No one has done it yet.
Who will be first?
The verified index of SOLO companies — one owner-operator, zero employees, AI does the work — racing to become the first one-person $1B company. As of 2026, no verified one-person $1B company exists.
Real totals. Counting starts at launch, when the first founders are verified.
Leaderboard — opening soon
Ranked by verified revenue, with valuation and funding shown so everyone can see both paths to $1B. No companies are listed yet — the rows below are fictional examples of how listings will look.
| # | Company | Founder | Verified ARR | MoM | Valuation | Raised | Stage | % to $1B | Built with | Pick |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LL Lumen Ledger Example Fintech |
A.K. | $2.4M | +18.2% | $48M Est. |
$0 | Bootstrapped | 0.24% |
ClaudeStripeVercel |
|
| 2 | NX NovaX Forms Example DevTools |
M.R. | $1.7M | +12.4% | $32M Priced round |
$3.2M | Seed | 3.20% |
CursorSupabaseStripe |
|
| 3 | QC Quiet Circuit Example AI Agents |
T.J. | $1–1.5M | +9.1% | $35M Exit offer |
$0 | Bootstrapped | 0.12% |
ClaudeOpenAI |
|
| 4 | OR Orbit Relay Example Infrastructure |
V.H. | $500–750K | −2.1% | $72M Priced round |
$14M | Series A | 7.20% |
CursorVercel |
Example rows are fictional, for illustration only. Progress bar is log-scaled from $100K to $1B. See an example profile →
Solo only. No exceptions.
One owner-operator
Exactly one person owns and runs the company, with zero W-2 employees. AI does the work. Raising outside capital is allowed as long as the founder remains the sole operator.
Contractors: compliance only
Allowed only for professional and compliance services — taxes, accounting, legal, and licensed or regulated work. Never design, development, marketing, or operations.
Hire = Graduated
Hiring an employee or adding a co-founder moves a company to Graduated. It's celebrated on the Index but is no longer eligible for the bounty.
How verification works
Stripe revenue
Read-only Stripe connection verifies revenue. Founders can show exact figures or a range.
Payroll & state filings
Checks for payroll activity and state employer filings to confirm zero W-2 employees.
Public footprint scan
We review team pages, job posts, and public profiles for signs of hidden staff.
Community challenges
Anyone can flag a listing with evidence; flagged companies are re-reviewed.
Video calls for the top 50
Founders in the top 50 complete a live call walking through how the business runs.
CPA audit before payout
An independent CPA audit is required before any bounty or milestone is paid.
Quarterly re-verification
Every listing is re-verified each quarter to keep its badges.
Graduation tracking
Any hire or co-founder triggers Graduated status automatically on review.
A sponsor-funded prize for the first solo unicorn
Funded entirely by sponsors. Milestone prizes at $1M, $10M, and $100M go to the first verified solo companies to reach each level; the grand prize goes to the first to qualify at $1B. Amounts will be announced as sponsors commit.
Sponsor the Bounty
Put your brand on the race to the first one-person $1B company. Tell us which milestone interests you and we'll send details.
Pick your horses.
A free weekly game: pick five companies from the Index, and climb the Scout rankings as they grow. Free to play, no purchase necessary. Any prizes will be sponsor-funded. Opens once the first companies are verified.
First round opens at launch. Free, no purchase necessary.
Submit your company
Running a solo company with AI? Apply to be one of the first verified founders on the Index. We'll follow up by email with next steps for verification.