Every spring, I release The Rocket Ship Startup List—a curated collection of exciting, fast-growing, and rapidly hiring private companies that are perfect for starting or continuing a career in the dynamic world of startups. This year, the global list features over 570 companies, including more than 330 in the US and over 240 international firms.
Finding companies that are actively hiring can be challenging, but after a few tough years, we’re seeing some promising signs of growth. The AI and climate sectors are particularly hot right now, with numerous companies around the world raising significant funding rounds and expanding rapidly..
How We Compile the List
The methodology for this year’s list remains consistent with previous years. We combine analytical sources like Pitchbook (for financings) and LinkedIn (for headcount, job growth, and job listings) with insider knowledge and input from many VC and entrepreneur friends who know which companies have real momentum. This blend of objective and subjective data from around the globe helps us create a comprehensive and reliable list. Here are the key criteria we use:
- Growth/Momentum: Typically, companies growing revenue by more than 100% year over year, or over 50% for larger firms.
- Fundraising: Companies that have raised a total of more than $50 million, including at least $30 million in the most recent round, which closed in the last 12 months.
- Scale* Generally, companies with more than 100 employees. Some AI companies are exceptional in what they’ve achieved with fewer employees, so we’ve relaxed this criterion more frequently this year.
- Hiring: Companies growing their headcount by more than 30% year over year, with a robust number of job postings, including many entry-level positions suitable for recent college or business school graduates.
- Young: Companies founded in 2013 or later.
What This List Is (and Isn’t)
It’s important to note that this list isn’t necessarily about “the best companies to invest in.” Instead, it highlights “the best companies to pursue a job opportunity early in your career.” Therefore, these companies must be actively hiring, and their most recent valuation isn’t a primary concern.
A Big Thank You
I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to my numerous VC friends in startup hubs around the world for their invaluable input. This includes contributions from Canada (11 companies), Europe (92 companies), India (42 companies), Israel (31 companies), LatAm (32 companies), MENA (featured for the first time with 18 companies), and Southeast Asia (18 companies). While Pitchbook is an amazing source of insight, data tends to be less reliable outside the US, making local insights even more critical.
Diversity and Inclusion
We’ve also included data from Glassdoor to provide insights into the “diversity and inclusion” scores of these companies. Survey after survey indicates that young professionals are more attracted to companies with strong diversity and inclusion practices. For more insights into hiring diverse talent, check out Hack.Diversity.
Additional Resources
Before diving into the company list, I recommend checking out two of my previous posts where I offer detailed advice on how to select the right company and position yourself to secure a job. These playbooks have been executed successfully by thousands of young professionals over my decades as a VC and entrepreneurship professor at HBS:
- Getting Your First Startup Job
- Are You Suited for a Startup?
Final Thoughts
As always, I’m sure there are mistakes and omissions, so thank you in advance for your feedback.
Without further ado, here is the CSV link for the 300 companies: