Introduction 

Every year, LinkedIn releases its Top Startups in the US list, and it’s more than just a ranking. It’s a snapshot of how the next generation of businesses is rewriting the playbook for growth. 

In 2025, these startups are growing up fast. According to LinkedIn data, companies on the list are scaling three times faster than traditional corporations, despite operating with leaner teams and budgets. The reason? They’re not built for bureaucracy, they’re built for velocity. 

From AI disruptors like Perplexity to health innovators like Cadence and Charlie Health, these startups don’t just compete with big brands, they outsmart and outpace them. Here’s what they’re getting right (and what the rest can learn). 

Speed Is the New Strategy

US startups don’t just move fast, they’re designed for speed. It’s baked into how they make decisions, test ideas, and learn from failure. 

In legacy brands, a new product often takes months (or years) of internal approval. Startups test it in a week. That difference compounds over time, and it’s why the gap keeps widening. 

Look at Underdog, the fantasy sports platform that hit unicorn status in 2025 after raising $70M and expanding to 40 states. Their growth wasn’t about luck. It came from rapid iteration, testing new formats, learning from users daily, and adjusting in real time. 

The lesson: 

• Execution beats perfection. Move, test, refine. 

• Short feedback loops drive big wins. 

• Speed builds learning, and learning builds resilience. 

In short, startups in the US treat speed not as chaos, but as a system. 

Data Clarity Beats Data Volume

Top US startups know that more data doesn’t mean more clarity. The best ones use AI and analytics to focus on signal, not noise. 

Take Synctera, the San Francisco fintech connecting businesses with banks through its “banking-as-a-service” platform. Their success isn’t about collecting every metric, it’s about understanding which data points actually predict customer lifetime value and risk. 

Similarly, Mercor, an AI-driven hiring platform founded in 2023, uses machine learning to screen and match candidates faster and more accurately. Their model doesn’t just analyze resumes, it learns which skills predict performance. 

That’s the pattern: 

• Simplify dashboards to track only 3–5 key metrics. 

• Use AI for context, not just computation. 

• Make data accessible across teams, no silos. 

Legacy brands still drown in spreadsheets. Startups in the US surf on insights. 

Founder Visibility = Brand Trust

The most successful startups in the US build brands around people, not just products. 

ARMRA, for example, a wellness company selling colostrum-based supplements for immune and gut health, grew explosively through influencer marketing and founder visibility. Their CEO frequently appears in interviews and educational content, making science accessible and authentic. 

Meanwhile, Perplexity, one of the fastest-growing AI startups of 2025, owes much of its traction to founder-led storytelling. By positioning their product, an AI-powered search engine,  as a challenger to Google, they’ve built a passionate following around transparency and curiosity. 

Founder visibility isn’t vanity, it’s trust currency. 
When leaders share openly about challenges, pivots, and product decisions, audiences connect emotionally. 

And in today’s landscape, that visibility fuels AI visibility too. When founders consistently appear in credible sources, LLMs like ChatGPT or Claude start associating their brands with authority, influencing how (and if) they show up in AI-generated answers. 

So yes, being visible online doesn’t just build human trust. It builds machine trust. 

AI Isn’t a Department, It’s a Culture

AI isn’t the future for US startups, it’s the foundation. 

The top players don’t treat AI as a project; they weave it into everything. 

• Perplexity uses large language models (LLMs) to deliver conversational, real-time search results, a direct challenge to traditional search engines. 

• Mercor automates hiring workflows, using AI to screen and interview candidates. 

• Thinking Machines Lab, co-founded by former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati, launched Tinker, an API for fine-tuning AI models, making complex AI tools more accessible to developers everywhere. 

This mindset shift is what separates startups from laggards. They don’t ask “Should we use AI?”, they ask “Where can AI make this smarter?” 

For Latin American founders expanding into the US market, this is the wake-up call. The edge isn’t having the latest tech stack, it’s building an AI-literate culture where every team knows how to leverage it. 

Solving Real Problems, Not Just Scaling Fast

Another clear pattern among the fastest-growing startups in the US: they’re mission-driven, not hype-driven. 

Take Charlie Health, which offers virtual mental health treatment nationwide, or Cadence, which helps patients manage chronic conditions through remote monitoring. Both companies use technology to solve real, urgent problems, not just create new ones. 

This customer-first approach is what turns early adopters into loyal communities. It’s also what investors now look for: purpose with performance. 

Because growth without meaning doesn’t last, and the US startup scene in 2025 is proving it. 

My Take

After working with startups across LATAM and the US, one thing is clear: the difference isn’t talent or ambition. It’s structure and mindset. 

Startups in the US have learned to: 

• Decide fast. 

• Use AI intelligently. 

• Build visibility intentionally. 

And they do it with clarity that comes from iteration, not hierarchy. 

For Latin American startups eyeing the US market, that’s the real opportunity, not to mimic Silicon Valley, but to translate its pace and discipline into local ecosystems. 

The playbook is open. What matters is how you execute it. 

Actionable Summary 

If you’re building or scaling a startup, in the US or beyond, here’s what to take away: 

1. Move faster than your comfort zone. Speed compounds. 
2. Simplify your metrics. Focus on what drives growth. 
3. Be visible. Human and AI audiences both reward it. 
4. Build AI into your core. Not as a tool, as a mindset. 
5. Stay purpose-driven. Solve real problems, not just chase valuations. 

At HatchEcom, we help startups and brands grow with clarity, from AI visibility to Amazon optimization and scalable digital ecosystems. 

Let’s talk strategy and turn your next move into momentum.