We’re honored to be named Startup of the Week by The Innovator, a publication known for spotlighting cutting-edge companies shaping the future of business. The article captures our mission, our story, and the growing impact that FounderNest is having, and we wanted to take a moment to reflect on what this recognition means for us and our community of awesome customers.
From frustration to innovation
Our story began not in Silicon Valley, but in Spain, where our co-founders (Felix and Miguel) first witnessed how hard it was for startups to access capital and build the right connections. That frustration stayed with them through their years in the tech industry and later at Stanford. When they launched FounderNest in 2018, it was with a clear goal: help startups succeed by bridging the gap between innovation and opportunity.
However, over time that mission evolved into the platform it is today. They listened to the market and in 2021, something unexpected happened - corporate innovation and M&A teams began reaching out to FounderNest organically. They saw potential in the technology to help them discover and evaluate high-potential startups and emerging trends. That’s when Felix and Miguel realized the need extended far beyond the startup community, and there was a greater opportunity working with global enterprises. What began as a platform to help startups fundraise has today become an AI-native market intelligence platform for global innovation leaders.
What makes FounderNest different to other market intelligence platforms?
As The Innovator points out, we’re not trying to be just another database. Our proprietary AI doesn’t simply collect data but instead it connects the dots. By analyzing over 54 million companies, 160 million patents, and half a million clinical trials, we deliver strategic insight in a way that’s actionable, timely, and uniquely personalized.
We’ve trained our machine learning models specifically for the startup ecosystem, using knowledge graphs and NLP to turn billions of unstructured data points into early signals. It’s about giving our customers better, more relevant data, delivered in a way that empowers innovation teams to make smarter decisions, faster.
“FounderNest sets itself apart by being AI-native and by offering unmatched data breadth and value delivery”, says González. According to him, the platform not only tracks more startups than its competitors but also provides deeper, more insightful information.
Our clients, from Fortune 500s like L’Oreal, Roche, GM, AstraZeneca, and Comcast, to leading VCs count on us not just for information, but for market intelligence they can act on.
A global market intelligence platform for innovation
Today, FounderNest serves clients across the U.S., Europe, and around the globe. And while our HQ is in San Francisco, our team is as international as our mission. We’re proud of the meaningful revolution we’re helping to lead: making innovation more discoverable, more collaborative, and more impactful.
Being featured in The Innovator is a moment of recognition we deeply appreciate. But more than anything, it’s a reminder of how far we’ve come, and how much further we’re ready to go to make FounderNest the best market intelligence platform available..
If you’re curious about how FounderNest can transform the way your team discovers startups, uncovers emerging technologies and provides leading market intelligence to enterprises, we’d love to show you what we’re building.
