Start Up Day Across America – August 1, 2025

History of Start Up Day Across America

To encourage individuals across the United States to start their enterprises and promote the spirit of entrepreneurship, Startup Day Across America was established by Jared Polis and Darrell Issa in 2013. A start-up can be defined as a highly scalable, often tech-based venture until it attains a huge scale of functioning. For example, Edison General Electric was one of the first American start-ups. Other giants like Nokia were start-ups too before they became large corporations.

The start-up culture in America is closely linked to the rise of Silicon Valley. First coined in 1971, the term Silicon ‘Valley’ refers to companies situated in a particular area in the state of California, near Stanford University. These companies manufactured semiconductors, hence the name. From the 1980s onwards, the term came to be used for the areas of Palo Alto, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, and Mountain View. The start-up boom began alongside the dot.com boom. This era brought about a heightened acceptance of technology and a conviction that the internet could transform the world.

The 2000s were revolutionary and an era of renewed fervor in the world of start-ups. The Tech start-ups of the decade invariably shaped the cultural zeitgeist and altered perceptions for years to come. Companies such as Facebook, Uber, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tinder, and Tesla were all established in this decade. Even two decades later, the start-up ecosystem holds strong. Start-Up enthusiasm has spread beyond Silicon Valley and reached all corners of the country.