Technology

A Look Back at the CNBC Disruptor 50: 9 Years, 233 Companies

George Kavallines

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.

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