VAStartups.org is an independent, non-commercial directory and field guide for founders, investors, and ecosystem builders working in Virginia. Maintained by volunteers; supported by sponsors who don't get to influence what we write.
Virginia has one of the most distinctive startup ecosystems in the country — federal contracting infrastructure in NoVA, a healthcare and finance corridor in Richmond, biotech and climate research orbiting UVA, maritime and defense industrial capacity in Hampton Roads, and a hardware-friendly hub anchored at Virginia Tech. None of those communities have a single directory connecting them.
Founders in Galax should know what's happening in Arlington. Investors visiting Charlottesville should be able to see every company within a 90-minute drive. Press should have a credible source list when something out of Norfolk crosses their desk. That's what we're for.
The directory is curated. Every company is reviewed by an editor before listing — not for quality, but for accuracy. We track founding year, stage, sector, region, and a one-sentence description that a founder would actually recognize. We don't list portfolio companies of a fund as a favor, and we don't take payment for inclusion.
The field guide is opinionated. It reflects the experience of founders who've actually raised money, hired across regions, and shipped products from Virginia — not generic startup advice borrowed from elsewhere.
We don't host pitch events. We don't run a fund. We don't sell leads. We don't rank or score companies. If you're looking for those services, several of our sponsors do them well; we link to them on the relevant pages.
Sponsors fund hosting, design, editorial labor, and the modest annual cost of running this site as a public good. Sponsors get a logo placement and a thank-you. They do not get editorial influence, listing priority, or access to subscriber data. If that arrangement is interesting, write us at sponsor@vastartups.org.
Editor: Volunteer. Based in Richmond.
Regional contributors: Five — one per region.
Email: hello@vastartups.org
January 2026.
Built in Richmond, VA.
Independent. Non-commercial.
No auto-scraped descriptions, no AI-rewritten blurbs. If a company's stage or region changes, we want to hear about it.
Sponsorship pays the bills. It does not buy listing priority, removal of competitors, or favorable framing.
The directory is and will remain free to read and free to be listed in. We don't sell data, scrape emails, or run dark pattern signups.