A startup is a business or project in the first stages of development, often built by an entrepreneur to pursue an innovative business model.
Typically a startup has less than 100 employees, however a startup is often defined not by size but by profitability. According to Alex Wilhelm, writer for TechCrunch, a company is no longer considered a startup after it reaches a $50 million revenue run rate or is worth more than $500 million, on paper or otherwise.