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.
Austin - New York - Los Angeles - San Francisco Bay Area - Miami - Seattle - Portland - Sao Paulo - Chicago - Boston - Salt Lake City - Menlo Park - California, U.S.A. - Brazil
PropTech • FinTech (& Financials services) • Insurance (& InsurTech) • Payments • Real Estate (& Construction) • Woman Focused
Early Stage Investor and Vintner
Most Interested In
I'm excited about companies in the FinTech space that leverage technology to create better consumer experiences in these highly regulated industries.
Salt Lake City - New York - Toronto (Ontario) - Toronto (), Canada - U.S.A.
FinTech (& Financials services) • Payments
Fintech VC - that’s it. Super boring.
Fintech VC- that’s it. Super boring.
Most Interested In
Companies disrupting all aspects of financial services with technology (fintech)
Not Interested In
Anything that is not fintech
Christian Lassonde is the Founder and serves as Managing Partner at Impression Ventures. He serves as a Board member of Finaeo. Lassonde is a tech founder and CEO, having built and sold Virtual Greats, a luxury online IP rights broker, and Millions of Us, a digital agency. He has also taught high-growth technology entrepreneurship at The Next 36 to over 30 companies. Those companies have gone on to build successful products and raise millions of dollars in follow-on financing. Christian spent a decade in San Francisco selling and building software for Second Life, LucasArts and Electronic Arts to customers Sony, Nike, Warner Brothers, General Motors, Coke, Intel and many more Fortune 500 companies. He holds an MBA from the USF, a BESc in computer engineering and a BSc in computer science from Western. Christian is currently Vice-Chair of SickKids Foundation, Chair of the TFS Foundation, serves on the Fintech Advisory Council for the Ontario Securities Commission, and a former Governor of the Board of Western University.
Los Angeles - San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Media • FinTech (& Financials services) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Developer tools • Payments • Aerospace (& Defense) • DeepTech
General Partner @ NFX | Co-creator of Diem≋ (fka Libra)
San Francisco Bay Area - Valley California - Los Angeles California, U.S.A.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Media • Retail (& E-Commerce) • Gaming (& eSports) • Advertising • Analytics • Developer tools • Local commerce • Messaging • Payments • Online Social
@transmedia-capital, early stage investor in commerce platforms and digital media. Avid cyclist, and health & fitness junkie. Founder of The Last Mile
San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A.
FinTech (& Financials services) • Blockchain (& Cryptos) • Payments • Aerospace (& Defense)
Most Interested In
I'm passionate about all things Blockchain, Crypto, and Space and currently leading early-stage investing at Wave Financial where I'm responsible for the day-to-day management of cFund and Wave Genesis. Contrarian at heart. DM me at @DavidMRoebuck if you're a visionary building on the blockchain.
Not Interested In
I don't invest in anything outside of Blockchain and Space.
San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A.
HealthTech (& Fitness) • Web Security (& Privacy) • Developer tools • Payments
Most Interested In
Infrastructural solutions that allow regulated industries (like healthcare) to scale faster. Companies will have a monetizable "application" but the core value of the company is in the infrastructure they're building that will allow them to do audacious things long term.
Not Interested In
Consumer products, hardware, consumer-facing health/wellness
San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Businesses Solutions • Retail (& E-Commerce) • A.I. (& Big Data) • Cloud Services (& Infrastructure) • Developer tools • Messaging • Payments • Online Social • Woman Focused
Entrepreneur and Investor
Co-founder of 8-Bit Capital, Founders Den, Nuzzel, and Friendster
Most Interested In
8-Bit Capital invests in startups that connect people and businesses in new ways
Jonathan Abrams is the Founder and serves as Chief Executive Officer at Nuzzel. He serves as Advisor at Darwin Ventures. He is also an Angel Investor. He is a Co-Founder & serves as a Managing Partner at Founders Den. Previously, Jonathan was the founder and CEO of Socializr, Friendster, and HotLinks, and a software engineer at companies such as Netscape and Nortel. Jonathan is a mentor in Steve Blank's entrepreneurship classes at Stanford and Berkeley, a top-rated mentor at The Founder Institute, an advisor to AngelList and LeanLaunchLab, and has been extensively involved in the Silicon Valley entrepreneurial community for over ten years, including as a long-time member of the advisory board of the Silicon Valley Association of Startup Entrepreneurs (SVASE), co-chair of the SDForum Venture Finance SIG, moderator of the SVASE CTO Forum, and a judge for the Stanford Entrepreneur's Challenge business plan contest, the UC Berkeley Business Plan Competition, the Stanford-Berkeley Innovators' Challenge, the Intel Challenge, and Start-Up Chile. He has a BS in Computer Science from McMaster University. He is an Angel Investor.
San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A.
FinTech (& Financials services) • Retail (& E-Commerce) • Cosmetics (& Fashion) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Gaming (& eSports) • Advertising • Developer tools • Medical Devices (& Hospital Services) • Payments • Healthcare (& Wellness) • Online Social • Consumer
Sneakerhead. VC.
First Round Capital is a venture capital firm willing to invest in pre-revenue companies, often providing a company's first outside capital. The partners look to take an active role in most of the companies they invest in. First Round Capital invests nationally and has additional offices in San Francisco and New York. The firm's typical initial investment is around $500,000. First Round Capital has coordinated the first ever VC-sponsored Exchange Fund. This fund allows qualified First Round Capital entrepreneurs to contribute a small piece of the stock they own in their company and share in the performance of all the other companies in the fund. Members of the First Round Capital Community have raised over $2.5 billion in follow-on capital to date. First Rounds's $20 million in total initial investments (in those companies that have been in the portfolio for over a year) have been followed by $850 million in financing from later-stage venture firms - a roughly 36-1 ratio.
San Francisco Bay Area - California, U.S.A.
Software (Web Marketplace Saas..) • Businesses Solutions • FinTech (& Financials services) • HealthTech (& Fitness) • Analytics • Future Of Work • Human Resources • Insurance (& InsurTech) • Payments • Woman Focused
Partner at Upfront Ventures
Partner at Upfront Ventures