When is a “startup” no longer a startup?

2014 has been a record year for technology company valuations and IPOs. Many startup companies have had great success with acquisitions and going public (Hortonworks - NASDAQ:HDP, Alibaba - NYSE:BABA, and Facebook’s $21.8B acquisition of WhatsApp). Xiaomi and Uber have been recently valued by investors at over $40B. But when is a startup no longer a startup? After going public? After an “exit” acquisition? There are dozens of private companies in the ten and hundred billions in revenue, but many aren’t considered to be a “startup.” Many of these companies are happy with staying private, and avoiding many headaches that come with being public.

Read - The Two Startups That Joined The $40 Billion Club In 2014