Startup Survival Rate
Of every 100 startups that started more than 10 years ago, 38 have shut down, 34 were acquired, 2 went public and 26 are still running.
Out of 100 startups
- 45Still running
- 1Went public
- 20Acquired
- 34Shut down
Where each year’s startups are today
Share of startups by current status, grouped by the year they started
- Still running
- Went public
- Acquired
- Shut down
Data table
| Year | Companies | Still running | Went public | Acquired | Shut down |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 8 | 0% | 0% | 63% | 38% |
| 2006 | 17 | 6% | 0% | 35% | 59% |
| 2007 | 33 | 9% | 3% | 39% | 48% |
| 2008 | 43 | 7% | 0% | 21% | 72% |
| 2009 | 42 | 19% | 2% | 29% | 50% |
| 2010 | 63 | 11% | 3% | 48% | 38% |
| 2011 | 105 | 24% | 0% | 41% | 35% |
| 2012 | 149 | 23% | 3% | 31% | 44% |
| 2013 | 98 | 28% | 1% | 35% | 37% |
| 2014 | 152 | 33% | 3% | 35% | 30% |
| 2015 | 214 | 39% | 2% | 29% | 29% |
| 2016 | 224 | 45% | 1% | 21% | 34% |
| 2017 | 241 | 45% | 0% | 27% | 28% |
| 2018 | 277 | 56% | 1% | 18% | 25% |
| 2019 | 368 | 59% | 0% | 16% | 24% |
| 2020 | 438 | 58% | 0% | 17% | 24% |
| 2021 | 726 | 71% | 0% | 11% | 18% |
| 2022 | 631 | 78% | 0% | 8% | 14% |
| 2023 | 494 | 76% | 0% | 11% | 13% |
| 2024 | 590 | 90% | 0% | 4% | 6% |
| 2025 | 621 | 96% | 0% | 2% | 2% |
| 2026 | 760 | 99% | 0% | 0% | 1% |
Odds of getting big
Out of 100 startups that are at least 5 years old
Which industries survive best
Startups at least 5 years old, from fewest to most shutdowns. Fewest shutdowns: Legal, compliance & gov (13%). Most: Social & community (48%).
- Still running
- Went public
- Acquired
- Shut down
Where startups survive
Startups at least 5 years old, from fewest to most shutdowns
What a survivor looks like
Team size of startups that are still running
How to read this: the data covers companies in the public Y Combinator directory. Years are counted from the year of the company’s YC batch. Status is what the directory shows today, so the charts compare groups of different ages rather than following the same companies over time.