The 8 best startups to work for right now, from Whatnot to Anthropic, with funding, remote policy and one real downside for each.
The best startups to work for in October 2026 depend on what you want from the job. Best overall: Whatnot, No. 1 on Forbes. Best for AI research: Anthropic. Best for cashing out some equity early: Clay. Best for remote work: Cribl. Best for working across countries: ElevenLabs. Best for health care impact: OpenEvidence. Best outside the coasts: Function Health. Best if you don't want an AI company: Fora.
One thing most lists won't tell you: the big rankings barely agree. Only Anthropic made the top 15 of both Forbes and LinkedIn, because each one measures something different.
The 8 best startups at a glance
| Startup | Best for | Key stat | One limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whatnot | Best overall | $20B valuation, No. 1 on Forbes | CEO would rather stay private |
| Anthropic | AI research | No. 1 on LinkedIn, No. 6 on Forbes | About 3,500 people, so less startup feel |
| Clay | Early equity cash-outs | $7.1B valuation, two tender offers | Product is built for sales teams |
| Cribl | Remote work | $3.5B valuation in August 2024 | That price is over two years old |
| ElevenLabs | Working across countries | $11B valuation, team in 50+ countries | Price tripled in about a year |
| OpenEvidence | Health care impact | Used by over 40% of US physicians | Funded by pharma and device ads |
| Function Health | Life outside the coasts | $2.5B valuation, Austin HQ | No public retention numbers |
| Fora | Roles outside AI | $1B valuation, 15,000 advisors | AI trip planners compete with it |
How we picked
We started with three rankings: Forbes and Statista's 500 best startup employers, LinkedIn's Top Startups 2026, published October 14, and Built In's 2026 best startups. Taking the first 15 names from each gave us 44 different companies. We kept the ones with dated funding news and public detail on how people work, then gave each a different "best for" slot. Nobody paid to appear here. Clera isn't ranked here, since that would be grading our own homework.
Here's what each ranking really measures. Forbes scores reputation, employee satisfaction and growth across about 3,000 startups. LinkedIn scores employment growth, engagement, job interest and how well a company attracts top talent, and it drops anyone who laid off 10% or more of staff. Built In rates compensation and benefits data that companies submit themselves. Age rules explain part of the gap too: LinkedIn only counts companies five years old or younger, while Forbes allows founding years from 2016 to 2023.
Our take: treat these lists as a starting point for research. None of them checks the two things that shape your actual outcome, which are your equity terms and how long the company's money lasts.
1. Whatnot
Best for: people who want the most complete all-round case.
Whatnot runs a live shopping marketplace and sits at No. 1 on Forbes for 2026. In August 2026 it raised a $545 million Series G at a $20 billion valuation, up from $11.5 billion in October 2025. It reported more than $8 billion in live sales in 2025.
Why it made the list: it has both the employer ranking and the numbers behind it, and that combination is rare.
Downside: a 10x on your equity now needs a $200 billion company. CEO Grant LaFontaine also told Fortune, "I'd probably prefer to stay private as long as we can," so ask how you could sell shares before an IPO.
Stage: Series G.
2. Anthropic
Best for: AI researchers and engineers who want to work on frontier models.
Anthropic, the company behind Claude, is No. 1 on LinkedIn and No. 6 on Forbes. LinkedIn puts it at 3,500 people, with Member of Technical Staff and Researcher as its top titles. In a tender offer that closed in April 2026, most eligible staff chose to keep their shares.
Why it made the list: it's the only company in the top 15 of both rankings, and staff declining to sell says more than any survey.
Downside: at this size you won't get the broad scope of a 50-person team, and your equity starts at a very high price.
Stage: Series H, according to LinkedIn.
3. Clay
Best for: people who want to turn some equity into cash before an IPO.
Clay builds data and AI tools for sales and growth teams, and it's listed third on Built In's page. In January 2026 it ran its second employee tender offer in nine months, letting staff sell up to $55 million of shares at $5 billion. In September it raised $115 million at $7.1 billion.
Why it made the list: a tender offer lets you sell some shares while the company is still private. Two in nine months is unusual.
Downside: if sales tooling bores you, the problems may too.
Stage: Series D.
4. Cribl
Best for: people who want remote work to be the default, not a favor.
Cribl makes data tools for IT and security teams and ranks No. 3 on Forbes. Its careers page says it has always been remote-first, with teams meeting a few times a year. Its last disclosed round was $319 million at $3.5 billion in August 2024.
Why it made the list: remote isn't a perk added later here. The company says it has always worked this way, and it doesn't ask people to move to a tech hub.
Downside: the public valuation is over two years old. Ask what your shares are priced at today, because that number could be above or below it.
Stage: Series E.
5. ElevenLabs
Best for: people who want a global team, or who don't live in the US.
ElevenLabs makes AI audio tools and is No. 8 on LinkedIn. Its careers page lists main offices in London, New York, San Francisco and Warsaw, a team across 50+ countries, and support for remote work. It raised $500 million at $11 billion in February 2026.
Why it made the list: with a team in 50+ countries, living outside the US won't make you the exception.
Downside: the price more than tripled from $3.3 billion in about a year, so you're joining after a big run. Some interview loops also include a take-home.
Stage: Series D.
6. OpenEvidence
Best for: people who want their work to reach doctors and patients.
OpenEvidence is a search tool for physicians, built on peer-reviewed research, and it's No. 6 on LinkedIn with about 105 people. Over 40% of US physicians use it, and it raised $250 million at $12 billion in January 2026.
Why it made the list: it has huge reach for a team that small, so each hire should carry real weight.
Downside: it's free for doctors because pharma and device companies pay for ads. Decide whether you're comfortable with that. LinkedIn lists Miami as HQ, but other sources differ, so confirm where your team sits.
Stage: Series D.
7. Function Health
Best for: people who want a fast-growing startup without moving to San Francisco or New York.
Function Health sells memberships with 160+ yearly lab tests. It's based in Austin, has 410 people according to LinkedIn, and ranks No. 7 there. It raised $298 million at $2.5 billion in November 2025, and members have completed over 50 million lab tests since 2023.
Why it made the list: 8 of Forbes' 2026 top 15 are based in California. Function is a strong option outside that bubble.
Downside: we found no public numbers on whether members renew each year. Ask, because a membership business lives or dies on it.
Stage: Series B.
8. Fora
Best for: operators and engineers who'd rather not work in AI.
Fora is a New York company that trains and supports independent travel advisors. It's No. 9 on LinkedIn, with 260 people, and operations is its top function. In July 2026 it raised $60 million at a $1 billion valuation and claims about 15,000 active advisors.
Why it made the list: it has real momentum in an industry far from the AI race, which also means your job isn't tied to one hype cycle.
Downside: Skift flags inactive advisors and competition from people planning trips with AI chatbots. Ask how many advisors stay active.
Stage: Series D.
What Clera's data adds
None of the three rankings shows you how often you'll have to be in an office. Clera's job data does. Across all open roles on Clera on October 22, 62% were on-site, 23% hybrid and 14% fully remote. In San Francisco, 68% were fully in the office. In New York, 54% were on-site.
The pay gap is smaller than people expect. The median midpoint for remote roles with a posted salary was $200,000, against $205,000 in New York. That doesn't control for role or seniority, so read it as a hint. Still, it suggests going remote doesn't automatically mean a big pay cut. For a fuller view, see software engineer pay at startups by stage.
How to choose
- If you want cash from your equity sooner, pick companies with a tender offer history, like Clay, and ask when the next one is.
- If you want more upside, a $20 billion company probably isn't it. Look at earlier teams in our list of startups hiring after new funding.
- If you want to work on models, start with Anthropic, then scan AI companies hiring right now.
- If location decides it, sort by work policy first and brand second. A great startup you'd hate commuting to isn't a great job.
Frequently Asked Questions
On Forbes' employee-focused ranking, it's Whatnot. On LinkedIn's growth-focused ranking, it's Anthropic, the only company in the top 15 of both. Neither answer fits everyone. Your best pick depends on your function, where you live and how long you can wait to turn equity into cash.
They measure different things. Forbes blends reputation, employee satisfaction and growth. LinkedIn tracks hiring, engagement and job interest for companies five years old or younger. Built In uses compensation and benefits data that companies provide. A company can score well on one and never qualify for another.
Ask directly how many months of cash the company has and when it plans to raise again. Then compare that with its last announced round. A good founder will answer plainly once you're deep in interviews. If you get a vague reply, treat that as your answer.
Not by itself. A high valuation means your shares start at a high price, so the company must grow a lot further for them to multiply. Ask for your share count, the total shares outstanding and how you could sell. Those three numbers tell you far more than the headline.
Sources
- Statista: America's Best Startup Employers 2026 methodology
- Poets&Quants: Forbes' top 100 startup employers for 2026
- LinkedIn News: Top Startups 2026
- Built In: Best Startups to Work For 2026
- Fortune: Whatnot's $20 billion round
- Skift: Fora's $1 billion valuation
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