Founded in 2005, Y Combinator is a California-based startup accelerator and early-stage venture capital firm. It provides funding, mentorship, and resources to early-stage companies across various industries, with a focus on technology, healthcare, and finance. The organization helps founders refine their business models and products through an intensive three-month program in Silicon Valley, culminating in Demo Day presentations to investors.
Founded in Singapore in 2017, Antler is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests globally. It focuses on backing exceptional founders from day one, offering a global community network of co-founders, talent, advisors, expansion support, and capital across various sectors such as technology, healthcare, finance, consumer goods, and more.
Founded in 2006, Techstars is a global platform that supports and invests in early-stage technology companies. Through its mentorship-driven accelerator programs, seed investments, and venture capital fund, Techstars fosters innovation across various sectors worldwide.
Founded in 1975, Ipsos is a global market research firm specializing in advertising, media, technology, government, and consumer businesses. It offers comprehensive research solutions, including opinion polls, surveys, and data analysis, serving diverse industries such as financial services, health, public affairs, and technology across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
Google for Startups is an initiative supporting global startups. It offers access to Google's products, connections, and best practices through a network of partners in over 135 countries. The program aims to help determined startups succeed.
Founded in 2010, 500 Global is a global venture capital firm with over $2 billion in assets under management. It invests in early-stage technology companies across 80+ countries, focusing on markets where technology and innovation can generate long-term value. With over 190 members based in more than 25 countries, the firm provides funding, mentorship, and connections to startups worldwide.
Alumni Ventures Group is a venture capital firm based in Manchester, New Hampshire, with offices across North America. It provides access to venture investing for individual accredited investors, particularly alumni networks, by offering diversified portfolios of venture opportunities and allowing members to invest alongside fellow alumni in ventures led by peers. The firm backs early-stage and later-stage opportunities across technology, consumer, healthcare, financial services, and other sectors, with a sector- and geography-agnostic approach. It typically invests between $10,000 and $3 million per deal and emphasizes the involvement of alumni connections and an institutional lead investor in opportunities. Alumni Ventures also offers focused funds to broaden participation, enabling accredited investors to access venture portfolios diversified by type, sector, stage, and geography. The model aims to democratize access to venture capital while maintaining rigorous selection standards through alumni networks.
Founded in 2006, Greycroft is a venture capital firm based in New York and Los Angeles. With over $1 billion under management, it focuses on early-stage investments in consumer internet, financial technology, healthcare, and enterprise software sectors across the United States. The firm leverages its extensive network of media and technology industry connections to help entrepreneurs gain visibility, build strategic relationships, and bring products to market.
Founded in 1983, Accel is a venture capital firm dedicated to helping entrepreneurs build world-class technology-focused companies. It invests in early and growth-stage startups across sectors such as software, cloud technologies, mobile, consumer services, and others.
Right Side Capital Management is a San Francisco-based venture capital firm that focuses on early-stage, pre-seed technology startups in underserved segments of the ecosystem. It invests in a high-volume, capital-efficient portfolio, typically funding rounds of 50,000 to 500,000 and making roughly 75 to 100 investments per year. The firm targets opportunities across the United States and internationally, including Canada, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, and Western Europe, prioritizing companies with scalable products and prudent capital use outside major metro hubs. Since its inception, it has built a broad portfolio across many states. It commits to a fast decision process, often delivering a yes or no within two weeks to help founders establish momentum.
Founded in 1972, Sequoia Capital is a leading venture capital firm based in Menlo Park, California. It invests in early and growth-stage companies across various sectors, including technology, healthcare, energy, financial services, and consumer products. The firm seeks to partner with daring founders pushing the boundaries of innovation.
Founded in 2015, FJ Labs is a New York-based venture capital firm focusing on stage-agnostic investments in marketplaces and consumer-facing startups. Their investment range varies from $50,000 to $5,000,000, typically at seed or series A stages.
Bossa Invest is a venture capital firm based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, founded in 2011, that manages investment portfolios and provides asset management services to clients across sectors, with a focus on software as a service companies, and analyzes market trends to inform its investment decisions while operating in finance, technology, and real estate.
Founded in Tokyo in 1998, Global Brain is a venture capital firm focusing on seed to late-stage investments across various sectors globally. They have invested in over 300 startups, facilitating 25 IPOs and 61 M&As through hands-on support services.
Goldman Sachs is a global financial services firm that provides investment banking, securities, and investment management services to corporations, governments, financial institutions, and high-net-worth individuals. It advises on mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, and other corporate actions; underwrites public offerings and debt; and helps clients raise capital through various markets. The firm engages in market making and client execution across fixed income, currencies, commodities, and equities, and offers securities services including financing and lending to institutional clients. Its asset management and wealth advisory businesses manage assets and provide investment solutions for a broad client base, including institutions and individuals. Headquartered in New York, the company serves clients worldwide and operates across multiple business lines to support capital formation, risk management, and investment activities.
Plug and Play Tech Center is a global accelerator and venture capital platform based in Sunnyvale, California, founded in 2006. It runs twelve industry-focused accelerator programs twice a year, connecting startups with corporate partners, investors, and universities to accelerate growth. The organization provides funding and accelerator resources, mentorship, and access to office space, data center services, recruiting, and executive-in-residence programs. It supports seed and early-stage companies across sectors including brand and retail, financial technology, health, information technology, mobility, energy and sustainability, supply chain and logistics, and the Internet of Things, with additional verticals such as travel and hospitality and food and beverage. In addition to its accelerators, Plug and Play collaborates with a broad network of venture and corporate partners to co-invest and help startups scale globally. The company maintains a global footprint with locations and programs across multiple regions, fostering a platform that connects entrepreneurs with large corporations and investors to drive innovation.
Kima Ventures is a Paris-based venture capital firm that funds seed and early-stage technology startups globally, with a strong focus on Europe and France. The firm typically participates in rounds from seed to Series A, often as a lead investor, and aims to be a significant minority shareholder while co-investing with angels and other funds. It supports portfolio companies with a network of founders and experts to accelerate growth, speed fundraising, and help teams scale. Kima emphasizes rapid decision-making and founder-aligned support, viewing fundraising as one step in a broader journey. Founded in 2010, the company is headquartered in Paris and maintains an office in London, reflecting its European reach and global activity, and it has backed hundreds of startups across multiple countries.
MassChallenge is a global startup accelerator supporting early-stage entrepreneurs across various industries. Founded in 2009, it provides mentorship, resources, and networking opportunities through its programs worldwide.
New Zealand Growth Capital Partners is a venture capital firm established in 2002, with offices in Auckland and Wellington. The firm focuses on supporting early-stage and seed-stage technology companies in New Zealand, aiming to stimulate private investment in this sector. It primarily invests in small to medium-sized enterprises and is particularly interested in various technology-related fields, including financial services, information technology, big data, the Internet of Things, mobile applications, software as a service, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. New Zealand Growth Capital Partners typically invests up to $1.5 million in each portfolio company, emphasizing direct investments as well as participation in fund of funds.
Established in 1998, Enterprise Ireland is a government agency dedicated to fostering the growth of Irish businesses. It focuses on accelerating company development to achieve strong global market positions, driving national and regional prosperity.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency established in 1950 and based in Alexandria, Virginia. It is dedicated to supporting research and education in science and engineering across a wide range of disciplines. The NSF provides significant non-dilutive funding, up to $1.5 million, to startups and small businesses through its America's Seed Fund initiative, which is part of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program mandated by Congress. With an operating budget of approximately $7.8 billion, the NSF is committed to advancing fundamental research and education, thus fostering innovation and technological development in the United States.
Intudo Ventures is an independent venture capital firm focused on Indonesia, operating with a concentrated portfolio and investing at early stages. The firm typically makes initial investments in the low-to-mid millions of USD per company and backs opportunities across consumer, financial services, healthcare and education, among others, leveraging local market insight to help Indonesian founders scale. It provides hands-on support and strategic guidance, drawing on experience in founding, operating, and fundraising to assist portfolio companies through growth phases toward Series B and beyond. As an Indonesia-focused partner for institutional and strategic investors, Intudo Ventures acts as a local gateway that supports digital transformation and growth for Indonesian enterprises. Founded in 2017, the firm emphasizes exclusively Indonesian opportunities and aims to accelerate private consumption growth and the rising middle class by backing startups addressing local needs.
Founded in 1698, London Stock Exchange Group operates a leading global financial markets infrastructure business. It provides capital formation services, risk management solutions, and extensive data and analytics across multiple asset classes. The group's offerings include trading platforms, market surveillance systems, post-trade services, indices, benchmarks, and information services.
Established in 2001, The Icehouse is a not-for-profit organization based in Auckland, New Zealand. It supports small and medium-sized enterprise owners and entrepreneurs by providing growth assistance. Backed by the New Zealand government, it focuses on helping Kiwi founders build global companies.
The T.D. Jakes Foundation is a workforce training that prepares workers to compete in today's economy through STEM/STEAM education, financial literacy and inclusion,
Founded in 1974, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital is a venture capital firm based in Tokyo, Japan. It specializes in seed and early-stage investments across sectors such as information technology, life science, healthcare, biotech, electronics, and high technology.
SoftBank Robotics Europe designs and manufactures humanoid robots for education, research, health, distribution, tourism, and business applications, as well as for family and personal use. The company serves customers worldwide and is based in Paris, France, with additional offices in Japan, the United States, and China.
Founded in 2013, Bloomberg Beta is a venture capital firm based in San Francisco. It invests in early-stage companies across various sectors, with a focus on machine intelligence and technologies that improve business operations.
West Monroe is a full-service business and technology consulting firm based in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 2002. The firm specializes in guiding organizations through transformative projects that enhance growth and operational efficiency. With a team of over 350 professionals, West Monroe offers expertise in advanced analytics, customer experience, mergers and acquisitions, and operational excellence, among other areas. The firm serves a diverse range of industries, including consumer products, healthcare, financial services, energy, and private equity. By leveraging their collective experience, West Monroe aims to deliver impactful solutions that address both strategic visions and the intricacies of critical projects for clients across North America.
Launch Africa Ventures is a venture capital firm established in 2020 and headquartered in Ebene, Mauritius. The firm focuses on addressing the substantial funding gap in the seed and pre-Series A investment landscape across the African continent. By targeting early-stage companies, Launch Africa Ventures aims to support and enhance the growth of startups operating in various sectors throughout Africa, contributing to the development of the regional entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Established in 2005, SMBC Venture Capital is a Tokyo-based corporate venture capital arm of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation. It invests primarily in early-stage companies operating within the information technology, life sciences, services, and manufacturing sectors.
Morningstar provides independent investment research to investors worldwide, with a focus on data and research for financial advisers, asset managers, and individual investors. The company offers data on investments such as mutual funds, stocks, and exchange-traded funds, and tracks real-time market data across equities, derivatives, and currencies. In its research operations, Morningstar supplies analyst research on passive and active funds, alternative funds, and college savings plans, supporting clients with analysis, ratings, and investment insights to inform decisions. Morningstar is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and was founded in 1984.
S&P Global is a leading provider of financial market intelligence, offering a range of services including credit ratings, market intelligence, and commodity insights. The company's primary business is to deliver transparent, independent ratings and data analytics to capital and commodity market participants, enabling them to make informed decisions. Its largest segment by revenue is market intelligence, serving primarily the financial-services industry with desktop, data, and advisory solutions, as well as enterprise and credit/risk solutions. Additionally, S&P Global operates in the commodity insights and mobility sectors through its Platts and Carfax divisions, respectively. The company's ratings business is the world's largest credit rating agency and its most profitable segment.
FasterCapital is an online incubator, accelerator, and venture builder based in Dubai that supports startups and small businesses worldwide. It provides equity-based services, including technical development and business development, and assists ventures seeking funding from angels and venture capitalists. Founded in 2010, FasterCapital engages in a broad range of technology-driven sectors such as fintech, edtech, health tech, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and related fields.
A public business accelerator founded in 2010 by the Chilean government. It aims to attract global entrepreneurs to launch their businesses in Chile, offering a large portfolio of up to 160 startups annually through distinct programs tailored to different stages.
Founded in 2012, Coinbase operates a platform enabling merchants and consumers to buy, sell, and store cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin. It offers products such as Coinbase Wallet, USD Coin, Coinbase Pro, and custody services. The company is headquartered in San Francisco.
Insight Partners is a global software investor that partners with growth-stage technology and software companies. The firm focuses on growth-stage software, internet, and data services, with emphasis on fintech, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and machine learning, DevOps, and healthcare. Based in New York City with offices in London, Tel Aviv, and Palo Alto, Insight Partners has backed more than 750 companies worldwide and has more than 55 portfolio companies that have achieved an IPO. As of 2022, the firm reports over $75 billion in assets under management. It seeks to fund and work closely with visionary executives, providing practical, hands-on software expertise to support growth from initial investment through to IPO.
Octopus Ventures is a London-based venture capital firm that backs technology-enabled startups across Europe, with a bias toward the UK. It invests across stages, from idea/concept through seed, Series A/B to growth, typically taking lead rounds and board seats. The firm targets sectors including health, fintech, deep tech, consumer, and B2B software, as well as climate and digital health, and provides hands-on support to help portfolio companies scale, not only capital. Annual activity amounts to several hundred million pounds, with equity investments ranging from relatively small rounds to tens of millions. It seeks to partner with founders for multi-year growth, and has backed notable companies such as ManyPets, Cazoo, Depop, Elvie, and WaveOptics. Operations span London and New York, aided by a network of partners in the US and Asia.
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent agency of the federal government established in 1953 to aid, counsel, assist, and protect the interests of small business concerns in the United States. The SBA's mission is to help Americans start, build, and grow businesses by providing loans, loan guarantees, contracts, counseling sessions, and other forms of assistance. Through a network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, the SBA delivers services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. The SBA's programs include financial and federal contract procurement assistance, management assistance, outreach to women, minorities, and armed forces veterans, as well as providing loans to victims of natural disasters and specialized advice and assistance in international trade.
Argus Media is an independent organization headquartered in London, with offices in key global commodity centers. Employing over 750 full-time staff, Argus specializes in publishing market reports that include price assessments, market commentary, and news, as well as business intelligence reports that analyze industry trends. The company is recognized as a leading provider of data on prices and fundamentals across various sectors, including crude oil, oil products, natural gas, electricity, coal, emissions, bioenergy, fertilizers, petrochemicals, metals, and transportation. Argus's data is extensively used for indexation in physical trade and serves as a valuable resource for companies, governments, and international agencies engaged in market analysis and planning.
Fastmarkets Group is a cross-commodity price reporting agency that specializes in providing comprehensive market data and insights across various sectors, including agriculture, forest products, metals and mining, and new-generation energy markets. The company offers live prices, news, research, and physical reports on global base and precious metals markets. Through its detailed price data, forecasts, and market analyses, Fastmarkets equips clients with the necessary tools to navigate complex and volatile market conditions, offering them a strategic advantage in an often opaque environment.
Xdeck Ventures is a non-profit startup accelerator based in Cologne, Germany, established in 2019 by founders of FOND OF. The organization focuses on supporting early-stage business-to-business tech startups in Europe, particularly those specializing in process automation, applied big data, artificial intelligence, and sustainability technology. By leveraging a strong network of partners, including prominent names in venture capital and consulting, Xdeck provides innovative startups with access to funding, operational expertise, and valuable industry connections. The platform is designed for founders, emphasizing practical support and a straightforward approach to accelerating growth in the tech sector.
Founded in 1993, H.I.G. Capital is a global private investment firm specializing in providing debt and equity capital to small and mid-sized companies worldwide. The firm focuses on industries such as manufacturing, business services, consumer goods, healthcare, industrials, and information technology, with a particular emphasis on IT services and software. H.I.G. Capital invests across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific, typically in companies with enterprise values between $25 million and $1 billion.
FocusVision is a company focused on delivering deep customer insights that extend beyond mere feedback to uncover the motivations and emotions that drive consumer behavior. Founded in 1990 and headquartered in New York, the firm offers a comprehensive suite of experience insights software solutions, including advanced surveys, online interviews, focus groups, and qualitative research community tools. These solutions enable businesses to map customer journeys, test brand health, assess product concepts, and gather employee feedback. FocusVision serves a diverse range of clients, including major corporations such as Facebook, Procter & Gamble, and Microsoft, and is recognized for its innovative approach to customer experience management, having received the 2018 Martech Breakthrough Award. With additional offices in several U.S. cities and Europe, FocusVision aims to empower brands to authentically connect with their customers by revealing the underlying truths that shape their perceptions and actions.
Zelkova Ventures is a venture capital firm that backs early-stage and pre-revenue companies, often providing the first outside or institutional capital and taking an active role on the board. It partners with entrepreneurs to accelerate growth, bringing expertise and execution support in addition to capital. The firm focuses on technology-driven sectors, including software services, internet technologies, environmental technologies, SaaS, and consumer products.
Founder Collective is a seed and early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2009 with roots in Cambridge, Massachusetts and offices in New York. The firm is built by entrepreneurs who have founded and exited technology companies, and it aims to back founders by providing practical capital and guidance to navigate the risks of venture funding. It concentrates on early investments in technology companies, with an emphasis on software and information technology, and it makes bets across the United States and beyond, though its roots are on the East Coast. The team partners with portfolio companies to help them scale, often supporting startups that seek modest initial financings. Through its network and hands-on approach, Founder Collective seeks to partner with ambitious teams to grow durable, technology-driven businesses.
Charles River Associates is a prominent global consulting firm specializing in economic, financial, and strategic expertise for major law firms, corporations, accounting firms, and governments. The firm is recognized for its proficiency in handling complex cases and its strong analytical capabilities. Charles River Associates provides a wide range of services, including litigation and regulatory support, business strategy and planning, market and demand forecasting, policy analysis, and risk management consulting. Its consultants have a track record of delivering insightful guidance in numerous successful engagements across various sectors.
Accenture is a global professional services company, operating in over 120 countries. With approximately 204,000 employees, they specialize in management consulting, technology services, and outsourcing across various industries. Accenture helps clients become high-performance businesses by delivering transformational outcomes through strategy, consulting, digital, technology, and operations capabilities.
Founded in 1983, Noro-Moseley Partners is a venture capital firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. It invests primarily in early-stage companies across technology and healthcare sectors, with a focus on the Southeastern United States.
UserTesting is a human insights platform that helps organizations make informed, customer-centric decisions by capturing real-time feedback from targeted audiences. The platform enables brands to create and execute user studies, facilitating live conversations that reveal meaningful reactions and insights. By utilizing a video-first approach, UserTesting allows companies to see and hear how real users interact with their products, designs, and services. This capability helps organizations understand customer experiences more deeply, leading to improved decision-making that enhances the customer experience, builds brand loyalty, and ultimately drives revenue growth.