.
Emerging Hubs
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.
Support Systems
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.
Challenges
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.
Opportunities and Future Outlook
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.
Resilience and Adaptability
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.
Case Studies: Successful Funding Rounds with Angel Investors on Angels Partners
General Partner at Spark Capital, Product Guy, Fmr Founder
Most Interested In
Primarily a consumer and marketplace investor, Nabeel seeks out entrepreneurs who develop that rare combination of design and technology to transform markets. He looks for products in which the underlying technology can be complex, but are presented as a simple, magical experience to the people who use them. This is more about characteristics of the company & founders than markets, so I spend time in everything from robotics to social media to hospitality to on demand economy.
Not Interested In
Not interested in non-product experiences, so deep enterprise software where the end consumer is not the buyer is likely not a fit.
Jonathon Triest is the Founder and serves as Managing Partner at Ludlow Ventures. In 2011, he was awarded the Crain's Detroit Business award for 20 in their 20's. That same year, he co-founded Funded by Night, a vehicle to help internet startups launch and get discovered. Previously, he served as creative director for New York's Discovery Productions. In 2005 he launched the Atlanta-based Triest Group, a mid-level advertising firm. In addition to his role at Ludlow, he is a mentor at The Brandery and a board member of The Trico Foundation, and Venture for America. previously creative director for New Yorks Discovery Productions. In 2005 he launched Triest Group, a mid-level advertising firm. He sits on the Board of the Trico Foundation and the Board of Investors for Venture for America.
Nihal Mehta
Investing in Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) &b...
New York, U.S.A. - India
Previous Investments
• ShoppinPal:
$1090000
• Eden Workplace:
$10000000 (Series A)
• Eden Workplace:
$1300000 (Seed Round)
• Envoy - helloenvoy.com:
$3000000 (Seed Round)
• Squad:
(Seed Round)
• Virgin Hyperloop One:
$11000000 (Series A)
• Virgin Hyperloop:
$11000000 (Series A)
• MaestroQA:
$1800000 (Seed Round)
• MaestroQA:
$250000 (Seed Round)
• Tala:
(Venture Round)
• Navdy:
$20000000 (Series A)
• Boxed:
$25000000 (Series B)
• Boxed:
$6500000 (Series A)
• Boxed:
$1100000 (Seed Round)
• Un1verse:
$2900000 (Seed Round)
• Truly:
$1400000 (Seed Round)
• Hinge:
$12000000 (Series A)
• Hinge:
$4000000 (Seed Round)
• LaunchKey:
$3800000 (Venture Round)
• Minus:
$8000000 (Series A)
• Fleksy Inc. (Closed):
$2000000 (Venture Round)
• Fleksy:
$2000000 (Venture Round)
• Luxe:
$5500000 (Seed Round)
• WayUp:
$970000 (Seed Round)
• JioSaavn:
$4000000 (Series B)
• JioSaavn:
$6000000 (Series A)
• Basket:
$3300000 (Seed Round)
• Findable.in:
(Venture Round)
• Voyat:
$1800000 (Seed Round)
• Jobr:
$2000000 (Seed Round)
• Wefunder:
(Convertible Note)
• Wefunder:
$700000 (Seed Round)
• Wefunder:
$530000 (Seed Round)
• Blue Tiger Labs:
$4000000 (Venture Round)
• WUT:
$1000000 (Seed Round)
• Mirror.me:
(Venture Round)
• Stitch:
$3300000 (Seed Round)
• Fabi.ai:
$3000000 (Seed)
• 1upHealth:
$40000000 (Series C)
• 1upHealth:
$25000000 (Series B)
• 1upHealth:
$8000000 (Series A)
• 1upHealth:
$2000000 (Seed)
• Approximate Labs:
$5000000 (Seed)
• ISEE:
$40000000 (Series B)
• ISEE:
$15000000 (Series A)
• ISEE:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Street FC:
$2000000 (Seed)
• SportsIcon:
$6000000 (Seed)
• Embrace:
$45000000 (Series B)
• Embrace:
$8000000 (Series A)
• Embrace:
$5000000 (Seed)
• Slope.io:
$20000000 (Series A)
• Slope.io:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Peel:
$5000000 (Seed)
• Iron Ox:
$53000000 (Series C)
• Iron Ox:
$20000000 (Series B)
• Iron Ox:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Briq:
$30000000 (Series B)
• Briq:
$10000000 (Series A)
• Briq:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Briq:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Vence:
$12000000 (Series A)
• Vence:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Xwing:
$40000000 (Series B)
• Xwing:
$10000000 (Series A)
• Xwing:
$4000000 (Seed)
• Brightwheel:
$55000000 (Series C)
• Brightwheel:
$21000000 (Series B)
• Brightwheel:
$10000000 (Series A)
• Brightwheel:
$600000 (Seed)
• Brightwheel:
$2000000 (Seed)
• Esports One:
$4000000 (Seed)
• Esports One:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Alloy:
$40000000 (Series B)
• Alloy:
$12000000 (Series A)
• Alloy:
$4000000 (Seed)
• KitchenMate:
$4000000 (Seed)
• Sea Machines Robotics:
$15000000 (Series B)
• Sea Machines Robotics:
$10000000 (Series A)
• FortressIQ:
$30000000 (Series B)
• FortressIQ:
$12000000 (Series A)
• FortressIQ:
$4000000 (Seed)
• Fritz AI:
$5000000 (Seed)
• Fritz AI:
$2000000 (Seed)
• READY Robotics:
$23000000 (Series B)
• READY Robotics:
$15000000 (Series A)
• READY Robotics:
$4000000 (Seed)
• ProdPerfect:
$13000000 (Series A)
• ProdPerfect:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Eden:
$25000000 (Series B)
• Eden:
$10000000 (Series A)
• Eden:
$1000000 (Seed)
• MedCrypt:
$6000000 (Series A)
• MedCrypt:
$2000000 (Seed)
• Level:
$16000000 (Series Unknown)
• Level:
$9000000 (Seed)
• Level:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Bleximo:
$9000000 (Seed)
• Universe:
$4000000 (Series A)
• Universe:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Ten Percent Happier:
$4000000 (Seed)
• Ten Percent Happier:
$1000000 (Seed)
• Raken, Inc.:
$10000000 (Series A)
• Raken, Inc.:
$2000000 (Seed)
• Legit:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Rocean:
(Seed)
• Visual Vocal:
(Seed)
• Visual Vocal:
$4000000 (Series Unknown)
• Visual Vocal:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Trim:
$10000000 (Series A)
• Trim:
$2000000 (Seed)
• Mio:
$6000000 (Seed)
• Mio:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Fuzzy:
$5000000 (Seed)
• Spansive:
$11000000 (Series A)
• Spansive:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Pienso:
$2000000 (Seed)
• Anchor:
$10000000 (Series A)
• Anchor:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Anchor:
$2000000 (Seed)
• Phil:
$10000000 (Series A)
• Phil:
$2000000 (Seed)
• Snips:
$13000000 (Series A)
• Snips:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Shine:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Viro Media:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Statsbot:
$2000000 (Seed)
• Dubsmash:
$10000000 (Series B)
• Dubsmash:
$6000000 (Series A)
• Owlet Baby Care:
$15000000 (Series B)
• Owlet Baby Care:
$7000000 (Series A)
• Owlet Baby Care:
$2000000 (Seed)
• b8ta:
$7000000 (Series A)
• b8ta:
$5000000 (Seed)
• Up All Night:
$130000 (Seed)
• Up All Night:
$500000 (Seed)
• Instrumentl:
(Seed)
• Shaper:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Quilt:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Recharge Labs:
$2000000 (Seed)
• mParticle:
$15000000 (Series A)
• mParticle:
$3000000 (Seed)
• My Table:
$2000000 (Convertible Note)
• PHHHOTO:
$2000000 (Seed)
• AutoFi:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Sochat:
$2000000 (Seed)
• Mast Mobile:
$7000000 (Series Unknown)
• Neumob:
$9000000 (Series A)
• Neumob:
$2000000 (Seed)
• Hickory:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Envoy:
$3000000 (Seed)
• AppVirality:
$500000 (Seed)
• AppVirality:
$470000 (Seed)
• Chatous:
$16000000 (Series A)
• Estate:
(Seed)
• Ketto:
$700000 (Angel)
• Swell:
$2000000 (Series Unknown)
• Graphic India:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Splash:
$6000000 (Series A)
• Splash:
$2000000 (Seed)
• Splash:
(Seed)
• FaithStreet:
(Seed)
• FaithStreet:
$1000000 (Seed)
• Wild East Group:
(Series Unknown)
• SquadStack:
(Pre Seed)
• Red/Green Inc:
(Seed)
• N3TWORK:
$5000000 (Series B)
Nihal Mehta
New York, U.S.A. - India
Investing In
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Media • Education • Retail (& E-Commerce) • A.I. (& Big Data) • Advertising • Online Social • Consumer
Description
Nihal Mehta serves as Founding General Partner at Eniac Ventures. He is also the Founding Partner at India Internet Fund. He also served as Member of Advisory Board at Blue Cloud Ventures. He serves as an Advisor at Inter Mobile Ventures. Nihal has several years experience in innovating marketing technologies through founding five startups to date. Nihal is currently the Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of LocalResponse, which helps marketers respond to real-time consumer intent. Prior to LocalResponse, (which pivoted from buzzd, a leading real-time city guide), Nihal founded ipsh!, one of the first full-service mobile marketing agencies in 2001, which he sold to Omnicom (NYSE: OMC) in 2005. Nihal is a noted expert in the emerging adoption of mobile technologies for media properties and consumer brands. Named one of the "25 People Every New Founder Should Meet in New York Tech" and a top "25 Up-And-Coming Startup CEO in New York" in 2012 by Business Insider, a 2012 AlwaysOn "Power Player NYC," a top 10 NYC 'Game Changer' in the 2010 New York Enterprise Report, one of twenty RCR Wireless News 'Mobile Movers and Shakers' in 2008, a BusinessWeek 'M-Commerce Baron' in 2006 and named one of AdAge's 'Top 20 Marketers in Their 20s' in 2005. Nihal graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in Philosophy and a BSE in Computer Science. He is also an Angel Investor. He also serves as a Board Member at Alloy. He served as Board Member and Advisor at Lokast and as an Advisor at Findable. He is also an Angel Investor.
Dana Settle
Investing in Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) &b...
Los Angeles - California, U.S.A.
Previous Investments
• Sensay BitPesa The Block:
• Harbinger:
$65000000 (Series A)
• Rembrand:
(Seed)
• Ostro:
$45000000 (Series B)
• Ostro:
(Series A)
• Embrace:
$45000000 (Series B)
• Embrace:
$8000000 (Series A)
• Pacaso:
$130000000 (Series C)
• Pacaso:
$75000000 (Series B)
• Tapcart:
$50000000 (Series B)
• Citizen:
$50000000 (Series C)
• Bumble:
(Series Unknown)
• Versed:
(Series A)
• 11 Honore:
$10000000 (Series A)
• 11 Honore:
$8000000 (Series A)
• 11 Honore:
$4000000 (Seed)
• Bird:
(Series C)
• Bird:
$160000000 (Series C)
• The RealReal:
$70000000 (Series H)
• The RealReal:
$120000000 (Series G)
• The RealReal:
$40000000 (Series E)
• The RealReal:
$40000000 (Series D)
• The RealReal:
$20000000 (Series C)
• The RealReal:
$14000000 (Series B)
• The RealReal:
$8000000 (Series A)
• Prima:
$3000000 (Seed)
• Goop:
(Series Unknown)
• Thrive Global:
$32000000 (Series B)
• Thrive Global:
$11000000 (Series A)
• Wonderbly:
$9000000 (Series B)
• Wonderbly:
$9000000 (Series A)
• MNTN:
(Convertible Note)
• MNTN:
(Convertible Note)
• MNTN:
$8000000 (Series B)
• MNTN:
$6000000 (Series B)
• Vertical Mass:
$5000000 (Series A)
• Thrive Market:
$110000000 (Series B)
• Thrive Market:
$30000000 (Series A)
• Data.ai:
$63000000 (Series E)
• Data.ai:
$55000000 (Series D)
• Data.ai:
$17000000 (Series D)
• Data.ai:
$15000000 (Series C)
• Data.ai:
$6000000 (Series B)
• Molio:
$1000000 (Debt Financing)
• Molio:
$3000000 (Series A)
• Maker Studios:
$36000000 (Series C)
• Maker Studios:
$2000000 (Series B)
• Maker Studios:
$2000000 (Series A)
• TrunkClub:
$11000000 (Series A)
• Pulse:
$9000000 (Series A)
• Pulse:
$1000000 (Seed)
• Sportgenic:
$10000000 (Series B)
• Sportgenic:
$1000000 (Series A)
• Vuze:
$20000000 (Series C)
• Vuze:
$12000000 (Series B)
• Reloaded Games, Inc.:
$16000000 (Series B)
• MobileStar Network:
$38000000 (Series B)
Dana Settle
Los Angeles - California, U.S.A.
Investing In
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Media • Retail (& E-Commerce) • Gaming (& eSports) • Advertising • Online Social
Description
Dana Settle is a Co-Founder and serves as Partner at Greycroft Partners. She serves as a board member at Anine Bing. Prior to Greycroft, she spent several years as a venture capitalist and advisor to startup companies in the Bay Area, including six years at Mayfield, where she focused on early stage companies in the mobile communications and consumer Internet markets. Her additional experience includes business development at Truveo (AOL), investment banking at Lehman Brothers and international business development at McCaw Cellular Communications (AT&T). She holds a BA in Finance and International Studies from the University of Washington and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Andrea Zurek
Investing in Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) &b...
San Francisco Bay Are..., U.S.A.
Previous Investments
• GoShare:
$3320000
• Booksy:
$28740000 (Later stage VC)
• Keen IO:
$14700000 (Later stage VC)
• Bluesmart:
$12000000 (Early stage VC)
• CodeFights:
$10000000 (Early stage VC)
• Kamcord:
$10000000 (Later stage VC)
• Baker Technologies:
$7999979 (Early stage VC)
• Shaper:
$3000000 (Seed Round)
• Contiq:
$1490000 (Seed Round)
• Rappi:
(Seed Round)
• Keen:
$15000000 (Series B)
• Poplar Homes:
$2000000 (Seed)
• OLSET:
$450000 (Seed)
• Pogoseat:
$800000 (Seed)
Andrea Zurek
San Francisco Bay Area - Menlo Park - California, U.S.A.
I focus on consumer marketplaces and transactional businesses, particularly those that provide a 10x experience to consumers and save them money.
Not Interested In
Businesses that would basically be the same w/o software.
Sarah Tavel serves as General Partner at Benchmark Capital. She serves as a Board Member at Chainalysis. Tavel also served as Investment Partner at Greylock Partners prior to Benchmark Capital. She also served as an Advisor at SignalFire. Previously, she served as a Manager, Products at Pinterest. Prior to Pinterest, she was Vice President of Bessemer Venture Partners. Sarah Tavel, a senior associate in the Menlo Park office, joined Bessemer in 2006. Working with Jeremy Levine, she focused on the software and Internet sectors and has been closely involved in investments with consumer internet company Pinterest; Microsoft SharePoint migration solutions provider Metalogix; leads-generator Yodle; learning-and-talent-management company Cornerstone OnDemand (IPO); e-commerce site Onestop; energy-management company CPower (acquired by Constellation Energy); SaaS online-marketing company Convertro; business-software company MindBody Solutions; and leading Russian e-commerce company KupiVIP. She also works with Bessemer company eEye Digital Security and worked with Quidsi (operator of Diapers.com and Soap.com), acquired by Amazon.com, and classifieds-provider OLX, acquired by Naspers.
Boris Wertz
Investing in Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) &b...
Vancouver - BC, U.S.A. - Canada
Previous Investments
• CryptoKitties:
$12000000 (Later stage VC)
• Jam (Business/Productivity Software):
$3500000 (Early stage VC)
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