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GFD Tech 100 · Q4 2026

The GFD Tech 100: Top Private Tech Companies of Q4 2026

We scored 3,337 private tech companies on three signals: funding, website traffic and branded search. These are the 100 that came out on top. OpenAI is #1. 70 are new since last quarter.

Joe Robison

Joe RobisonFounder, Green Flag Digital

Published Updated Data as of October 31, 2026

  1. #1OpenAIAI models & infrastructure10.0score
  2. #2KalshiFintech & insurance9.6score
  3. #3AnthropicAI models & infrastructure9.1score
  • 1OpenAI10.0
  • 2Kalshi9.6
  • 3Anthropic9.1
  • 4Ramp8.7
  • 5Whop8.7
  • 6Supabase8.5
  • 7Databricks8.4
  • 8Higgsfield8.3
  • 9Suno8.2
  • 10Waymo8.1
  • 11Fever8.0
  • 12Whatnot8.0
  • 13ElevenLabs8.0
  • 14Perplexity8.0
  • 15Groq7.8
  • 16Wabi7.8
  • 17Wonder7.8
  • 18Quince7.8
  • 19Upwind Security7.8
  • 20Tenstorrent7.8
  • 21Simile7.7
  • 22Arena7.7
  • 23Vercel7.6
  • 24The Boring Company7.6
  • 25Serval7.6
The ranking

The GFD Tech 100, Q4 2026

3,337 companies scored100 ranked70 new since Q3 2026

  1. 1OpenAIAI models & infrastructure10.0▲ 2
  2. 2KalshiFintech & insurance9.6▲ 73
  3. 3AnthropicAI models & infrastructure9.1▲ 945
  4. 4RampFintech & insurance8.7▲ 4
  5. 5WhopFintech & insurance8.7▲ 41
  6. 6SupabaseDeveloper, data & cloud8.5▲ 779
  7. 7DatabricksDeveloper, data & cloud8.4▲ 14
  8. 8HiggsfieldConsumer, commerce & media8.3▲ 1,776
  9. 9SunoConsumer, commerce & media8.2▼ 4
  10. 10WaymoMobility & logistics8.1▲ 1
  11. 11FeverConsumer, commerce & media8.0▲ 114
  12. 12WhatnotConsumer, commerce & media8.0▲ 1,747
  13. 13ElevenLabsDeveloper, data & cloud8.0▲ 7
  14. 14PerplexityEnterprise & work software8.0▲ 37
  15. 15GroqDefense, space & deep tech7.8▼ 11
  16. 16WabiConsumer, commerce & media7.8New
  17. 17WonderMobility & logistics7.8▲ 1,948
  18. 18QuinceConsumer, commerce & media7.8▲ 6
  19. 19Upwind SecurityCybersecurity7.8▲ 395
  20. 20TenstorrentDefense, space & deep tech7.8New
  21. 21SimileEnterprise & work software7.7▲ 1,820
  22. 22ArenaAI models & infrastructure7.7New
  23. 23VercelDeveloper, data & cloud7.6▲ 67
  24. 24The Boring CompanyDeveloper, data & cloud7.6▲ 279
  25. 25ServalEnterprise & work software7.6▲ 2,017
  26. 26OpenEvidenceHealth & bio7.6▲ 2,932
  27. 27HarveyEnterprise & work software7.6▲ 31
  28. 28WHOOPHealth & bio7.6▲ 5
  29. 29TypeSafe AIAI models & infrastructure7.6New
  30. 30Wispr FlowEnterprise & work software7.6▲ 835
  31. 31NexConsumer, commerce & media7.5New
  32. 32Modal LabsDeveloper, data & cloud7.5▲ 22
  33. 33HyperbolicAI models & infrastructure7.5▲ 1,024
  34. 34ClayEnterprise & work software7.5▲ 202
  35. 35Fish AudioAI applications7.5New
  36. 36OpentronsDefense, space & deep tech7.5▲ 727
  37. 37SkimsConsumer, commerce & media7.5▲ 23
  38. 38Vera HealthHealth & bio7.5New
  39. 39HiBobFintech & insurance7.5▲ 338
  40. 40MercuryFintech & insurance7.5▼ 17
  41. 41CognitionDeveloper, data & cloud7.5▼ 23
  42. 42Bedrock RoboticsDefense, space & deep tech7.5▲ 332
  43. 43ScaleMobility & logistics7.4▲ 1,433
  44. 44AlpacaFintech & insurance7.4New
  45. 45Anduril IndustriesDefense, space & deep tech7.4▼ 32
  46. 46InfisicalCybersecurity7.4▲ 1,190
  47. 47OllamaAI models & infrastructure7.4New
  48. 48Flapping AirplanesAI models & infrastructure7.4▲ 1,615
  49. 49FirecrawlDeveloper, data & cloud7.4▲ 745
  50. 50PreplyConsumer, commerce & media7.4New
  51. 51CrusoeDeveloper, data & cloud7.4▲ 33
  52. 52LabelboxDeveloper, data & cloud7.4New
  53. 53TractianFintech & insurance7.3▲ 621
  54. 54EmergentDeveloper, data & cloud7.3▲ 1,713
  55. 55SuperMeDeveloper, data & cloud7.3New
  56. 56RipplingFintech & insurance7.3▲ 1,714
  57. 57SukiHealth & bio7.3▲ 2,008
  58. 58GMI CloudAI models & infrastructure7.3▲ 1,078
  59. 59Fireworks AIDeveloper, data & cloud7.3▲ 1,375
  60. 60Luma AIConsumer, commerce & media7.3▲ 16
  61. 61HadrianDefense, space & deep tech7.2▲ 180
  62. 62Together AIAI models & infrastructure7.2▼ 61
  63. 63GreptileDeveloper, data & cloud7.2▲ 990
  64. 64SubstackConsumer, commerce & media7.2▲ 1,468
  65. 65CollectiveFintech & insurance7.2New
  66. 66NotionDeveloper, data & cloud7.2▲ 2,950
  67. 67GammaEnterprise & work software7.2▲ 2,474
  68. 68PositronDefense, space & deep tech7.2▲ 184
  69. 69Hex TechnologiesDeveloper, data & cloud7.2▲ 460
  70. 70WorldFintech & insurance7.2▲ 98
  71. 71Nous ResearchAI models & infrastructure7.2▲ 848
  72. 72PlaidFintech & insurance7.2▲ 2,865
  73. 73RippleFintech & insurance7.2▼ 36
  74. 74ThatchFintech & insurance7.1▲ 561
  75. 75CyeraCybersecurity7.1▼ 36
  76. 76DeelFintech & insurance7.1▲ 29
  77. 77RailwayDeveloper, data & cloud7.1▲ 1,708
  78. 78MercorEnterprise & work software7.1▲ 87
  79. 79Snorkel AIAI models & infrastructure7.1▲ 2,010
  80. 80TownEnterprise & work software7.1New
  81. 81Stoke SpaceDefense, space & deep tech7.1▲ 128
  82. 82BasetenDeveloper, data & cloud7.1▼ 66
  83. 83Kraken ExchangeFintech & insurance7.1▼ 54
  84. 84RunpodAI models & infrastructure7.1▼ 59
  85. 85IDMeCybersecurity7.1▲ 1,761
  86. 86Firehawk AerospaceDefense, space & deep tech7.1▲ 2,259
  87. 87CasapFintech & insurance7.1▲ 1,033
  88. 88PaperEnterprise & work software7.1New
  89. 89FluidstackAI models & infrastructure7.1New
  90. 90SambaNovaDefense, space & deep tech7.1▲ 97
  91. 91EliseAIHealth & bio7.0▲ 189
  92. 92ClickUpDeveloper, data & cloud7.0▲ 1,742
  93. 93CodeRabbitDeveloper, data & cloud7.0▲ 217
  94. 94EmaEnterprise & work software7.0▲ 2,679
  95. 95NinjaOneCybersecurity7.0▼ 73
  96. 96OpenSeaFintech & insurance7.0▲ 1,971
  97. 97ExaDeveloper, data & cloud7.0▼ 42
  98. 98Safe SuperintelligenceDeveloper, data & cloud7.0▲ 38
  99. 99Grow TherapyHealth & bio7.0▼ 19
  100. 100AnacondaDeveloper, data & cloud7.0▲ 1,822

Download this graphic PNG

The short answer

OpenAI is the top private tech company in the Q4 2026 GFD Tech 100, followed by Kalshi and Anthropic. We scored 3,337 companies on equity funding, web traffic and branded search, with data as of October 31, 2026.

Why we built it

Why we built our own list

So I wanted to build the Tech 100 for a few reasons. When I tried to look up good general startup lists, I found only a few compelling sources and felt all of them were off in their own way: either a bit dated, or hard to access, or the scoring systems seemed off. So what I wanted to do was build my own list that more or less felt strong to the sentiments I see on social platforms and the general zeitgeist. A lot of that is X and LinkedIn posts that seem to be revelatory from an insider or ball knower.

Related to that, I felt that there were many lists that were effectively a mish-mash of companies, editorially selected for arbitrary reasons. It felt to me like we should be able to rank private tech companies in a way that we can rank public companies by market cap. So we built our own formulas that reflected our philosophy in a simple and not hard to understand way.

Table of the top 10 companies with their scores and their Q3 2026 ranks.↓
How a company earns a spot

Three signals, one score

Every one of the 3,337 companies gets the same three measurements. Here is what each one captures, with a real company from this edition.

50%of the score

Funding

We chose funding recency and volume, both combined and scored as a big chunk.

Total equity raised, the size of the last round, and how recently it closed. Debt and grants don't count, and every top-100 round is checked against a primary source.

Kalshi · #2 overall

#1 on funding of all 3,337. Latest equity round: $1B, Oct 29, 2026.

Funding#1
Traffic#89
Branded search#72
25%of the score

Website traffic

Last month's visits, the six-month average and the growth between them. One-month spikes on small sites are smoothed, so a single viral day can't buy a spot.

Notion · #66 overall

Only #1,604 on funding, but #35 on traffic: people use it every day, whatever its last round.

Funding#1,604
Traffic#35
Branded search#7
25%of the score

Branded search

Unique to other lists, we are also pulling keyword search volume data.

How many people type the company's name into Google, and whether that is growing. For names that are everyday words, we check what searchers mean first.

Suno · #9 overall

#260 on funding, #9 on branded search, and #9 overall: attention did the work.

Funding#260
Traffic#30
Branded search#9

Now we think it's important for readers to use this as a starting point in their own journey of building shortlists for themselves or clients related to tech companies.

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From 3,337 to 100

Every dot is a company we scored

  • Screened
  • In the 100
  • Top 10
  • New this quarter
One dot per company, ordered by overall score from the top left; the grid then zooms to the 100. Source: GFD Tech 100, Q4 2026.

3,337 companies

We started with 3,337 private technology companies and scored every one of them the same way. The dark dots at the top are the 100 that made it.

The 100

Here are those 100, zoomed in. Equity funding is half the score; web traffic and branded search are a quarter each.

The top 10

OpenAI, Kalshi and Anthropic lead. Ramp, Whop, Supabase, Databricks, Higgsfield, Suno and Waymo round out the top 10.

70 new names

Seventy of the 100 weren't on last quarter's list, most of them after a new funding round.

Chapter 1

Seventy new names

70 weren't on the Q3 list. 55 of them raised a new round since.

Key findings

What changed this quarter

70

New to the list

Seventy companies weren't in the Q3 2026 top 100. 55 of them raised a new equity round after our Q3 data date; the rest moved partly because our method got sharper (see What changed since Q3).

3

Q3 top 10 still there

Only OpenAI, Ramp and Suno held top-10 spots from last quarter.

23

Developer, data and cloud

The largest sector in the 100, ahead of fintech and insurance at 15.

Biggest climbers

From the long tail to the top 100

The furthest jumps came from companies that raised a new round after Q3. OpenEvidence went from #2,958 to #26, and Ema from #2,773 to #94.

We only count a climb here when there is a new round behind it, so a change in our method never passes for momentum.

↓
The AI question

Hype cycle or early innings?

AI companies make up a whopping 70% of the top 100 companies in this quarter's GFD Tech 100 release. Are we at the top of the hype cycle with the bubble about to pop? Or in early innings?

By industry tag, 70 of the 100 are AI companies. Only 14 have AI as their main market; the rest use it inside fintech, developer tools and defense.

My personal opinion, given the way many tech leaders are investing heavily in this space, is that we are early in the AI boom. I think this is a 10-year trend just to get going. I think there may be some fluctuations, but in my humble opinion this is a very strong trend, akin to a combination of early Google Search, the shift to mobile, the rise of social media and the shift to cloud.

I'd rather over-bet on AI and be wrong than miss this and think it's going away soon. This doesn't look to be like crypto or the metaverse, although I think they will all overlap in 5 years' time.

Dot chart: 70 of the 100 companies carry an AI tag; 14 are AI companies at the core.↓
Where the 100 sit

Ten sectors, one clear leader

GFD Tech 100 companies by sector, Q4 2026

Developer, data & cloud23Fintech & insurance17AI models & infrastructure13Consumer, commerce & media11Enterprise & work software11Defense, space & deep tech10Health & bio6Cybersecurity5Mobility & logistics3AI applications1
Source: GFD Tech 100, Q4 2026, data as of October 31, 2026.

All 100

Ten sectors made the GFD Tech 100 this quarter. Each bar is how many of the 100 companies come from that sector.

23 companies

The biggest group is the least flashy one: developer, data and cloud. Supabase at No. 6 and Databricks at No. 7 lead it.

17 companies

Fintech and insurance comes second with 17, and it holds three of the top five spots: Kalshi, Ramp and Whop.

14 companies

AI models and infrastructure has 13, including OpenAI at No. 1 and Anthropic at No. 3. Add the one AI applications company and AI accounts for 14 of the 100.

5 companies

Cybersecurity placed 5, half as many as defense, space and deep tech, which placed 10.

Image 1080 × 1350

Where the 100 are

The Map: Where the Top 100 Are Headquartered

Every company on the list, at its headquarters. Zoom into a metro to see who is building there.

Drag to move. Pinch, or hold Ctrl/⌘ and scroll, to zoom. Tap a logo for details.

Top metros

Image 1080 × 1350

Chapter 2

The top 10

Who leads, and how they scored.

The ranking

The top 10

Signal ranks out of 3,337, the latest equity round with its source, and my take.

1

OpenAI

AI models & infrastructure

10.0score▲ 2

Joe's take

The clear leader in AI, neck and neck with Anthropic. There's a strong contingent of Silicon Valley VCs that think they will win it all, and Anthropic will be a strong contender on B2B. By many definitions, it can be argued that OpenAI should have a stronger moat by now, so we'll see how their data center build-outs and scaling laws hold.

“Given everything happening with safety, this right now would be an ill-advised moment to go public.”

Sam AltmanCo-founder and CEO, OpenAI (to Fortune)
2

Kalshi

Fintech & insurance

9.6score▲ 73

Joe's take

It's easy to decry these prediction market apps as just another version of gambling, but I actually think they are serving an underserved economic purpose and that they will help verify the truth of many worldwide events, faster. Many unforeseen domino effects may come from this in the future.

“Our revenue, outside of sports, is now over a billion dollars”

Tarek MansourCo-founder & CEO, Kalshi
3

Anthropic

AI models & infrastructure

9.1score▲ 945

Joe's take

Anthropic has stunned the world and themselves with the popularity of, and demand for, their models. They cracked the B2B s-curve with Claude Code, and Opus 5.5 has been a smashing hit.

My bet: they will likely release Fable 5.5 in the lead-up to their IPO, so look out for the biggest model launch yet coming up soon.

“Our aim is to help humankind chart a safe course through this technological evolution, open new frontiers of discovery, and bring forth an age of miracles.”

Anthropic's seven co-foundersletter in the company's S-1 filing, as quoted by Fortune
4

Ramp

Fintech & insurance

8.7score▲ 4

Joe's take

Ramp is a highly innovative company across both product and growth, and they seem to be having a lot of fun doing it. You can't argue with their vision of saving business owners time and money, and pairing that with marketing stunts builds their brand up as one of the strongest breakout startups in fintech and financial services since Stripe.

“We obsess over saving our customers time and money. That's why we're growing faster at more than twice the size we were a year ago”

Eric GlymanCo-founder and co-CEO, Ramp
5

Whop

Fintech & insurance

8.7score▲ 41

Joe's take

In every generation, a new website builder explodes onto the scene. Whop looks to be the next-generation website building and digital commerce platform, looking to build on paths laid by Squarespace, Shopify and Webflow.

“We take inspiration from the traditional economy in designing Whop, and because businesses are the primary conduit by which people earn money and create value, we focus on them as our primary customer”

Steven SchwartzCo-founder and CEO, Whop
6

Supabase

Developer, data & cloud

8.5score▲ 779

Joe's take

As a personal user of Supabase, it has enabled me to build real software, with the help of AI. Supabase is an AI-native database company with a more intuitive interface. They could be huge with the right moves in funding and product evolutions and, of course, enterprise sales.

“The past year has been the fastest growth in our history by a wide margin.”

Paul CopplestoneCo-founder and CEO, Supabase
7

Databricks

Developer, data & cloud

8.4score▲ 14

Joe's take

Databricks has seen strong growth on the back of AI and data, its bread and butter, for this software giant enabling the AI data revolution. We'll see how they continue to perform in this AI transition era and what their next moves are for funding.

“The tremendous investor demand for this round shows that our AI strategy is winning the market and building what every business needs to maximize their impact with agents.”

Ali GhodsiCo-founder and CEO of Databricks
8

Higgsfield

Consumer, commerce & media

8.3score▲ 1,776

Joe's take

Higgsfield is a huge AI creative software app built on top of the new AI models. They are a crafty, creative marketing bunch. To be determined how sticky their user base is if token subsidization changes or if the model companies themselves compete directly.

“Every brand, studio and creator now needs more visual content than traditional production can supply, and a new category is forming to meet that demand.”

Alex MashrabovCo-Founder and CEO, Higgsfield
9

Suno

Consumer, commerce & media

8.2score▼ 4

Joe's take

Suno is an amazing app I personally use, and I'm not surprised to see them remain in the top 10. They are an AI company that is not a big model company themselves but have cracked the user experience and delight, akin to Midjourney. We'll see if they become venture scale or remain a niche tool.

“This also marks the beginning of a new chapter for music. v6 is designed to expand what is creatively possible and lay the foundation to launch new products that open up revenue opportunities across the music ecosystem.”

Mikey ShulmanCo-Founder & CEO, Suno
10

Waymo

Mobility & logistics

8.1score▲ 1

Joe's take

Waymo is rolling out across many cities and gaining momentum. I think we'll see a strong duopoly for quite a while with Waymo and Tesla's Cybercab, akin to the Uber and Lyft duopoly.

“Madrid is an incredible capital of innovation and an integral part of our growing global presence. We can’t wait to serve Madrileños.”

Tekedra MawakanaCo-CEO, Waymo
Ranks 11 to 25

The next 15

  1. 11FeverConsumer, commerce & media8.0▲ 114
    Funding#111
    Traffic#67
    Branded search#92

    Latest equity round: $250M · Sep 17, 2026 (source: Fever Newsroom, opens in a new tab)

  2. 12WhatnotConsumer, commerce & media8.0▲ 1,747
    Funding#132
    Traffic#157
    Branded search#49

    Latest equity round: $545M · Aug 7, 2026 (source: Whatnot blog, opens in a new tab)

    “This investment allows us to build better tools, bring AI to more parts of the selling experience, help sellers reach more buyers, expand into new markets, and continue building the world’s biggest and most trusted marketplace”

    Grant LaFontaineco-founder and CEO of Whatnot
  3. 13ElevenLabsDeveloper, data & cloud8.0▲ 7
    Funding#367
    Traffic#33
    Branded search#14

    Latest equity round: $500M · Feb 4, 2026 (source: ElevenLabs, opens in a new tab)

    “As we grow, it’s important to us to let our people share in some of the value they are creating for our customers and the wider world.”

    Mati StaniszewskiCofounder and CEO, ElevenLabs
  4. 14PerplexityEnterprise & work software8.0▲ 37
    Funding#682
    Traffic#41
    Branded search#5

    Latest equity round: $200M · Sep 10, 2025 (source: Reuters, opens in a new tab)

    “We believe that by solving that, we’ll be building a pretty valuable company that has endurable, long-term advantage.”

    Aravind SrinivasCo-founder and CEO, Perplexity (to CNBC)
  5. 15GroqDefense, space & deep tech7.8▼ 11
    Funding#134
    Traffic#119
    Branded search#128

    Latest equity round: $350M · Aug 17, 2026 (source: Groq newsroom, opens in a new tab)

    “We are building Groq into the world’s leading AI inference cloud. We look forward to continuing our partnership with NVIDIA at such an important juncture for the ecosystem.”

    Alex DavisGroq Executive Chairman and CEO of Disruptive
  6. 16WabiConsumer, commerce & media7.8New
    Funding#11
    Traffic#1,200
    Branded search#586

    Latest equity round: $55M · Oct 29, 2026 (source: PR Newswire, opens in a new tab)

    “AI shouldn't just save people time. It should help them spend it better, doing more of what they love, with the people they love”

    Eugenia KuydaFounder and CEO, Wabi
  7. 17WonderMobility & logistics7.8▲ 1,948
    Funding#139
    Traffic#220
    Branded search#86

    Latest equity round: $650M · Jul 16, 2026 (source: PR Newswire, opens in a new tab)

    “[The mission] is really why I want to go public and raise the capital that it’ll take to build that kind of generational business, also to have a public currency to be able to do more M&A. But I can’t talk about timing.”

    Marc LoreFounder and CEO, Wonder (to CNBC)
  8. 18QuinceConsumer, commerce & media7.8▲ 6
    Funding#324
    Traffic#61
    Branded search#25

    Latest equity round: $500M · Mar 11, 2026 (source: PR Newswire, opens in a new tab)

    “The model is simple: design a different system that eliminates the waste consumers have traditionally paid for in retail.”

    Matt LippertChief Commercial Officer, Quince
  9. 19Upwind SecurityCybersecurity7.8▲ 395
    Funding#2
    Traffic#1,036
    Branded search#1,413

    Latest equity round: $400M · Oct 28, 2026 (source: Upwind blog, opens in a new tab)

    “This investment brings our total funding to over $800M, which we’re deploying to help defenders to protect from the exponential risk that comes with all of AI’s benefits.”

    Amiram ShacharCo-Founder and CEO, Upwind
  10. 20TenstorrentDefense, space & deep tech7.8New
    Funding#5
    Traffic#1,673
    Branded search#730

    Latest equity round: $1.5B · Oct 19, 2026 (source: Tenstorrent newsroom, opens in a new tab)

    “We built one architecture and sell it at every size. The future of compute is open, scalable, and owned by the people building on it. Our investors believe in that model too, and we appreciate their support.”

    Jim KellerCEO, Tenstorrent
  11. 21SimileEnterprise & work software7.7▲ 1,820
    Funding#256
    Traffic#40
    Branded search#121

    Latest equity round: $200M · Jul 30, 2026 (source: Simile, opens in a new tab)

  12. 22ArenaAI models & infrastructure7.7New
    Funding#63
    Traffic#15
    Branded search#944

    Latest equity round: $200M · Oct 8, 2026 (source: Arena blog, opens in a new tab)

    “This revenue milestone signifies that we have built a durable business around our mission. We plan on continuing to invest in arena.ai, building better features, more tools, and new ways to work with AI.”

    Anastasios AngelopoulosCEO and co-founder, Arena
  13. 23VercelDeveloper, data & cloud7.6▲ 67
    Funding#599
    Traffic#17
    Branded search#33

    Latest equity round: $300M · Sep 30, 2025 (source: Vercel, opens in a new tab)

  14. 24The Boring CompanyDeveloper, data & cloud7.6▲ 279
    Funding#31
    Traffic#642
    Branded search#662

    Latest equity round: $3B · Sep 9, 2026 (source: The Boring Company, opens in a new tab)

    “Defeating traffic is the ultimate boss battle. Even the most powerful humans in the world cannot defeat traffic.”

    Elon MuskFounder, The Boring Company
  15. 25ServalEnterprise & work software7.6▲ 2,017
    Funding#3
    Traffic#1,259
    Branded search#1,428

    Latest equity round: $150M · Oct 29, 2026 (source: Business Wire, opens in a new tab)

The full ranking

All 100 companies

GFD Tech 100, Q4 2026: all 100 companies with signal ranks out of 3,337 and movement since Q3 2026. Select a column heading to sort.
Latest equity round
1OpenAIAI models & infrastructure10.09102▲ 2$122B · Mar 31, 2026 (source: OpenAI, opens in a new tab)
2KalshiFintech & insurance9.618972▲ 73$1B · Oct 29, 2026 (source: Kalshi News, opens in a new tab)
3AnthropicAI models & infrastructure9.11310018▲ 945$50B · May 28, 2026 (source: Anthropic, opens in a new tab)
4RampFintech & insurance8.77181153▲ 4$1.85B · Oct 15, 2026 (source: PR Newswire, opens in a new tab)
5WhopFintech & insurance8.7294975▲ 41$200M · Oct 21, 2026 (source: Whop Newsroom, opens in a new tab)
6SupabaseDeveloper, data & cloud8.5902622▲ 779$150M · Oct 2, 2026 (source: PR Newswire, opens in a new tab)
7DatabricksDeveloper, data & cloud8.42823279▲ 14$5B · Aug 13, 2026 (source: Databricks Newsroom, opens in a new tab)
8HiggsfieldConsumer, commerce & media8.31482319▲ 1,776$400M · Aug 17, 2026 (source: PR Newswire, opens in a new tab)
9SunoConsumer, commerce & media8.2260309▼ 4$400M · Jun 3, 2026 (source: Suno blog, opens in a new tab)
10WaymoMobility & logistics8.15138780▲ 1$16B · Feb 2, 2026 (source: Waymo, opens in a new tab)
11FeverConsumer, commerce & media8.01116792▲ 114$250M · Sep 17, 2026 (source: Fever Newsroom, opens in a new tab)
12WhatnotConsumer, commerce & media8.013215749▲ 1,747$545M · Aug 7, 2026 (source: Whatnot blog, opens in a new tab)
13ElevenLabsDeveloper, data & cloud8.03673314▲ 7$500M · Feb 4, 2026 (source: ElevenLabs, opens in a new tab)
14PerplexityEnterprise & work software8.0682415▲ 37$200M · Sep 10, 2025 (source: Reuters, opens in a new tab)
15GroqDefense, space & deep tech7.8134119128▼ 11$350M · Aug 17, 2026 (source: Groq newsroom, opens in a new tab)
16WabiConsumer, commerce & media7.8111,200586New$55M · Oct 29, 2026 (source: PR Newswire, opens in a new tab)
17WonderMobility & logistics7.813922086▲ 1,948$650M · Jul 16, 2026 (source: PR Newswire, opens in a new tab)
18QuinceConsumer, commerce & media7.83246125▲ 6$500M · Mar 11, 2026 (source: PR Newswire, opens in a new tab)
19Upwind SecurityCybersecurity7.821,0361,413▲ 395$400M · Oct 28, 2026 (source: Upwind blog, opens in a new tab)
20TenstorrentDefense, space & deep tech7.851,673730New$1.5B · Oct 19, 2026 (source: Tenstorrent newsroom, opens in a new tab)
21SimileEnterprise & work software7.725640121▲ 1,820$200M · Jul 30, 2026 (source: Simile, opens in a new tab)
22ArenaAI models & infrastructure7.76315944New$200M · Oct 8, 2026 (source: Arena blog, opens in a new tab)
23VercelDeveloper, data & cloud7.65991733▲ 67$300M · Sep 30, 2025 (source: Vercel, opens in a new tab)
24The Boring CompanyDeveloper, data & cloud7.631642662▲ 279$3B · Sep 9, 2026 (source: The Boring Company, opens in a new tab)
25ServalEnterprise & work software7.631,2591,428▲ 2,017$150M · Oct 29, 2026 (source: Business Wire, opens in a new tab)
26OpenEvidenceHealth & bio7.6108153383▲ 2,932$250M · Sep 16, 2026 (source: Forbes, opens in a new tab)
27HarveyEnterprise & work software7.679391356▲ 31$550M · Sep 9, 2026 (source: Harvey, opens in a new tab)
28WHOOPHealth & bio7.629024345▲ 5$575M · Mar 31, 2026 (source: HIT Consultant, opens in a new tab)
29TypeSafe AIAI models & infrastructure7.627411938New$870M · Oct 9, 2026 (source: Bloomberg, opens in a new tab)
30Wispr FlowEnterprise & work software7.6187126211▲ 835$280M · Aug 17, 2026 (source: TechCrunch, opens in a new tab)
31NexConsumer, commerce & media7.5171436129New$150M · Sep 17, 2026 (source: Business Wire, opens in a new tab)
32Modal LabsDeveloper, data & cloud7.5222211,428▲ 22$750M · Oct 14, 2026 (source: Modal, opens in a new tab)
33HyperbolicAI models & infrastructure7.5371,418417▲ 1,024$30M · Oct 27, 2026 (source: Hyperbolic, opens in a new tab)
34ClayEnterprise & work software7.5203290140▲ 202$115M · Sep 9, 2026 (source: Clay, opens in a new tab)
35Fish AudioAI applications7.55107431New$52M · Jul 27, 2026 (source: SiliconANGLE, opens in a new tab)
36OpentronsDefense, space & deep tech7.5106671,501▲ 727$40M · Oct 29, 2026 (source: Business Wire, opens in a new tab)
37SkimsConsumer, commerce & media7.560618811▲ 23$225M · Nov 12, 2025 (source: Goldman Sachs Asset Management, opens in a new tab)
38Vera HealthHealth & bio7.543311938New$28.5M · Oct 27, 2026 (source: PR Newswire, opens in a new tab)
39HiBobFintech & insurance7.5179174293▲ 338$166M · Sep 1, 2026 (source: Calcalist, opens in a new tab)
40MercuryFintech & insurance7.536520651▼ 17$200M · May 20, 2026 (source: FinTech Global, opens in a new tab)
41CognitionDeveloper, data & cloud7.536491877▼ 23$2B · Sep 8, 2026 (source: Cognition, opens in a new tab)
42Bedrock RoboticsDefense, space & deep tech7.542,1641,320▲ 332$600M · Oct 26, 2026 (source: TechCrunch, opens in a new tab)
43ScaleMobility & logistics7.4117372375▲ 1,433$14.3B · Jun 10, 2025 (source: Reuters, opens in a new tab)
44AlpacaFintech & insurance7.431530562New$135M · Jul 16, 2026 (source: IT Brief Australia, opens in a new tab)
45Anduril IndustriesDefense, space & deep tech7.466705511▼ 32$5B · May 13, 2026 (source: SiliconANGLE, opens in a new tab)
46InfisicalCybersecurity7.433934826▲ 1,190$40M · Oct 27, 2026 (source: Infisical, opens in a new tab)
47OllamaAI models & infrastructure7.451510948New$65M · Jul 9, 2026 (source: TechCrunch, opens in a new tab)
48Flapping AirplanesAI models & infrastructure7.481,4691,413▲ 1,615$1B · Oct 21, 2026 (source: TechCrunch, opens in a new tab)
49FirecrawlDeveloper, data & cloud7.4215164291▲ 745$75M · Sep 22, 2026 (source: Firecrawl, opens in a new tab)
50PreplyConsumer, commerce & media7.46637326New$150M · Jan 21, 2026 (source: PR Newswire, opens in a new tab)
51CrusoeDeveloper, data & cloud7.4211,2811,023▲ 33$3.9B · Sep 17, 2026 (source: Crusoe, opens in a new tab)
52LabelboxDeveloper, data & cloud7.473370730New$100M · Oct 14, 2026 (source: PR Newswire, opens in a new tab)
53TractianFintech & insurance7.3341,364826▲ 621$130M · Oct 22, 2026 (source: Bloomberg Línea, opens in a new tab)
54EmergentDeveloper, data & cloud7.3343277109▲ 1,713$130M · Jul 15, 2026 (source: Crypto Briefing, opens in a new tab)
55SuperMeDeveloper, data & cloud7.3241,4281,044New$20M · Oct 29, 2026 (source: TechCrunch, opens in a new tab)
56RipplingFintech & insurance7.36079166▲ 1,714$450M · May 9, 2025 (source: Rippling, opens in a new tab)
57SukiHealth & bio7.3911,765286▲ 2,008$90M · Oct 12, 2026 (source: Healthcare Dive, opens in a new tab)
58GMI CloudAI models & infrastructure7.396801,110▲ 1,078$223M · Sep 30, 2026 (source: The AI Insider, opens in a new tab)
59Fireworks AIDeveloper, data & cloud7.3102785502▲ 1,375$1.505B · Jul 15, 2026 (source: Fireworks AI, opens in a new tab)
60Luma AIConsumer, commerce & media7.3349275136▲ 16$900M · Nov 19, 2025 (source: Pulse 2.0, opens in a new tab)
61HadrianDefense, space & deep tech7.2821,178482▲ 180$1.37B · Aug 6, 2026 (source: PR Newswire, opens in a new tab)
62Together AIAI models & infrastructure7.2154180637▼ 61$800M · Jul 1, 2026 (source: Verdict, opens in a new tab)
63GreptileDeveloper, data & cloud7.289469744▲ 990$50M · Oct 19, 2026 (source: Greptile, opens in a new tab)
64SubstackConsumer, commerce & media7.21,0573823▲ 1,468$100M · Jul 17, 2025 (source: Substack, opens in a new tab)
65CollectiveFintech & insurance7.2145212,241New$40M · Oct 29, 2026 (source: Collective, opens in a new tab)
66NotionDeveloper, data & cloud7.21,604357▲ 2,950$275M · Oct 8, 2021 (source: Forbes, opens in a new tab)
67GammaEnterprise & work software7.21,1747810▲ 2,474$48M · Nov 10, 2025 (source: Business Wire, opens in a new tab)
68PositronDefense, space & deep tech7.2601,724533▲ 184$875M · Sep 10, 2026 (source: Latham & Watkins, opens in a new tab)
69Hex TechnologiesDeveloper, data & cloud7.2164492,241▲ 460$100M · Oct 27, 2026 (source: Hex, opens in a new tab)
70WorldFintech & insurance7.248479230▲ 98$52.5M · Jul 24, 2026 (source: World blog, opens in a new tab)
71Nous ResearchAI models & infrastructure7.21201301,002▲ 848$90M · Oct 7, 2026 (source: Sidley Austin, opens in a new tab)
72PlaidFintech & insurance7.260387106▲ 2,865$575M · Apr 3, 2025 (source: Plaid, opens in a new tab)
73RippleFintech & insurance7.246937874▼ 36$500M · Nov 5, 2025 (source: Ripple press release, opens in a new tab)
74ThatchFintech & insurance7.1196291538▲ 561$108M · Sep 15, 2026 (source: Latham & Watkins, opens in a new tab)
75CyeraCybersecurity7.1611,373730▼ 36$400M · Sep 22, 2026 (source: The Next Web, opens in a new tab)
76DeelFintech & insurance7.1582137132▲ 29$300M · Oct 16, 2025 (source: Deel press release, opens in a new tab)
77RailwayDeveloper, data & cloud7.18158170▲ 1,708$100M · Jan 22, 2026 (source: Railway, opens in a new tab)
78MercorEnterprise & work software7.157569206▲ 87$350M · Oct 27, 2025 (source: TechCrunch, opens in a new tab)
79Snorkel AIAI models & infrastructure7.184797826▲ 2,010$350M · Sep 22, 2026 (source: Snorkel AI, opens in a new tab)
80TownEnterprise & work software7.1492451,684New$108M · Oct 19, 2026 (source: The Next Web, opens in a new tab)
81Stoke SpaceDefense, space & deep tech7.1537811,108▲ 128$1B · Sep 8, 2026 (source: Stoke Space, opens in a new tab)
82BasetenDeveloper, data & cloud7.1118422854▼ 66$1.5B · Jun 22, 2026 (source: Reuters, opens in a new tab)
83Kraken ExchangeFintech & insurance7.1180107933▼ 54$100M · Sep 10, 2026 (source: Bloomberg, opens in a new tab)
84RunpodAI models & infrastructure7.1468144240▼ 59$100M · Jun 24, 2026 (source: Summit Partners, opens in a new tab)
85IDMeCybersecurity7.11,0826239▲ 1,761$65M · Sep 3, 2025 (source: Biometric Update, opens in a new tab)
86Firehawk AerospaceDefense, space & deep tech7.162,5381,741▲ 2,259$150M · Oct 28, 2026 (source: Reuters, opens in a new tab)
87CasapFintech & insurance7.1181,8341,556▲ 1,033$56M · Oct 28, 2026 (source: PR Newswire, opens in a new tab)
88PaperEnterprise & work software7.164232763New$34M · Jul 22, 2026 (source: Business Wire release, opens in a new tab)
89FluidstackAI models & infrastructure7.1472,083744New$1.5B · Sep 3, 2026 (source: Dealroom news, opens in a new tab)
90SambaNovaDefense, space & deep tech7.1126578758▲ 97$1B · Jul 8, 2026 (source: SambaNova press release, opens in a new tab)
91EliseAIHealth & bio7.0625711,255▲ 189$350M · Sep 29, 2026 (source: Crypto Briefing, opens in a new tab)
92ClickUpDeveloper, data & cloud7.01,4213623▲ 1,742$400M · Oct 27, 2021 (source: PR Newswire, opens in a new tab)
93CodeRabbitDeveloper, data & cloud7.0267335468▲ 217$143M · Aug 12, 2026 (source: CodeRabbit, opens in a new tab)
94EmaEnterprise & work software7.01981,989176▲ 2,679$77M · Sep 23, 2026 (source: GlobeNewswire, opens in a new tab)
95NinjaOneCybersecurity7.0242440478▼ 73$400M · Jun 9, 2026 (source: NinjaOne, opens in a new tab)
96OpenSeaFintech & insurance7.01,5263104▲ 1,971$300M · Jan 5, 2022 (source: OpenSea blog, opens in a new tab)
97ExaDeveloper, data & cloud7.0355176428▼ 42$250M · May 20, 2026 (source: Exa, opens in a new tab)
98Safe SuperintelligenceDeveloper, data & cloud7.0391,7641,110▲ 38$5B · Jul 27, 2026 (source: TechCrunch, opens in a new tab)
99Grow TherapyHealth & bio7.0595161192▼ 19$150M · Mar 3, 2026 (source: PR Newswire, opens in a new tab)
100AnacondaDeveloper, data & cloud7.092521447▲ 1,822$150M · Jul 31, 2025 (source: Anaconda newsroom, opens in a new tab)
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  • Ebook: the top 25 profiled, with my take on each of the top 10
  • Ebook: biggest movers since Q3, and AI versus the rest
  • CSV: all 100 companies with every pillar score and rank

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The fine print

Method, sources and notes

How we ranked them

We chose funding recency and volume, both combined and scored as a big chunk.

Funding is half the score: total equity raised, the size of the last round, and how recently it closed. Debt, grants and other non-equity rounds do not count. Every top-100 round is backed by a primary source.

Unique to other lists, we are also pulling keyword search volume data.

Branded search, meaning how many people search for the company by name and whether that is growing, makes up a quarter of the score. Web traffic, its six-month average and its growth make up the last quarter. Data is as of October 31, 2026.

Now we think it's important for readers to use this as a starting point in their own journey of building shortlists for themselves or clients related to tech companies.

Every round, checked at the source

What changed since Q3. This is the first edition where every top-100 round is checked against a primary source, branded search comes from Ahrefs instead of Keywords Everywhere, one-month traffic spikes on small sites are smoothed, and company names that are everyday words are checked before their search volume counts. So Q3 and Q4 are not strictly like for like. Of the 70 companies new to the list, 55 raised a new round after our Q3 data date; a handful of well-known names, such as Notion, Plaid and Rippling, most likely ranked too low last quarter.

We have done our own research to verify funding beyond Crunchbase.

OpenAI closed $122B in committed capital on March 31, 2026, the largest record in the Top 100 by a distance.

Anthropic announced $65 billion. We counted the $50 billion of new money in its May 28 close, because that is the equity that came in.

We don't want to drop stuff out just because they are common names.

For names that are everyday words, we check what searchers mean first.

They are naturally #3. The last report may have caught them in a soft spot. So I would be a bit cautious about paying a lot of attention to these spot jumps.

Sources: the latest round for all 100

Each company's latest equity round as used in the ranking, linked to the primary source we checked.

  1. 1. OpenAI $122B, Mar 31, 2026. OpenAI
  2. 2. Kalshi $1B, Oct 29, 2026. Kalshi News
  3. 3. Anthropic $50B, May 28, 2026. Anthropic
  4. 4. Ramp $1.85B, Oct 15, 2026. PR Newswire
  5. 5. Whop $200M, Oct 21, 2026. Whop Newsroom
  6. 6. Supabase $150M, Oct 2, 2026. PR Newswire
  7. 7. Databricks $5B, Aug 13, 2026. Databricks Newsroom
  8. 8. Higgsfield $400M, Aug 17, 2026. PR Newswire
  9. 9. Suno $400M, Jun 3, 2026. Suno blog
  10. 10. Waymo $16B, Feb 2, 2026. Waymo
  11. 11. Fever $250M, Sep 17, 2026. Fever Newsroom
  12. 12. Whatnot $545M, Aug 7, 2026. Whatnot blog
  13. 13. ElevenLabs $500M, Feb 4, 2026. ElevenLabs
  14. 14. Perplexity $200M, Sep 10, 2025. Reuters
  15. 15. Groq $350M, Aug 17, 2026. Groq newsroom
  16. 16. Wabi $55M, Oct 29, 2026. PR Newswire
  17. 17. Wonder $650M, Jul 16, 2026. PR Newswire
  18. 18. Quince $500M, Mar 11, 2026. PR Newswire
  19. 19. Upwind Security $400M, Oct 28, 2026. Upwind blog
  20. 20. Tenstorrent $1.5B, Oct 19, 2026. Tenstorrent newsroom
  21. 21. Simile $200M, Jul 30, 2026. Simile
  22. 22. Arena $200M, Oct 8, 2026. Arena blog
  23. 23. Vercel $300M, Sep 30, 2025. Vercel
  24. 24. The Boring Company $3B, Sep 9, 2026. The Boring Company
  25. 25. Serval $150M, Oct 29, 2026. Business Wire
  26. 26. OpenEvidence $250M, Sep 16, 2026. Forbes
  27. 27. Harvey $550M, Sep 9, 2026. Harvey
  28. 28. WHOOP $575M, Mar 31, 2026. HIT Consultant
  29. 29. TypeSafe AI $870M, Oct 9, 2026. Bloomberg
  30. 30. Wispr Flow $280M, Aug 17, 2026. TechCrunch
  31. 31. Nex $150M, Sep 17, 2026. Business Wire
  32. 32. Modal Labs $750M, Oct 14, 2026. Modal
  33. 33. Hyperbolic $30M, Oct 27, 2026. Hyperbolic
  34. 34. Clay $115M, Sep 9, 2026. Clay
  35. 35. Fish Audio $52M, Jul 27, 2026. SiliconANGLE
  36. 36. Opentrons $40M, Oct 29, 2026. Business Wire
  37. 37. Skims $225M, Nov 12, 2025. Goldman Sachs Asset Management
  38. 38. Vera Health $28.5M, Oct 27, 2026. PR Newswire
  39. 39. HiBob $166M, Sep 1, 2026. Calcalist
  40. 40. Mercury $200M, May 20, 2026. FinTech Global
  41. 41. Cognition $2B, Sep 8, 2026. Cognition
  42. 42. Bedrock Robotics $600M, Oct 26, 2026. TechCrunch
  43. 43. Scale $14.3B, Jun 10, 2025. Reuters
  44. 44. Alpaca $135M, Jul 16, 2026. IT Brief Australia
  45. 45. Anduril Industries $5B, May 13, 2026. SiliconANGLE
  46. 46. Infisical $40M, Oct 27, 2026. Infisical
  47. 47. Ollama $65M, Jul 9, 2026. TechCrunch
  48. 48. Flapping Airplanes $1B, Oct 21, 2026. TechCrunch
  49. 49. Firecrawl $75M, Sep 22, 2026. Firecrawl
  50. 50. Preply $150M, Jan 21, 2026. PR Newswire
  51. 51. Crusoe $3.9B, Sep 17, 2026. Crusoe
  52. 52. Labelbox $100M, Oct 14, 2026. PR Newswire
  53. 53. Tractian $130M, Oct 22, 2026. Bloomberg Línea
  54. 54. Emergent $130M, Jul 15, 2026. Crypto Briefing
  55. 55. SuperMe $20M, Oct 29, 2026. TechCrunch
  56. 56. Rippling $450M, May 9, 2025. Rippling
  57. 57. Suki $90M, Oct 12, 2026. Healthcare Dive
  58. 58. GMI Cloud $223M, Sep 30, 2026. The AI Insider
  59. 59. Fireworks AI $1.505B, Jul 15, 2026. Fireworks AI
  60. 60. Luma AI $900M, Nov 19, 2025. Pulse 2.0
  61. 61. Hadrian $1.37B, Aug 6, 2026. PR Newswire
  62. 62. Together AI $800M, Jul 1, 2026. Verdict
  63. 63. Greptile $50M, Oct 19, 2026. Greptile
  64. 64. Substack $100M, Jul 17, 2025. Substack
  65. 65. Collective $40M, Oct 29, 2026. Collective
  66. 66. Notion $275M, Oct 8, 2021. Forbes
  67. 67. Gamma $48M, Nov 10, 2025. Business Wire
  68. 68. Positron $875M, Sep 10, 2026. Latham & Watkins
  69. 69. Hex Technologies $100M, Oct 27, 2026. Hex
  70. 70. World $52.5M, Jul 24, 2026. World blog
  71. 71. Nous Research $90M, Oct 7, 2026. Sidley Austin
  72. 72. Plaid $575M, Apr 3, 2025. Plaid
  73. 73. Ripple $500M, Nov 5, 2025. Ripple press release
  74. 74. Thatch $108M, Sep 15, 2026. Latham & Watkins
  75. 75. Cyera $400M, Sep 22, 2026. The Next Web
  76. 76. Deel $300M, Oct 16, 2025. Deel press release
  77. 77. Railway $100M, Jan 22, 2026. Railway
  78. 78. Mercor $350M, Oct 27, 2025. TechCrunch
  79. 79. Snorkel AI $350M, Sep 22, 2026. Snorkel AI
  80. 80. Town $108M, Oct 19, 2026. The Next Web
  81. 81. Stoke Space $1B, Sep 8, 2026. Stoke Space
  82. 82. Baseten $1.5B, Jun 22, 2026. Reuters
  83. 83. Kraken Exchange $100M, Sep 10, 2026. Bloomberg
  84. 84. Runpod $100M, Jun 24, 2026. Summit Partners
  85. 85. IDMe $65M, Sep 3, 2025. Biometric Update
  86. 86. Firehawk Aerospace $150M, Oct 28, 2026. Reuters
  87. 87. Casap $56M, Oct 28, 2026. PR Newswire
  88. 88. Paper $34M, Jul 22, 2026. Business Wire release
  89. 89. Fluidstack $1.5B, Sep 3, 2026. Dealroom news
  90. 90. SambaNova $1B, Jul 8, 2026. SambaNova press release
  91. 91. EliseAI $350M, Sep 29, 2026. Crypto Briefing
  92. 92. ClickUp $400M, Oct 27, 2021. PR Newswire
  93. 93. CodeRabbit $143M, Aug 12, 2026. CodeRabbit
  94. 94. Ema $77M, Sep 23, 2026. GlobeNewswire
  95. 95. NinjaOne $400M, Jun 9, 2026. NinjaOne
  96. 96. OpenSea $300M, Jan 5, 2022. OpenSea blog
  97. 97. Exa $250M, May 20, 2026. Exa
  98. 98. Safe Superintelligence $5B, Jul 27, 2026. TechCrunch
  99. 99. Grow Therapy $150M, Mar 3, 2026. PR Newswire
  100. 100. Anaconda $150M, Jul 31, 2025. Anaconda newsroom
Why we built our own list

I had this vision of publishing it as a founder sales tool, but in delegating it too much I lost touch with it and it became just another piece of content to me. I wanted to get close to it.

Following startups is one of my true hobbies. And so I have a decent amount of ambient knowledge of them in a wide way, if not an expert that has been on the inside or on the VC side. I see this as a way to translate between the inside world of venture and startups in SF and Silicon Valley.

Why this matters: Grow or Die

For me personally: I am just obsessed with following tech companies and their growth. I believe technology is a very positive force that creates new economic value and forces existing large companies and institutions to evolve.

Also, for ambitious folks that want to work hard and see their dreams become reality (literally), there's no better way to do that than a tech startup. I believe it represents the spirit of capitalism, motivation, and healthy growth.

For economies and cultures: grow or die.

That is why this list doesn't stop at the money. Funding shows who investors believe in. Branded search shows who people are actually looking for, by name, and that is the signal other lists leave out.

A note for every founder not on it

There are tons of highly successful businesses with no to low funding, or that aren't raising from Silicon Valley brand-name VCs. Some of the largest breakout companies come from different places and spaces. Keep finding your edge and your weird advantages.

The signal we want to add next

In the future we'd like to pull in some AI-centric metrics showing how the companies are impacted by or they themselves impact others with AI integrations at different levels. Many top startups are reinventing themselves to be AI-native, and we see this as a promising signal for tech company growth.

How this page got made

The Pudding is so great. Have been so inspired by them.

What cost $50k in talent by NY Times staff or pudding.cool to build in the past, and it was super cool, is now what we have to do for $500 in token costs. That is the new barrier.

Small little modules that would have cost $5k in custom dev 5 years ago now cost $5 in tokens. This is the level of software deflation we are at, which is why all software bros are AI maxxing even when other fields aren't.

Websites should by default have page experiences that are in fact more engaging than an Instagram feed. That's our competition. Or versus ChatGPT.

In building this study we also wanted to demonstrate our own team capabilities in building stories that engage and are based on data.

Questions

About the ranking

What is the GFD Tech 100?

A quarterly ranking of the top 100 private technology companies by equity funding, web traffic and branded search demand, published by Green Flag Digital.

Which company is number one in Q4 2026?

OpenAI, with an overall score of 10.0. Kalshi is second and Anthropic third.

Does debt funding count?

No. Only equity funding counts toward the funding score.

How often is it updated?

Every quarter. Each company's Q3 2026 rank is shown next to its Q4 rank.

Can I cite the ranking?

Yes. Please link to this page as the source.

Joe Robison

Founder & Consultant
Joe Robison is the founder of Green Flag Digital. He founded the agency in 2015 and has been heads-down scaling content marketing and SEO services for clients ever since. He is an occasional surfer, fledgling yogi, and sucker for organized travel tours.