Ever wonder how to make a startup? It’s a question asked by many, but answered by only a few.
The financial crisis of 2007-2008 may have officially ended, but economic uncertainty still lingers in the eyes of many. Nonetheless, there a few entrepreneurs out there who have managed to prevail amidst the skepticism and have set the foundations to their very own successful startup. How successful? An estimated worth of over $1 billion. Quite an impressive feat, considering that most such ventures die out virtually as soon as they are set up, unless you’re Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) of course.
We would like to present you with a list we have compiled of the 12 most valuable startups in America, similar to our coverage of the largest hedge funds in the world. The startups were ranked according to their official valuation, although, where the case arose, we also mentioned their rumored valuation.
The current number one startup is the famous Twitter, valued at a whopping $8 billion, double than what the second startup in our list is worth. Apparently, Digital Sky Technologies knew what they were doing when the decided to invest in this social media platform.
At the other end of the spectrum, we have Realtime, a startup that has recently made its launch in the US. Valued at $1 billion, it might be the lowest rated in our countdown, but its future certainly looks promising.
Apart from Twitter and Realtime, other highlights include Box, Square, and Evernote. Curious to see what other startups have joined the Billion Dollar Club? Let’s take a look at the countdown.
Continue reading to check out how to make a startup, at least according to these guys:
No. 12: Realtime
Funding round: $100 million
Valued at: $1 billion
Investors: BRZtech
No. 11: Spotify
Funding round: $100 million
Valued at: $1 billion (rumored to value over $4 billion)
Investors: Accel Partners, Digital Sky Technologies, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers
No. 10: Gilt Groupe
Funding round: $138 million
Valued at: $1 billion
Investors: Softbank Group, Goldman Sachs
No. 9: Evernote
Funding round: $70 million
Valued at: $1 billion
Investors: CBC Capital, Harbor Pacific Capital, Allen & Company, Meritech Capital
No. 8: Box
Funding round: $125 million
Valued at: $1.2 billion
Investors: Andreessen Horowitz, General Atlantic, US Venture Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners
No. 7: Airbnb, Inc.
Funding round: $112 million
Valued at: $1.3 billion (rumored to value over $3 billion)
Investors: Andreessen Horowitz, Digital Sky Technologies, Jeff Bezos, General Catalyst Partners
No. 6: Fanatics
Funding round: $150 million
Valued at: $1.5 billion
Investors: Andreessen Horowitz, Insight Venture Partners
No. 5: Workday
Funding round: $85
Valued at: $2 billion
Investors: Morgan Stanley, Bezos Expeditions, Janus Capital
No. 4: Palantir Technology
Funding round: $68 million
Valued at: $2.5 billion (rumored to value over $4 billion)
Investors: Tiger Global Management, SAC Capital
No. 3: Square
Funding round: $225 million
Valued at: $3.3 billion
Investors: Starbucks, Tiger Global Management, Sequoia Capital
No. 2: Dropbox
Funding round: $250 million
Valued at: $4 million
Investors: Goldman Sachs, Index Ventures, Greylock Partners, Institutional Venture Partners
No. 1: Twitter
Funding round: $800 million
Valued at: $8 billion
Investors: Digital Sky Technologies
