2020 was a record-setting year for CNBC Disruptor 50 companies, despite initial concern that IPO activity and global M&A would stall due to the pandemic. In all, 14 companies from the 2020 list made their private-market exit — more than ever before in a year's time. Among those were some of the biggest in CNBC Disruptor 50 history, including Coupang, Airbnb, Snowflake, Coinbase and UiPath.
Sixty-five of the 233 companies named to the CNBC Disruptor 50 list over the past nine years have become public companies through an IPO, direct listing or SPAC merger (a few have been acquired since). In all, 34 past disruptors have been acquired by large public incumbents, including deals in the past year made by American Express, Charles Schwab and The Carlyle Group.
Below is the complete history of the CNBC Disruptor 50, with details on each of the 233 start-ups to make the list between 2013 and 2021. Read more about the 2021 CNBC Disruptor 50 list and how we chose it.
KEY:
I = ineligible due to company age
A = acquired
P = public
X = shut down
*In 2013 the CNBC Disruptor 50 was an unranked list.
Company | 2021 rank | 2020 rank | 2019 rank | 2018 rank | 2017 rank | 2016 rank | 2015 rank | 2014 rank | 2013 made the list* | Material changes |
23ANDME | - | - | 46 | 7 | 12 | 5 | - | - | Yes | Announced plans to merge with VG Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), in February 2021 |
3D ROBOTICS | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Yes | - |
ADYEN | P | P | P | 16 | - | - | - | - | - | IPO on June 13, 2018 |
AEREO | X | X | X | X | X | X | X | 7 | Yes | Bankrupt as of November 21, 2014; It was later purchased by DVR company TiVo for $1 million in March 2015 |
AFFIRM | P | 23 | 33 | - | - | - | - | - | - | IPO on January 13, 2021 |
AIRBNB | P | 41 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 41 | Yes | IPO on December 10, 2020 |
AIRTABLE | 46 | - | 36 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
AMP ROBOTICS | 25 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
ANGELLIST | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 26 | - | - |
APEEL | 30 | 34 | 48 | 48 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
APPTIO | A | A | A | P | P | - | - | 30 | - | IPO on September 23, 2016; Acquired by Vista Equity Partners on November 11, 2018 |
ATLASSIAN | P | P | P | P | P | P | - | - | Yes | IPO on December 10, 2015 |
ATTABOTICS | - | 38 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
AUDAX HEALTH | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | Yes | Acquired by United Health Care on February 19, 2014 |
AURIS HEALTH | A | A | A | 46 | - | - | - | - | - | Acquired by Johnson & Johnson on February 12, 2019 |
BEAUTYCOUNTER | A | 48 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Acquired by The Carlyle Group on April 13, 2021 |
BESTOW | 35 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
BETTER.COM | - | 15 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Announced plans to merge with Aurora Acquisitions Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), in May 2021 |
BETTERMENT | - | - | - | - | - | - | 36 | 45 | - | - |
BILL.COM | P | P | - | - | - | - | - | 37 | - | IPO on December 12, 2019 |
BIRCHBOX | - | - | - | - | - | - | 43 | 50 | - | - |
BLIPPAR | X | X | X | - | 30 | 9 | 19 | - | - | Entered into administration in UK court and laid off all employees on December 18, 2018; Its assets were later acquired by Candy Capital in January 2019 |
BLOCPOWER | 47 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
BLOOM ENERGY | P | P | P | - | 23 | 6 | 3 | - | - | IPO on July 25, 2018 |
BLUE APRON | P | P | P | P | 42 | - | - | - | - | IPO on June 29, 2017 |
BOKU | P | P | P | P | - | - | - | - | Yes | IPO on November 20, 2017 |
BOX | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | - | Yes | IPO on January 23, 2015 |
BREX | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
BRIGHTROLL | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 27 | - | Acquired by Yahoo on November 11, 2014 |
BROMIUM | A | A | - | - | - | - | - | - | Yes | Acquired by HP on September 19, 2019 |
BUTTERFLY NETWORK | P | 32 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | IPO on February 19, 2021 via a merger with Longview Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) |
BUZZFEED | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Yes | - |
C3.AI | P | 37 | 50 | 32 | - | - | - | - | - | IPO on December 9, 2020; Formerly known as C3 IoT |
CASPER | P | P | 8 | - | - | - | - | - | - | IPO on February 6, 2020 |
CASTLIGHT HEALTH | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | Yes | IPO on March 17, 2014 |
CHARGEPOINT | P | - | - | - | - | - | - | 12 | - | IPO on March 1, 2021 via a merger with Switchback Energy Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) |
CHECKOUT.COM | 13 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
CHIME | 8 | 25 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
CIRCLEUP | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Yes | - |
CITYBLOCK HEALTH | 28 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
CLEAR | 19 | 39 | 22 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
CLOUDERA | P | P | P | P | P | 14 | - | - | - | IPO on April 28, 2017; Acquired by KKR and Clayton Dubilier & Rice on June 1, 2021 |
CLOUDFLARE | P | P | - | - | - | 24 | - | - | - | IPO on September 13, 2019 |
CLUBHOUSE | 33 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
COCKROACH LABS | 27 | - | - |