San Francisco has long been the powerhouse behind the region’s strong economy, with powerful collaborations between the private sector, government, and academia providing an environment where innovation flourishes and businesses succeed.
San Francisco has the largest share of employment in the U.S. with 49% big tech engineers and 27% startup engineers. It is known as a global technology hub and a home for a dynamic startup culture with various investment opportunities. It has over 160 unicorns and over 30,000 tech startups, making it the top region for tech businesses.
San Francisco ranked as the best city for startups worldwide, according to StartupBlink. Its score of 546.43 was more than double that of second-ranked New York, with London coming in third.
From artificial intelligence to cloud engineering, the San Francisco startup ecosystem offers various opportunities for entrepreneurs to bring their visions to life. Entrepreneurs who establish themselves here can have easy access to a wealth of resources, including deep-pocketed investors, world-class talent, and a community of founders dedicated to digital transformation.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the most promising San Francisco startups, explore their innovative products and services, and discover why they deserve your attention.
Let’s first discuss the factors that contributed to their selection among our list of top 10 startups to watch in San Francisco.
Factors Considered to Curate San Francisco Startup List
We have considered some important factors impacting a startup’s reputation to offer entrepreneurs clear insights into their collaboration and operations.
These factors include:
- Expertise
- Years of experience
- Portfolio
- Communication
- Transparency
- Project Timeline
- Affordance
- Maintenance support
- Ratings and reviews
- Client testimonials
- Awards and Recognitions
This list aims to provide a well-rounded perspective for entrepreneurs and help them make informed decisions when choosing partners, ensuring smooth collaboration, timely project delivery, and long-term support.
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Now, let’s discuss the top startups in San Francisco, their success stories, and their impact on the industry.
Top 10 Best Tech Startups in San Francisco
Every year, hundreds of startups emerge at the forefront of their industries, driven by innovative ideas and game-changing business models. In 2025, San Francisco continues to be a hotbed for such trailblazers. We have curated a list of the best-emerging startups in SF to watch this year, that startup enthusiasts, investors, and entrepreneurs won’t want to miss.
1. Mercury
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fintech, Neobanking |
| Founders | Immad Akhund, Jason Zhang, Max Tagher |
| Founded In | 2017 |
| Funding | Secondary Market, $152.2 Million |
| Investors Include | Andreessen Horowitz, Serena Ventures |
Mercury is a fintech company, founded in 2017 and offering banking services tailored for startups. It provides checking and savings accounts, credit cards, treasury services, and venture debt through partnerships with banks like Choice Financial Group and Evolve Bank & Trust. Mercury’s platform is trusted by over 100,000 startups for its intuitive experience and comprehensive financial tools.
2. Arrow
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Industry | AI, Martech |
| Founders | Rolan Reichel, Pablo Munoz De Cote |
| Founded In | 2018 |
| Funding | Seed, $500,000 |
| Investors Include | ARCADIAN Fund, Cosmos Global Holdings |
Arrow AI is a San Francisco-based martech startup founded in 2018 by Rolan Reichel. It streamlines social media content creation and publication for businesses using artificial intelligence. Their platform combines AI with expert business content creators to drive leads, accelerate sales cycles, enhance customer retention, and reduce marketing costs.
3. Mysten Labs
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cryptocurrency, Software, Blockchain, Web Apps |
| Founders | Adeniyi Abiodun, Evan Cheng, George Danezis, Konstantinos Chalkias, Sam Blackshear |
| Founded In | 2021 |
| Funding | Series B, $336 Million |
| Investors Include | Coinbase Ventures, Jump Crypto, 9Yards Capital, Protofund |
Mysten Labs is one of the most successful startups in San Francisco headquartered in Palo Alto, California. It is a Web3 infrastructure startup focused on decentralized applications and blockchain technology. The company was founded by former engineers from Meta’s Novi Research team to build a foundation for the next generation of decentralized internet services.
Mysten developed Sui, a high-performance Layer 1 blockchain designed for scalability, low latency, and user-friendly decentralized applications. Mysten Labs is at the forefront of blockchain innovation, enabling developers to create more secure, scalable, and user-centric decentralized platforms.
4. At-Bay
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cybersecurity, Insurance Technology |
| Founders | Etai Hochman, Roman Itskovich, Rotem Iram, Tilli Kalisky-Bannett |
| Founded In | 2016 |
| Funding | Series D, $295.7 Million |
| Investors Include | ION Crossover Partners, M12 Microsoft Venture Fund, Icon |
At-Bay is one of the San Francisco startup companies specializing in cyber insurance. It combines industry-leading insurance with advanced cybersecurity technology to help businesses manage digital risks. At-Bay offers coverage options including Cyber Insurance, Tech Errors & Omissions (E&O), and Miscellaneous Professional Liability (MPL). Their platform provides automated underwriting, delivering bindable quotes in seconds, along with actionable security insights to enhance client protection.
5. Thirdweb
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Industry | Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Developer Tools, Software |
| Founders | Furqan Rydhan, Obabtc Wurld, Steven Bartlett, Tristan Gerhardt |
| Founded In | 2020 |
| Funding | Series A, $29 Million |
| Investors Include | Blockpay, Haun Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, Polygon |
Thirdweb, one of the leading startups in SF, offers a comprehensive Web3 development platform that empowers creators, artists, and entrepreneurs to build, launch, and manage decentralized applications (dApps) without extensive coding. Their toolkit simplifies the integration of features such as NFTs, marketplaces, and social tokens into projects, facilitating the creation of blockchain games, NFT drops, decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), and token-gated content.
6. AtoB
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sustainability, Fintech, Payments, Sustainability, Transportation |
| Founders | Harshita Arora, Tushar Misra, Vignan Velivela |
| Founded In | 2019 |
| Funding | Series B, $257 Million |
| Investors Include | General Catalyst, Contrary, Jetstream, Leadout Capital, Elad Gil |
AtoB is one of the new startups in San Francisco founded in 2019. It is a fintech company that works for the transportation industry’s payment infrastructure. They offer a variety of financial products tailored for fleet operators, including zero-fee fuel cards accepted nationwide, instant direct-deposit payroll services, and comprehensive financial dashboards. By leveraging telematics and geolocation technology, AtoB enhances fuel purchasing efficiency and security for commercial transportation operators.
7. Unstoppable Domains
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Industry | Internet, Domain Registrar, Blockchain |
| Founders | Bogdan Gusiev, Brad Kam, Braden Pezeshki, Matthew Gould |
| Founded In | 2018 |
| Funding | Series A, $72 Million |
| Investors Include | Boost VC, Pantera Capital, Alt-Tab Capital, Mayfield Fund |
Unstoppable Domains, based in San Francisco, offers blockchain-based domain names that empower users with full ownership and control over their digital identities. Unlike traditional domains, these Web3 domains are minted on the blockchain, eliminating renewal fees and enhancing security.
They serve as universal usernames, simplifying crypto transactions and enabling seamless access to decentralized applications (dApps) and metaverses. Additionally, users can create and host censorship-resistant websites, ensuring their content remains accessible and under their control.
8. Do Good Points
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Industry | Social, Fintech |
| Founders | Andy Choi |
| Founded In | 2019 |
| Funding | Bootstrapped |
Do Good Points, founded in 2019 by Andy Choi, is a San Francisco-based social enterprise that gamifies charitable giving. Their platform enables users to earn “Good Points” through various actions, which can be redeemed for monetary donations to nonprofits, allowing individuals to contribute without spending money.
This approach aims to engage a younger, digitally savvy audience in philanthropy. The company also offers marketing solutions to help nonprofits reach and engage this demographic effectively.
9. Forethought
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Industry | Artificial Intelligence, Enterprise Software, Machine Learning, Customer Service |
| Founders | Colm Doyle, Deon Nicholas, Sami Ghoche |
| Founded In | 2017 |
| Funding | Series C, $92 Million |
| Investors Include | Cleo Capital, Steadfast Financial, K9 Ventures |
Forethought, founded in 2017 and based in San Francisco, specializes in AI-driven customer support solutions. Their platform leverages generative AI to automate and enhance customer service operations, enabling businesses to respond to inquiries efficiently. By integrating AI into daily workflows, Forethought aims to reduce resolution times and boost agent productivity.
10. Truework
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Industry | Financial Services, Developer APIs, Fintech, Identity Management |
| Founders | Ethan Winchell, Ryan Sandler, Victor Kabdebon |
| Founded In | 2017 |
| Funding | Corporate Round, $118.9 Million |
| Investors Include | G Squared, American Express Ventures, Activant Capital |
Truework was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in San Francisco. It offers a comprehensive income and employment verification platform. Their service streamlines the verification process for mortgage lenders, consumer lenders, and property managers to enhance security.
By connecting major verification methods into a single platform, Truework ensures maximum coverage and speed and allows businesses to configure processes that best suit their needs.
How Can Clustox Improve Your Startup’s Operations?
San Francisco remains a hub for innovation, home to some of the most groundbreaking startups in the world. These top 10 best San Francisco Startups highlight the variety of offerings including innovations in AI, blockchain, fintech, and much more.
For startups aiming to scale rapidly and stay ahead in this competitive world, partnering with the right technology provider is the most important step. This is where Clustox can make a significant difference. With expertise in software development, product design, and digital transformation, Clustox empowers startups to build scalable and innovative solutions.
Providing end-to-end development services, from MVP creation to advanced tech integrations, Clustox enables startups to focus on their goals while delivering exceptional user experiences.
Whether you’re looking to accelerate your time-to-market, enhance product functionality, or ensure robust security and performance, Clustox can help you bring your vision to life. Connect with us to drive your startup’s success in the competition.