start-up company, also spelled startup company, a business at the initial stages of its life cycle. It is typically characterized by an innovative stance, a potential for rapid growth, external funding, and vulnerability. Start-ups can appear in virtually any industry and may span more than one, and they have given rise to the start-up culture, which values creative and innovative thinking. Many start-ups seek to establish a repeatable and scalable model that addresses a particular gap in an existing market or creates a new market entirely, and they are therefore often disruptive in challenging the conventional business model. While the