The 9 Most Valuable Startups In The World
There used to be a time when a $1 billion valuation was considered a massive success for tech startups. Then that threshold rose to $5 billion.
But in recent months, these numbers almost seem routine.
So we have raised the bar yet again. Looking at recent media reports and The Wall Street Journal’s “The Billion-Dollar Startup Club” list, we have created a list of tech startups that are worth more than $10 billion — or that will be very soon.
No. 9 Dropbox: $10 billion
Johannes Simon/Getty Images
Dropbox CEO Drew Houston.
CEO: Drew Houston
Founded: 2007
What it does: Dropbox allows users to easily store and share files on the web. It has over 200 million users worldwide.
Total funding: $1.1 billion
Notable investors: Accel Partners, Benchmark Capital, Greylock Ventures
No. 8 Airbnb: $10 billion
Kevork Djansezian/Getty
CEO: Brian Chesky
Founded: 2008
What it does: Airbnb offers a marketplace for people to rent out their homes to temporary residents. It is available in 190 countries.
Total funding: $794.8 million
Notable investors: Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, Sequoia Capital, Greylock Partners
No. 7 Pinterest: $11 billion (seeking)
AFP
Valuation: The company was valued at $5 billion in May 2014 in its latest round, but it is reportedly seeking a new round at a valuation of $11 billion.
CEO: Ben Silbermann
Founded: 2008
What it does: Pinterest allows users to share/store stuff online by “pinning” images and content.
Total funding: $762.5 million
Notable investors: Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, Rakuten
No. 6 Flipkart: $11 billion
CEO: Sachin Bansal
Founded: 2007
What it does: Flipkart is an e-commerce site specializing in electronics and content like books and music.
Total funding: $2.5 billion
Notable investors: Digital Sky Technologies, T. Rowe Price, Morgan Stanley, Vulcan Capital, Tiger Global Management
No. 5 SpaceX: $12 billion
Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
Valuation: $12 billion
CEO: Elon Musk
Founded: 2002
What it does: Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, designs, builds, and launches vehicles for space exploration.
Total funding: $1.2 billion
Notable investors: Founders Fund, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Google
No. 4 Palantir: $15 billion
Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
Valuation: $15 billion
CEO: Alexander Karp
Founded: 2004
What it does: Palantir is a software and services company that specializes in data analysis. Some of its biggest clients are government agencies like the CIA and the FBI.
Total funding: $1 billion
Notable investors: Founders Fund, Tiger Global Management, Glynn Capital Management, Jeremy Stoppelman
No. 3 Snapchat: $16 billion to $19 billion (seeking)
Valuation: Snapchat was valued at $10 billion in December in its most recent round, but it is reportedly seeking a new round at a valuation between $16 billion and $19 billion.
CEO: Evan Spiegel
Founded: 2012
What it does: Its photo-messaging app allows users to send photos and videos that automatically disappear after a set period of time.
Total funding: $648 million
Notable investors: Yahoo, Kleiner Perkins, Benchmark Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Coatue Management, SV Angel
No. 2 Uber: $41.2 billion
Barry Chin/Getty Images
Valuation: $41.2 billion
CEO: Travis Kalanick
Founded: 2009
What it does: Uber’s taxi-hailing app connects its users with drivers of private vehicles under contract with Uber. It offers different types of cars, from full-size luxury cars to smaller vehicles.
Total funding: $5.9 billion
Notable investors: Benchmark Capital, Menlo Ventures, Google Ventures, KPCB
No. 1 Xiaomi: $46 billion
AP
Valuation: $46 billion
CEO: Jun Lei
Founded: 2010
What it does: Xiaomi is one of the biggest Chinese electronics brands that makes smartphones. The company’s smartphones are considered among the best that run Android, and the company has hardcore loyalists as Apple does in the US.
Total funding: $1.4 billion
Notable investors: Digital Sky Technologies, Hopu Investment Management Company, DST Global, IDG Capital Partners, Qualcomm Ventures, Morningside Group
Source: Business Insider
