Why this exists
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.
How we work
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. This directory is still a work in progress, so if there are errors, let us know.
What we don't do
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.
Who built this
VAStartups.org was built by Brian Breslin, CEO of Infini and Director of Student Entrepreneurship at the University of Virginia. He's been a lifelong supporter of entrepreneurship ecosystems — the kind of person who shows up early, stays late, and writes the directory nobody else got around to writing.
He spent 20 years building the Miami startup ecosystem into a top 10 US market. He started RefreshMiami, the largest startup community in the Southeast. Now living in Virginia, Brian is trying to help fill the gaps that help ecosystems thrive.
The site grew out of the same observation that motivates most of his work: founders are surrounded by ecosystems they can't see, and the connective tissue is mostly missing. This is one small contribution toward making Virginia's a little more legible.
Sponsorship
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.