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 - San Francisco Bay Area - Denver - Detroit - Austin - Boston - Los Angeles - Chicago - Illinois, U.S.A.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Education • FinTech (& Financials services) • Retail (& E-Commerce) • Cosmetics (& Fashion) • Entertainment (& Sports) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Food & Beverage • Healthcare (& Wellness) • Online Social • Consumer
Partner, Listen Ventures
Most Interested In
All things consumer. Products, services, marketplaces, platforms.
Not Interested In
Any business where a company does not have a direct relationship with the ultimate end user.
Investing in brands @listen-ventures-1. Building startups @dashfire.
Denver - Seattle - New York, U.S.A. - Canada
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Media • Retail (& E-Commerce) • Cosmetics (& Fashion) • A.I. (& Big Data) • Developer tools • Online Social • Consumer
Most Interested In
Ecommerce, Marketplaces, Platforms, Products
Investor: @birchbox, @chloe-isabel, @warby-parker @harry's, @kiwi-crate, @stellaservice, @doubledutch, @zozi, @peloton-cycle
London - New York - San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A. - U.K.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Media • Retail (& E-Commerce) • Cosmetics (& Fashion) • Entertainment (& Sports) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Local commerce • Healthcare (& Wellness) • Consumer
General Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners
Nicole is an investor at Lightspeed Venture Partners, focused on early stage Consumer internet and FinTech companies, having invested in companies such as Calm, Cameo, Lunchclub, HAUS, Rothy’s, Zola, Daily Harvest, Illumix, Girlboss and Goop.
Nicole spent nearly a decade at Morgan Stanley covering the European and US e-commerce, retail and consumer companies. She also angel invested in healthcare and consumer companies over those years and then went to Nutmeg, a London based FinTech company. Later during business school, Nicole launched her own startup, which is where she met Lightspeed.
Nicole invests in generational change companies who are building brands and quickly becoming part of popular culture.
She holds a degree in math and economics from the University of York, England and an MBA from Stanford.
San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Businesses Solutions • Hardware (& Manufacturing) • Cosmetics (& Fashion) • A.I. (& Big Data) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Human Resources • Medical Devices (& Hospital Services) • Mobile Apps • Healthcare (& Wellness) • Consumer • Woman Focused
Most Interested In
Visit www.advisors.fund, the just launched www.ucsfhealthhub.com and my earlier www.badassadvisors.com project. I invest in health tech and vertical SaaS plays, typically making a new investment from my $25M fund every 6-8 weeks.
Not Interested In
I don't do bitcoin, VR, social media plays and stick with healthcare realted projects and vertical SaaS plays that typically are b2b.
Mark Goldstein been involved in online services since 1983 when I got my first job at Apple and was put in charge of home investing, banking and online gaming. I enjoy the rush of being the underdog with a new project and changing people’s perception of the status quo. I’ve led industry trade associations, been a member of numerous founding teams and personally started a dozen companies, the bulk with solid outcomes. I’m driven to solving interesting, marketing-related problems in big known sectors (i.e. retail, investing, gaming, accounting) and being a part of a smart heads-down team where everyone has dirty fingernails. I’ve also concluded it takes almost as much time and energy to solve a big, fun problem as a smaller, dull one—so I mise as well now just think BIG BIG BIG and surround myself with a hungry, wicked focused team of brainiacs. I’m also been an active angel investor, Board member and/or Adviser to over 50 firms. The Advisors.fund (www.advisors.fund) is a venture fund investing in early-stage health tech and vertical SaaS businesses. To date, $25M has been put work and over 100 investments have been made. Typically invest in 6-7 companies/year where partners also assume an active advisory role.
Washington D.C - Montreal Quebec Canada - Montreal Qc Canada, U.S.A.
Media • Businesses Solutions • Cosmetics (& Fashion) • IoT (& Wearables) • A.I. (& Big Data) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Gaming (& eSports) • Analytics • Medical Devices (& Hospital Services) • Healthcare (& Wellness) • Online Social • Consumer
Partner at Real Ventures
Alan MacIntosh is a Co-Founder and serves as Partner at Real Ventures. He is also an Angel Investor.
He serves as Mentor and is a Co-Founder at FounderFuel. MacIntosh also serves as Managing Partner at Acta Wireless. MacIntosh has over 20 years of international business experience starting in oil exploration with Schlumberger. He later undertook a product management role with Hewlett-Packard, before joining Canada's Telesystem group in 1990, where he established TIW's mobile operations in eight countries including the UK where he managed operations for three years. Previously, he served as Board Member at Fabric Software. In 1997, Alan moved to sister company Microcell and co-founded GSM Capital, the first global wireless fund, backed by nine of the world's leading operators. Alan currently sits on the boards of WaveMetrix, Millennial Media, Cellfish Media and Montreal Start-up. A native of Scotland, he holds a BSc (Hons) in Offshore Engineering from Heriot-Watt University and MBA from INSEAD.
San Francisco Bay Area - New York, U.S.A.
Media • Retail (& E-Commerce) • Cosmetics (& Fashion) • Entertainment (& Sports) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Gaming (& eSports) • Healthcare (& Wellness) • Online Social • Consumer
Nikhil Kalghatgi serves as Partner at CoVenture. He also serves as Venture Advisor at Green Sands Equity. He formerly served as Partner at Vast Ventures. He is a partner at Vast Ventures, investing in world-positive early-stage and late-stage companies. He has invested across technology including space exploration, healthcare, energy, software, and transportation. Recent investments include Elon Musk's Hyperloop and Peter Diamandis's Planetary Resources. Nikhil previously worked at SoftBank Capital where the portfolio included Alibaba, FitBit, Buzzfeed, Huffington Post and many more. Nikhil also founded Partner 6, a hedge fund focused on large-cap, value-based strategies and joined the founding team of Localytics building mobile analytics. Nikhil spent several years as an engineer in the military intelligence sector before completing his MBA at Harvard Business School. Nikhil started and hosts the Necker Summit with Richard Branson on his island, where he brings together global leader and innovators from early to late stages of entrepreneurship to inspire ideas and products that create a different kind of billionaire - one who impacts a billion people.
Toronto (Ontario) - San Francisco Bay Area - Boston - New York - Massachusetts, U.S.A. - Canada
Cosmetics (& Fashion) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Gaming (& eSports) • Nanotechnology
Most Interested In
Next-gen gaming, including AR, VR, and platforms that help players find each other intelligently. Although it's so hard to pick just one thing.
Not Interested In
Enterprise software, SaaS, insurance
San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A.
PropTech • Hospitality (& Events) • Education • FinTech (& Financials services) • Energy • Cosmetics (& Fashion) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Impact • Real Estate (& Construction)
CEO at JOY - Behavioral Technologies for Families. #HAX
CEO at JOY - Behavioral Technologies for Families. #HAX
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, 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, U.S.A. - France
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Businesses Solutions • Retail (& E-Commerce) • Cosmetics (& Fashion) • A.I. (& Big Data) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Future Of Work • Healthcare (& Wellness) • Consumer • Woman Focused
We are a first stage venture partner, driven on bringing our community network effect power to support global ambition.
Most Interested In
LeFonds, Catalyst for Startups to scale-up global ambition We invest in supporting growth and scale at the pivotal internationalization moment A unique positioning filling a combined network & operation gap when going global Cross-border experience to support portfolio companies We are a first stage venture partner focused on investing in French-speaking founders who create solutions or products that sustainably satisfy identified & actionable market needs.
Not Interested In
People only seeking financing are not interested in benefiting from the power of a business community.