start-ups

New business ventures

Start-ups are newly established businesses, typically in technology or innovation-driven sectors, characterized by high growth potential and often funded by venture capital.

The term implies entrepreneurial energy and risk: Silicon Valley start-ups, a start-up culture of long hours and equity stakes.

Start-up can modify other nouns: start-up costs, start-up phase.

Also spelled startup.

funding

venture

Risky new undertaking

  • seedEmbryonic plant capsule
  • angelDivine winged messenger
  • capitalWealth used for investment

investor · equity · valuation · bootstrapping · pitch · round · dilution · portfolio · syndicate · IPO

entrepreneurship

founder

One who begins something

accelerator · mentor · networking · pivot · lean · hustle · visionary · risk-taker · solopreneur · serial entrepreneur

growth

scaling

Climbing or resizing

revenue · profitability · marketshare · customer acquisition · retention · monetization · hockey stick · hypergrowth · unicorn · decacorn

innovation

disruption

Forceful interruption of process

transformative · pioneering · cutting-edge · prototype · MVP · iteration · ideation · R&D · tech · agile

culture

hustle

Energetic, aggressive action

hoodies · stock options · perks · flexible hours · remote · flat hierarchy · mission-driven · values · team · all-hands

Categories
Opposites
organizational maturity

start-upsincumbents

Current holders of positions

multinationals · conglomerates · market leaders · household names · dinosaurs

scale and size

start-upsmultinationals

Corporations operating in multiple countries

conglomerates · behemoths · industry titans · big business

risk and stability

start-upsstalwarts

Devoted, reliable supporters

bureaucracies · safe havens · cash cows · defensive stocks · government agencies

Family

startup, startups

Familiarity
Top 100,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Positive · Everyday, not technical · Rated G