HubSpot Named to Inc.’s Founders 40 for Newly Public Companies Driving Innovation

When HubSpot was founded in 2006, our mission was to transform the way businesses approach marketing and sales. Since then, we’ve added many new faces, continued to create a more empathetic (and effective) product, and even opened our doors in a few new places -- but the mission has never changed.

This commitment to transformation is why today, we are proud to announce that HubSpot co-founders Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah have been named to Inc.’s Founders 40. The inaugural list is a collection of newly public companies best recognized for driving innovation post-IPO.

Inc.’s list includes founders from companies like Shake Shack, Shopify, GrubHub, Box, Care.com, FitBit, and many others, putting focus on founders who “never lost his or her entrepreneurial spirit”. The listed companies viewed their IPO not as the end of the road, but rather as another step towards positively impacting their customers and the community at large. 

“I have always supported principles-first thinking, or letting what you believe drive your work,” said Brian, HubSpot co-founder & CEO. “Dharmesh and I genuinely believe that someday, most businesses around the world will provide a helpful and human experience to customers and strangers alike. That’s why we started HubSpot, and that’s the belief that will continue to guide our work in the future.”

“It’s not just the business that’s important, but the people, too,” said Dharmesh, HubSpot co-founder & CTO. “That’s why we put such a premium on hiring and retaining top talent: you can’t have a great customer experience without remarkable employees. And you can’t attract remarkable employees without having a great culture.  A culture built on a sense of ownership, transparency and trust. ”

Inc.’s list drew upon a list of companies that have been public since the start of 2012, with annual revenue between $50 million and $1.5 billion. Ultimately, the 40 companies chosen were those with the best track record for innovation, what Inc. calls an “honor roll of publicly traded entrepreneurial companies.”