Virginia's startup ecosystem shows a strong concentration in software, with a notable focus on cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. These companies are primarily clustered in the northern part of the state, reflecting the region's tech corridor.
Among the top companies is education software provider Ellucian, which has secured $1.6 billion in funding. Digital identity firm ID.me is another major player, having raised over $814 million.
Below is our list of 55 Virginia startups worth keeping an eye on.
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Get the Sheet for $50ID.me has built a digital identity network where users can securely prove who they are online. Their platform is widely used by government agencies and commercial partners to grant trusted access to services and benefits.
| Year Founded | 2010 |
| Founders | Blake Hall, Matthew Thompson, Tanel Suurhans |
| Funding Amount | $814.2M |
| Startup Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series E |
| Top Investors | BoxGroup, Morgan Stanley, Ribbit Capital, Fortress Investment Group, Ares Management |
Shift5 develops hardware and software to defend critical operational technology platforms like planes, trains, and weapon systems from cyberattacks. The company's platform provides operators with the data and insights needed to detect and respond to threats in real time.
| Year Founded | 2019 |
| Founders | Josh Lospinoso |
| Funding Amount | $180.5M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series C |
| Top Investors | CSP Equity Partners, Insight Partners, 645 Ventures, AE Industrial Partners, Booz Allen Ventures |
Ellucian builds enterprise resource planning (ERP) software specifically designed for higher education institutions. Their solutions help colleges and universities manage critical operations from student administration to financial aid and human resources.
| Year Founded | 1968 |
| Founders | E. G. Kendrick |
| Funding Amount | $1.6B |
| Startup Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Debt Financing |
| Top Investors | TPG, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, UBS, Goldman Sachs |
RegScale delivers a continuous compliance automation platform for heavily regulated industries. Their software replaces manual, spreadsheet-based processes with a scalable, API-driven approach that turns regulatory obligations into code.
| Year Founded | 2021 |
| Founders | Guy Arieli, Travis Howerton |
| Funding Amount | $51.5M |
| Startup Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Series B |
| Top Investors | Hitachi Ventures, Washington Harbour Partners, SineWave Ventures, SYN Ventures, M12 - Microsoft's Venture Fund |
Trustible builds an AI governance platform that helps companies safely adopt and scale artificial intelligence. Their software provides the tools needed to monitor AI systems, enforce policies, and ensure they operate responsibly.
| Year Founded | 2023 |
| Founders | Andrew Gamino-Cheong, Gerald Iturrioz |
| Funding Amount | $12.4M |
| Startup Size | Founding Team (1-10) |
| Last Funding Status | Seed |
| Top Investors | Alumni Ventures, VamosVentures, Harlem Capital, Google for Startups, Inner Loop Capital |
Silent Push develops a proactive threat intelligence platform that helps security teams detect threats before they can launch an attack. Their technology provides a complete external view of an organization's attack surface by mapping adversary infrastructure.
| Year Founded | 2020 |
| Founders | Ken Bagnall |
| Funding Amount | $30M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series B |
| Top Investors | Ten Eleven Ventures, StepStone Group, Knollwood Investment Advisory, Aro Ventures |
Seekr develops AI technology that enables enterprises and government agencies to deploy trustworthy and transparent solutions. Their platform is designed for building accurate and explainable AI models intended for critical, high-impact applications.
| Year Founded | 2021 |
| Founders | Pat Condo |
| Funding Amount | $164.3M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | AMD Ventures, Danu Venture Group |
QuickCode.ai provides a software platform to solve the common bottleneck of acquiring high-quality labeled training data. Their AI-powered tools help teams build better models by making the data labeling process faster and more accurate.
| Year Founded | 2021 |
| Founders | Gary King, Rebecca Fair, Shannon Hynds |
| Funding Amount | $4.5M |
| Startup Size | Founding Team (1-10) |
| Last Funding Status | Seed |
| Top Investors | Buckhorn Capital Group, PS27 Ventures, DataTribe |
Interos provides an AI-powered platform that maps and monitors a company's entire business ecosystem in real time. This technology helps organizations achieve operational resilience by identifying and mitigating supply chain risks before they cause disruptions.
| Year Founded | 2005 |
| Founders | Jennifer Bisceglie, Kevin Kimberlin |
| Funding Amount | $174.9M |
| Startup Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Private Equity |
| Top Investors | Blue Owl, Kleiner Perkins, Venrock, NightDragon, Hakluyt Capital |
PenFed Credit Union provides its members with a wide range of financial products, including mortgages, auto loans, credit cards, and personal checking accounts. Originally established to serve the Pentagon, the member-owned institution now serves a global membership with competitive rates and a focus on financial well-being.
| Year Founded | 1935 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | $845.9M |
| Startup Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Debt Financing |
| Top Investors | — |
45 Additional Virginia Startups Worth Following
The top 10 are just a small slice of what’s happening across Virginia right now. Many more founders are building in fields like AI and mobility, and have raised over $8 billion combined.
Some are early in their journey, while others are scaling fast. Here’s a look at the other startups shaping the state's growing ecosystem.
