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.
New York, U.S.A.
Media • Education • Retail (& E-Commerce) • Gaming (& eSports) • Advertising • Analytics • Online Social
Eric Hippeau serves as Managing Partner at Lerer Hippeau Ventures. He serves as Special Partner at SoftBank Capital. He serves as a Board Member of BuzzFeed. He serves as Managing Director & Partner at Lerer Hippeau Ventures. He is the chairman of RebelMouse and co-founder of NowThis Media. Previously, Eric was the Chief Executive Officer of The Huffington Post and a Special Partner at Softbank Capital, where he served as Managing Partner. Prior to Softbank Capital, Eric was Chairman and CEO of Ziff-Davis, which was the largest media company serving the technology sector. He serves on the Board of various private and public companies, including Starwood Hotels and Resorts. He served as a Board Member at PureVideo Networks, Media Startup X and Rivet Games.
Menlo Park - San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A.
Media • Education • Businesses Solutions • Hardware (& Manufacturing) • Sales (& Marketing) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Web Security (& Privacy) • Gaming (& eSports) • Advertising • Analytics • Healthcare (& Wellness) • Consumer
Sunny Dhillon serves as Partner at Signia Venture Partners. He joined the Signia team in 2012 after launching his own location-based mobile startup named Barstool and investing in early stage technology companies for New World Ventures in LA and Chicago. He was previously an M&A analyst in technology investment banking at Rothschild in London, a business development manager at a venture backed spin-off of New Line Cinema, and a corporate strategist for Warner Bros.He is a mentor for various incubators in Silicon Valley and is on the board of Cents of Relief, a charity based in Connecticut that focuses on reducing human trafficking in Indian urban slums. He is also a board member for Next Gen Partners, the Valley's leading venture capital mentoring organization.Sunny invests across consumer and enterprise sector startups, with a particular interest in gaming, consumer, and digital health.Sunny graduated with his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where he was a Lee Hague Scholar. He has an undergraduate honors degree in Economics & Management from Oxford University and a master's in International Relations & History from the London School of Economics (LSE), where he graduated with distinction. He served as Board Observer at Artillery Games. He also serves as Board Member at Drifter Entertainment. He serves as an Advisor at TheWaveVR.
San Francisco Bay Area - Menlo Park - California, U.S.A.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Businesses Solutions • Retail (& E-Commerce) • Gaming (& eSports) • Advertising • Analytics • Cloud Services (& Infrastructure) • Developer tools • Local commerce • Payments • Online Social
Most Interested In
XG Ventures® is focused primarily on the consumer internet, including the mobile, video, gaming, social media, and online media sectors.
Not Interested In
healthcare
Cambridge - Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Analytics • Cloud Services (& Infrastructure) • Developer tools • Consumer
Most Interested In
API E-Commerce Enterprise Gaming Health and Wellness Healthcare/Medtech Internet and Mobile Marketplace Productivity
Not Interested In
We are not a thesis driven firm. Show us why what you're building is a compelling opportunity for us and let's talk.
Boston Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Media • Businesses Solutions • Retail (& E-Commerce) • IoT (& Wearables) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Web Security (& Privacy) • Analytics • Cloud Services (& Infrastructure) • Consumer
Most Interested In For Flybridge, I am primarily focused on core B2B tech, including developer-focused companies and AI applications & platforms. I also founded and help manage, in conjunction with a team of 22 female founders, XFactor Ventures, a pre-seed fund focused on new companies with female founders Not Interested In We are typically the "first institutional check" for companies, so not focused on large >$8M Series As for Series B and beyond. Industry wise, not doing anything in the healthcare market, unless it's HCIT.
Los Angeles - Toronto (Ontario) - Berkeley - San Francisco Bay Area - Boise City - Atlanta - New York - Seattle - Austin - South San Francisco - California, U.S.A. - Canada
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Businesses Solutions • FinTech (& Financials services) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Analytics • Robotics • Mobility
Investor & Entrepreneur
Entrepreneur and Investor
Most Interested In
Machine Intelligence Co-bots Market Networks in overlooked verticals AI to improve our healthcare system
Not Interested In
Consumer apps
Founder @direct-local-food, @gsquare-companies • Works at @bee-partners, @boise-angel-alliance • Studied at @stanford-university, @university-of-washington
Santa Monica California - Honolulu Hawaii - Los Angeles California, U.S.A.
Media • Businesses Solutions • FinTech (& Financials services) • Retail (& E-Commerce) • A.I. (& Big Data) • Analytics • Online Social
CEO Science- Dreamer, Leader, Father, Husband, Explorer - Former CEO Myspace, Userplane, Living Human
Over $2B in exits - Angel in GoodReads, MakerStudios, DogVacay, Scopely, FameBit, Wishbone, DollarShaveClub, DocStoc, Userplane - Current CEO @science
San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Media • Education • Businesses Solutions • A.I. (& Big Data) • Analytics • Developer tools • Future Of Work • Logistics (& Distribution)
Head of Bloomberg Beta, a new thing. Chairman of OUYA, also new :)
Obsessed with how we make work -- the thing we do with more waking hours than any other -- better. To do that, I prioritize job one: husband (2007 - Present) and father (2008 - Present, promoted to father of two in 2011). I tried writing my LinkedIn to be honest to both my successes and the other stuff -- so you can understand me better than the camera only showed my good side. If that means you'd rather not work with me, let's be grateful we learned that now! (The only important thing that hit the cutting room floor is the long list of side projects half started, started and abandoned, or started only in my imagination.) I've had a messy, hand-wringy career (in non-profit, professional services, city government, big media, video games, academia, day-zero startup, investing), where I was never hired for any job for which I was qualified (including starting a company, where I guess I sort of co-hired myself and was still unqualified). Only later did I realize the one thread that tied it all together -- making work better. In 2013, Bloomberg L.P. gave me the opportunity to turn my obsession with the future of work into my job when we created Bloomberg Beta. I believe the fastest way to make change is to build extraordinary technology companies (and, these days, machine intelligence companies in particular). To keep learning, I teach a course in media at Berkeley's Haas School of Business, and serve on the boards of a non-profit (the Center for Investigative Reporting). If you've read to this point (thank you!), and want to connect on LinkedIn, I usually use connections on LinkedIn for references -- so if we have yet to interact, better to just email me. (roy at bloombergbeta dot com) And last: I type 88 wpm. I play Werewolf. Never at the same time. Yet. I'm unsure if I know enough to give, or even believe in, advice, if you're tempted to ask for any.