BIG Labs
BIG Labs is a privately held San Francisco startup studio founded by AppDynamics founder Jyoti Bansal that builds and spins out multiple technology companies in parallel, with current portfolio companies Harness (CI/CD platform) and Cognition (stealth).
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersBellevue, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What BIG Labs does
BIG Labs is a privately held startup studio founded in October 2017 by Jyoti Bansal, the serial entrepreneur who previously built and sold AppDynamics to Cisco for $3.7 billion in January 2017. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, the studio operates on a 'parallel entrepreneurialism' model in which multiple technology companies are conceived, funded, prototyped, and spun out in tandem. Its stated goal is to incubate ideas into the next generation of billion-dollar technology companies, providing ideation, market thesis, initial funding, prototyping support, and product-market-fit validation to founders and technical talent it recruits.
The studio's portfolio currently comprises two named companies: Harness, a continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) software delivery platform launched in October 2017, and Cognition, a stealth-mode technology company whose product details are not publicly disclosed. BIG Labs was capitalized with approximately $20 million in initial funding to seed Harness, and operates with a headcount in the 11–50 range. The studio itself does not sell a product to external customers; its economic model is implicit equity participation in the companies it builds, with eventual returns derived from exits or secondary liquidity events rather than recurring SaaS revenue. As a result, the studio's financial profile and revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed, and its measurable impact to date is largely concentrated in the launch trajectory of its portfolio companies rather than direct top-line figures.
BIG Labs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- BIG Labs
- Legal name
- BIG Labs
- Website
- https://biglabs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- BIG Labs is a privately held San Francisco startup studio founded by AppDynamics founder Jyoti Bansal that builds and spins out multiple technology companies in parallel, with current portfolio companies Harness (CI/CD platform) and Cognition (stealth).
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
BIG Labs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Startup Studio
- NAICS
- Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Venture Studios / Company Builders (FSANAAAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Corporate Venture Studios & Incubators (Build/launch ventures) (FSANAHAC), Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)
Keywords
Where BIG Labs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bellevue
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
BIG Labs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
BIG Labs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BIG Labs is a startup studio that creates, develops, and launches innovative technology companies through a model of parallel entrepreneurialism. The studio originates ideas, develops market theses, provides initial funding, and supports prototyping and product-market fit validation with the goal of building high-growth startups that could become billion-dollar companies.
Product overview
BIG Labs is a startup studio that operates as a laboratory for creating, developing, and launching innovative technology companies. The studio practices 'parallel entrepreneurialism,' building multiple companies in tandem. BIG Labs provides the initial ideation, market thesis, funding, and support for prototyping and validating technology solutions, with the goal of establishing product-market fit and growing companies into high-growth startups. Current portfolio companies include Harness (a software delivery platform) and Cognition (in stealth mode).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Harness: A portfolio company of BIG Labs, focused on CI/CD and continuous delivery solutions.
- Cognition
Products and services
- BIG Labs Startup Studio
Companies that use BIG Labs
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles2 records
BIG Labs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
BIG Labs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights4 records
BIG Labs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Idealab: Pioneer startup studio founded by Bill Gross, focused on ideating, building, and launching multiple technology companies in parallel from a shared operational platform — the closest historical analogue to BIG Labs' venture studio model.
- Founders Factory: Global venture studio that ideates, builds, and scales multiple technology companies in parallel through a shared operational platform — closely aligned with BIG Labs' studio model.
- Science Inc. Operator-led startup studio that incubates and launches multiple consumer and enterprise software companies simultaneously, providing shared product, design, and growth resources — directly comparable to BIG Labs' parallel-entrepreneurship model.
- Expa: Startup studio founded by Naveen Jain that builds and launches multiple technology companies in parallel with shared design, engineering, and operations resources — a near-direct comparable to BIG Labs.
- Atomic: Venture studio that partners with operators to build and fund multiple startups in parallel with shared infrastructure and capital — closely mirrors BIG Labs' approach of launching companies through a studio platform.
- Antler: Global early-stage venture firm that combines a startup studio model (residency, ideation, co-founder matching) with capital deployment across multiple simultaneous ventures — comparable to BIG Labs in parallel company creation.
- Pioneer Square Labs: Seattle-based startup studio that co-founds and builds technology companies in parallel with shared operational support and initial funding — directly comparable to BIG Labs in model and stage.
- Betaworks: NYC-based startup studio that builds and invests in internet and software companies in parallel, sharing operational and engineering resources across portfolio ventures — comparable in structure and approach to BIG Labs.
Broad incumbents
- Rocket Internet: Large-scale internet company builder and incubator that builds and operates multiple technology companies globally — operates a broader, more institutional version of the venture studio model that BIG Labs pursues.
- SOSV: Global accelerator and venture studio operator running multiple vertical-specific programs (HAX, IndieBio, etc.) that build companies in parallel with shared infrastructure — a broader incumbent operating a related studio-plus-accelerator model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
BIG Labs social profiles
Digital presenceBIG Labs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
BIG Labs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
BIG Labs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
BIG Labs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments4 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about BIG Labs
What does BIG Labs do?
BIG Labs is a startup studio that creates, develops, and launches innovative technology companies through a model of parallel entrepreneurialism. The studio originates ideas, develops market theses, provides initial funding, and supports prototyping and product-market fit validation with the goal of building high-growth startups that could become billion-dollar companies.
Is BIG Labs a public or private company?
BIG Labs is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was BIG Labs founded?
BIG Labs was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is BIG Labs based?
BIG Labs is headquartered in Bellevue, United States, in the North America region.
Who are BIG Labs's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Idealab, Founders Factory, Science Inc., Expa, Atomic, Antler, Pioneer Square Labs and Betaworks. Broad incumbents are Rocket Internet and SOSV.
Does BIG Labs have an API?
No public API is recorded for BIG Labs.
What industry is BIG Labs in?
BIG Labs's product category is Startup Studio. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAH, Venture Studios / Company Builders, with a secondary code of FSANAHAC, Corporate Venture Studios & Incubators (Build/launch ventures). Its NAICS code is 54169 and its SIC code is 8731.