The 2022 State of Startups Report

Last updated: Apr 29, 2022

Who doesn't like a comeback story? For the startup world, 2021 was one for the history books. Literally.

Technology startups in a wide variety of industries are Vention's bread and butter, so we keep close tabs on just about everything related to the startup ecosystem — it's the world our clients live in and where we help them thrive.

In our annual State of Startups reports, we take a look in the rearview mirror and take stock of various elements that characterized the US startup ecosystem the previous year: startup funding, founders, emerging business models, what sectors venture capitalists are eyeing for new opportunities, and patterns in usage of technologies.

We aim to foster the collaboration and transparency that empower innovation by sharing our analyses. "On the shoulders of giants…" and all that — you get it.

But you're here for those sweet startup statistics, right?

Let's get to it with a preview of what's in our newly-published State of Startups Report 2022.

  • 2021 saw startup funding reach historic heights with more mega-rounds than ever (they’ve come to account for 65% of all funding to tech startups), plus Series A funding saw dramatic growth.
  • The reigning champions among tech startups were in the healthtech and fintech domains, and one particular market saw mind-boggling growth of 22,000% (yes, you read that right).
  • If you've ever wondered who starts the startups, we've got detes on demographic shifts among founders.
  • In news from the land of unicorns, we examine how and why the number of one-horned startups is getting bigger every year — and how the US continues to lead the herd with an additional 269 new unicorns.
  • While this past year has shown more promise than ever, it also ushered in new potential pitfalls. We look at the causes and failure rates and share some thoughts on how to avoid becoming a startup failure.
  • Interest in ethical investing, social justice, and climate change are transforming those concerns from niche to top-of-mind, fundamentally shifting tech's path forward for startups and entire industries alike.

You'll also find added context from CEOs, CTOs, and founders in the report, so look for their perspective on tech breakthroughs that show promise in their industries, as well as insights on how they’re navigating the changing expectations of investors and users.

In addition to publicly available data, this report contains our own field research, analysis, and insights drawn from years of collaboration with leading tech startups in the US and abroad. Like we said at the top: Collaboration within this community is key to setting the stage for a better future, faster.

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