US Startups doing it faster Stripe’s data shows that US startups are growing revenues much more quickly than the rest of the world. US startups have grown ~1400%, while EU and UK startups lag far behind at ~600% and 500% respectively. It’s not AI either. When you strip out AI, US startups still have a pretty wide lead. Although, interestingly enough, AI startups did start to pull away from non-AI, sometime around 2024. Why is growth so much faster in the US? It’s hard to say for sure, and it’s probably not one reason. Patrick Collison thinks it might have something to do with technological adoption: US startups adopt new tech more quickly than most. Other reasons might include regulation (Europe has a lot), market-size (US is bigger), and/or the spending appetite (and tech adoption) of US customers. In all events, US startups are absolutely soaring, so bet against America at your peril. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gpENSDcW
In the early stage there is a big gap in money raised. In the later years, Europe is not a single large market. European startups deal with different languages, cultures and regulation. Therefore EU scale ups will scale slower, but the ones that do make it, are setup for global success.
Multiples of Sales is the very prevalent metric to value a U.S. company going into an IPO, so management and their VC backers focus on that (and on that only).
Christopher James Lüscher, Ph.D - this!!!
over the past decade europe has slowed itself down with regulation. gdpr consent layers, and procedural barriers are throttling innovation. the u.s. on the other hand, adopts new technology and scales markets far more aggressively. no brakes for the giants, no brakes for startups. the data speaks for itself.. america is sprinting europe is standing still.
Stripe’s data doesn’t surprise me. US startups move faster because the culture still celebrates builders over bureaucrats. Europe regulates the spark out of everything it touches, and the UK trains entrepreneurs to ask permission before innovating. The monsters of creation don’t wait for approval, they invent inevitability. That’s why America still builds the future while others hold conferences about it.
Wild chart. The U.S. isn’t just growing faster… it’s compounding faster, because founders here adopt new tech on day one, not year three. As someone building in Behavioral Health & Life Sciences, I see it every day: AI, digital medicine, and bio-sensing tools get piloted immediately in the U.S., while other regions are still setting up committees to discuss them. Regulation matters. Market size matters. But speed of adoption is the real superpower. You can’t outgrow a country that treats new technology like oxygen. Fade America? Not with this level of acceleration.
But it’s the AI effect, too. More time to think, excel, and apply than we had in the past.
U.S. leads in innovation; EU leads in regulation
Because the top 5% of European talent moved to the US to build “US startups”
Strategy & GTM | Startups & Technology | Ex Consultant
13hImpressive growth, but it also reflects the intensity of US startup culture. Long hours, constant iteration, and a strong bias toward speed and experimentation. It’s a big driver of innovation, but sustainability and balance are just as important for long-term success.