Business · Facts & sources
4 sourced facts about venture capital and startups, each with the context behind the number. 4 more are in today's round and appear here after it closes.
Answerabout 50%
By the five-year mark, roughly half of new businesses have shut down, underscoring how risky early-stage ventures really are.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, via Forbes Advisor (2024) forbes.com
Answerabout $215.4 billion
US VCs closed roughly 14,320 deals worth $215.4 billion in 2024, even as investors sat on record amounts of unspent capital.
Source: PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor (2024) nvca.org
Answerabout 11%
Venture-backed firms punch well above their numbers, also accounting for roughly 21% of US GDP according to the National Venture Capital Association.
Source: National Venture Capital Association, via Wikipedia (2024) en.wikipedia.org
Answer600–800 companies
Venture funding is extraordinarily selective — fewer than 0.1% of new businesses ever land a VC check.
Source: Wikipedia, venture capital (2024) en.wikipedia.org