Chicago Booth Start-Ups Recognized by Inc.

Four companies founded by Chicago Booth alumni were named to Inc. magazine’s annual rankings of the fastest-growing companies. Mu Sigma, GrubHub, and Rise Interactive were featured among the 500 most successful entrepreneurial ventures. Accretive Health, which went public earlier this year, ranked in the top 100 companies of the Inc. 5000.

“Inclusion on the list is cause for reflection and a little exultation for entrepreneurs,” an article in Crain’s said.

The 500 list, which was compiled of private companies that recorded at least $80,000 in revenue in 2006 and at least $2 million in 2009, ranked firms according to their growth in that span.

Companies previously on the Inc. 500 list include such powerhouses as Visa, Zappos, and Microsoft, according to Matt Maloney, ’10, cofounder and CEO of food-delivery website GrubHub.

“We’re excited to take advantage of this momentum to continue to drive growth and bring more restaurants more business,” Maloney told Crain’s.

Spotlight on Chicago Start-Ups

• Mu Sigma: Founded by Dhiraj Rajaram, ’03, the analytics outsourcing firm finished 12th in the business products and services category and eighth in Chicago.
• GrubHub: Placing fifth in the overall food and beverage category and ninth in Chicago, the company won start-up money in a first place tie in the New Venture Challenge competition sponsored by the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship.
• Rise Interactive: The digital marketing agency launched by Jon Morris, ’05, in 2004 was listed at 56 for the advertising and marketing industry and at 19 for Chicago.
• Accretive Health: Founded by Mary Tolan, ’92 (XP-61), in 2003, the firm ranked 28th in the top 100 companies on the Inc. 5000 by gross dollars of growth and placed 88th in the top 100 companies on the Inc. 5000 by revenue. Accretive also held 96th in health and 50th in Chicago.

— Kate Fratar