A stealth startup is a type of startup company that operates quietly and in silence to outsiders, avoiding public attention. This may be done to hide information from competitors (which may include non-disclosure agreements), or as part of a marketing strategy to manage public image and generate expectations and interest from potential clients. A stealth startup normally operates only in stealth mode for its first few years.[1]
The phenomenon is well known in the venture capital (VC) community. Since investors may have to disclose funding a stealth startup, their names are made public; but often, only a general summary description is known about the company.[2]
Startups operating in "stealth mode" often do so to protect new ideas and intellectual property.[3] If a startup is working on a revolutionary product that would be easy to replicate, operating as a stealth startup and not publicizing product details decreases the risk of the product being copied by other companies, as does having their employees execute NDAs. While this risk can be mitigated by patents, applying for a patent is a lengthy and expensive process, which is often not a viable option for a startup.