Which 15 Startups Reached A Million Users The Fastest?

Business Insider has compiled a report of 15 hot startups and how long it took them to reach 1,000,000 users, downloads or sales. The list includes social media sites like Twitter that took 24 months to reach its one millionth user, compared to Facebook that only took 10 months. Mobile photo sharing app Instagram reached its one millionth milestone in under 3 months and now currently has over 11 million users. What’s even more impressive is the mobile social network app Path that was launched in November 2011 and received over 1 million downloads within the first two weeks.

The trend for startups to become viral is its engagement factor and relevance to the targeted audience. The 15 startups showcased by Business Insider all had a social component that included a community aspect. For example, Gilt Groupe connected shoppers to high-end fashion at an exclusive discounted price and was able to build a network of 1 million members in 24 months. Spotify reached out to its consumers who wanted a music streaming service where they can easily search, find and share tracks – enabling it to hit 1 million users in just 5 months.

Here is the list:

1. Relaunched Path – 2 weeks

2. Oink app – 3 weeks

3. Instagram – 2.5 months

4. Spotify- 5 months

5. Fab – 5 months

6. Dropbox – 7 months

7. Facebook – 10 months

8. Foursquare – 13 months

9. Pinterest – 2o months

10. Gilt Groupe – 24 months

11. Twitter – 24 months

12.Tumblr – 24 months

13. One Kings Lane (home decor) – 26 months

14. Airbnb – 30 months (estimated)

15. Kickstarter – 30 months

Business Insider: How Long It Took 15 Hot Startups To Reach 1,000,000 Users