This is a list of companies founded by University of Pennsylvania alumni, including attendees who enrolled in degree-programs at University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) but did not eventually graduate. This list is not exhaustive, as it only includes notable companies of which the founding and development history is well recorded by reliable sources. In particular, subsidiaries are listed with their owners in parentheses.
University of Pennsylvania is a highly entrepreneurial university and its alumni have founded a variety of companies.[1][2] According to PitchBook, from 2006 to 2017, UPenn produced 788 company founders as alumni or current students, creating 712 companies, fifth most among all universities in the world.[3][4]
In this list, founders of a company which merged with other companies to form a new company are counted as founders of the new company. However, founders of a company which later dissolved into several successor companies are not counted as founders of those successor companies; this same rule applies to spin-off companies. Finally, a defunct company is a company that had stopped functioning completely (e.g., bankrupt) without dissolving, merging or being acquired.
This list shows companies in Fortune Global 500 founded or co-founded by UPenn alumni. The cut-off revenue for 2017 Fortune Global 500 companies was $21,609M in 2016.[5]
Company | Region | Fortune Global 500
(2017)[6] |
Revenue in US$ millions
(2016)[6] |
Type | Category | Year founded | Comments | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | CVS | United States | 14 | 177,526 | Public | Health care | 1963 | |
2 | Comcast | United States | 79 | 80,403 | Public | Telecom | 1963 | |
3 | Sysco | United States | 179 | 50,367 | Public | Food distribution | 1969 | |
4 | Cisco Systems, Inc. | United States | 187 | 49,247 | Public | Hardware | 1984 | |
5 | Morgan Stanley* | United States | 267 | 37,949 | Public | Finance | 1931 (Reynolds Securities) |
*: Merger of different companies, at least one of which was founded by UPenn alumni.
This list shows companies in Fortune 1000 (only for companies within the U.S.) founded or co-founded by UPenn alumni. The cut-off revenue for 2017 Fortune 1000 companies was $1,791M in 2016.[7]
Company | Fortune 1000
(2017)[8] |
Revenue in US$ millions
(2016)[8] |
Type | Category | Year founded | Comments | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | CVS | 7 | 177,526 | Public | Health care | 1963 | |
2 | Comcast | 31 | 80,403 | Public | Telecom | 1963 | |
3 | Sysco | 57 | 50,367 | Public | Food distribution | 1969 | |
4 | Cisco Systems, Inc. | 60 | 49,247 | Public | Hardware | 1984 | |
5 | Morgan Stanley* | 76 | 37,949 | Public | Finance | 1931 (Reynolds Securities) | |
6 | BlackRock | 255 | 11,155 | Public | Investment management | 1988 | |
7 | PayPal* | 264 | 10,842 | Public | Financial services | 1999 (X.com) | |
8 | Universal Health Services | 276 | 10,508 | Public | Hospital management | 1978 | |
9 | Huntsman Corporation | 289 | 9,657 | Public | Chemicals | 1970 | |
10 | Boston Scientific | 327 | 8,386 | Public | Medical device | 1979 | |
11 | H&R Block | 727 | 3,038 | Public | Tax preparation | 1955 |
*: Merger of different companies, at least one of which was founded by UPenn alumni.
For each company, only the latest rankings (up to three years) are shown in this list.
Company | Fortune Global 500 | Fortune 1000 | Type | Category | Year founded | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Silicon Graphics | - | - | - | 876 (2003) | 738 (2002) | 625 (2001)[9] | Defunct | Technology | 1981 |
This index also contains companies listed in section "Notable defunct & dissolved".
Year | Companies founded | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | The Boring Company | |||
2015 | OpenAI | |||
2014 | Jet.com | |||
2013 | Luxe | Stringr | ||
2010 | Metro Bank | Snapdeal | ||
2009 | ||||
2007 | Invite Media | Moelis & Company | Zeta Global | Zynga |
2006 | Fuze | |||
2002 | SpaceX | PhillyCarShare | ||
2000 | Glenview Capital Management | Indiegogo | StubHub | Vista Equity Partners |
1999 | JibJab | X.com
(PayPal) |
Half.com | |
1998 | AQR Capital | Oxygen Media | ||
1996 | Alta Communications | |||
1994 | Cycorp | Och-Ziff Capital Management | ||
1992 | Point72 Asset Management | |||
1991 | York Capital Management | |||
1989 | Leonard Green & Partners | |||
1988 | BlackRock | |||
1986 | QVC | |||
1984 | Cisco Systems, Inc. | |||
1981 | Silicon Graphics | |||
1979 | Boston Scientific | Burr, Egan, Deleage & Co. | ||
1978 | Universal Health Services | |||
1976 | Blyth, Inc. | |||
1975 | Vanguard Group | |||
1973 | Commerce Bancorp | W. P. Carey | ||
1972 | Porter Novelli | |||
1971 | Financo | |||
1970 | Huntsman Corporation | |||
1969 | Sysco | |||
1968 | J.D. Power and Associates | |||
1964 | Buffett Foundation | |||
1963 | Comcast | CVS | ||
1955 | H&R Block | |||
1931 | Reynolds Securities | |||
1927 | CBS | |||
1926 | Book of the Month Club | |||
1891 | Wrigley Company |
Company | Type | Stock | Category | Year founded | Total founders | Founder/co-founder from UPenn |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fuze | Private | UCaaS | 2006 | 2[10] |
| |
Glenview Capital Management | Private | Hedge fund | 2000 | 1[12] |
| |
Indiegogo | Private | Crowdfunding | 2000 | 3[13] |
| |
Invite Media | (NASDAQ: GOOGL) | Advertising | 2007 | 4[15] | ||
Jet.com | (NYSE: WMT) | E-commerce | 2014 | 3[17] |
| |
Stringr | Private | Videography | 2013 | 2[19] | ||
Luxe | (Volvo Cars) | Parking app | 2013 | 2[21] |
| |
Metro Bank | Public | LSE: MTRO | Bank | 2010 | 1[23] |
|
Moelis & Company | Public | NYSE: MC | Investment banking | 2007 | 1[25] |
|
OpenAI | Non-profit | Technology | 2015 | 2[citation needed] | ||
Snapdeal | Private | E-commerce | 2010 | 2[27] |
| |
SpaceX | Private | Aerospace/technology | 2002 | 1[29] | ||
The Boring Company | Private | Technology | 2016 | 1[citation needed] | ||
PhillyCarShare | (Enterprise Holdings) | Car sharing | 2002 | 5[30] |
| |
Vista Equity Partners | Private | Private equity | 2000 | 2[34] |
| |
(NASDAQ: FB) | Social media | 2009 | 2[citation needed] |
| ||
Zeta Global | Private | Digital marketing | 2007 | 2[36] |
| |
Zynga | Public | NASDAQ: ZNGA | Social video game | 2007 | 5[38] |
|
Company | Type | Stock | Category | Year founded | Total founders | Founder/co-founder from UPenn |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alta Communications | Private | Private equity | 1996 | 2[40] |
| |
AQR Capital | Private | Investment management | 1998 | 4[42][43] |
| |
BlackRock | Public | NYSE: BLK | Investment management | 1988 | 8[45] |
|
Cisco Systems, Inc. | Public | NASDAQ: CSCO | Hardware | 1984 | 2[47][48] |
|
Cycorp | Private | Artificial intelligence | 1994 | 1[50] |
| |
JibJab | Private | Entertainment studio | 1999 | 2[52] |
| |
Leonard Green & Partners | Private | Private equity | 1989 | 1[54] |
| |
Och-Ziff Capital Management | Public | NYSE: OZM | Hedge fund | 1994 | 1[55] |
|
Oxygen Media | (NASDAQ: CMCSA) | TV channel | 1998 | 5[56] |
| |
Point72 Asset Management | Private | Hedge fund | 1992 | 1[58] |
| |
QVC | (NASDAQ: QRTEA) | Home shopping | 1986 | 1[59] |
| |
StubHub | (NASDAQ: EBAY) | Ticket exchange | 2000 | 2[60] |
| |
X.com (now PayPal) | Public (merged) | NASDAQ: PYPL | Financial services | 1999 (X.com) | 1[62] (X.com) | |
York Capital Management | Private | Investment management | 1991 | 1[63] |
|
Company | Type | Stock | Category | Year founded | Total founders | Founder/co-founder from UPenn |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blyth, Inc. | (NYSE: CG) | Home accessories | 1976 | 1[64] |
| |
Boston Scientific | Public | NYSE: BSX | Medical device | 1979 | 2[66] |
|
Buffett Foundation | Non-profit | Foundation | 1964[68] | 1[69] |
| |
Comcast | Public | NASDAQ: CMCSA | Telecom | 1963 | 3[71] |
|
CVS | Public | NYSE: CVS | Health care | 1963 | 3[76][77] |
|
Financo | Private | Investment banking | 1971 | 1[79] |
| |
Huntsman Corporation | Public | NYSE: HUN | Chemicals | 1970 | 1[80] |
|
J.D. Power and Associates | Private | Marketing research | 1968 | 1[82] |
| |
Porter Novelli | (NYSE: OMC) | Public relations | 1972 | 2[84] |
| |
Sysco | Public | NYSE: SYY | Food distribution | 1969 | 3[86] |
|
Universal Health Services | Public | NYSE: UHS | Hospital management | 1978 | 1[88] |
|
Vanguard Group | Private | Investment management | 1975 | 1[89] |
| |
W. P. Carey | Public | NYSE: WPC | Real estate investment | 1973 | 1[91] |
|
Company | Type | Stock | Category | Year founded | Total founders | Founder/co-founder from UPenn |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Book of the Month Club | (Pride Tree Holdings) | E-subscription | 1926 | 1[93] |
| |
CBS | (NYSE: CBS) | Broadcasting | 1927 | 1[95] |
| |
H&R Block | Public | NYSE: HRB | Tax preparation | 1955 | 2[97] |
|
Reynolds Securities | —> Public (merged) | NYSE: MS | Finance | 1931 (Reynolds) | 3 (Reynolds)[99] | |
Wrigley Company | (Mars, Incorporated) | Food | 1891 | 1[102] |
|
Company | Type | Stock | Category | Year founded | Total founders | Founder/co-founder from UPenn |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Burr, Egan, Deleage & Co. | Dissolved | Private equity | 1979 | 3[104] |
| |
Commerce Bancorp | Defunct | Bank | 1973 | 1[105] |
| |
Half.com | Defunct | Online shopping | 1999 | 2[106] |
| |
Silicon Graphics | Defunct (bankrupt) | Technology | 1981 | Unknown[108] |
|
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