r/startups for brand marketing: what AI answers cite and where we have posted
r/startups threads were cited 184 times in 140 AI answers we tracked (Jun 6, 2026 to Oct 2, 2026), which ranks it #28 of the 138 subreddits cited 50 or more times. We have placed under 50 verified comments there, so none of our own placement numbers for it are published.
184
AI citations of its threads
56
different threads cited
under 50
verified comments we placed
#28
of 138 by AI citations
How AI answers use r/startups
| Engine | Citations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Perplexity (Sonar) | 153 | 83% |
| Gemini (2.0 and 2.5 Flash) | 30 | 16% |
| OpenAI models (GPT-4o, GPT-5.1) | 1 | 1% |
| Question type | Citations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Looking for a product to buy | 125 | 68% |
| Comparing products or competitors | 36 | 20% |
| Describing a problem | 23 | 13% |
The r/startups threads AI answers cite most
| Thread (from its link) | Times cited |
|---|---|
| What do you do when your mvp is not finding | 22 |
| Strategies for achieving productmarket fit what… | 10 |
| Getting realworld insights strategies for | 8 |
| Pitchbook is too expensive any suggestions i will… | 8 |
| Looking for carta alternatives i will not promote… | 8 |
These 5 threads account for 56 of the 184 citations.
Our verified comments in r/startups
We have placed under 50 verified comments in r/startups, so we publish no placement numbers for it.
Reading the r/startups numbers
Perplexity supplies the largest share of the citations (83%, 153 of 184), ahead of Gemini at 16%.
By question type, looking for a product to buy accounts for 68% of the answers that cited r/startups, then comparing products or competitors (20%) and describing a problem (13%).
Citations are spread out: the most-cited thread accounts for 12% of them and the top three for 22%, out of 56 different threads.
2% of the 985 comments we scanned in r/startups contained a link, so a comment that names a brand without linking is the norm here.
Of 1,142 posts we sampled in r/startups, under 1% linked out to another site, so posts here are mostly text.
Before you post anything yourself, read the rules of r/startups; moderators change them. For how these threads reach answers, see the AI search guide.
Frequently asked questions
Do AI answers cite r/startups?
Yes. In 66,986 AI answers we tracked between Jan 9, 2026 and Oct 2, 2026, r/startups threads were cited 184 times across 140 answers and 56 different threads.
How many comments has CommunityMentions placed in r/startups?
Fewer than 50 verified comments, so we do not publish a count for it.
Similar SaaS and startup subreddits
| Subreddit | AI citations | Our verified comments | Members |
|---|---|---|---|
| r/micro_saas | under 50 | 173 | 99,665 |
| r/Entrepreneur | 167 | under 50 | |
| r/growmybusiness | under 50 | 204 | 104,323 |
| r/buildinpublic | under 50 | 158 | 94,011 |
| r/EntrepreneurRideAlong | under 50 | 128 | 692,721 |
| r/microsaas | under 50 | 123 | 193,092 |
Related lists and guides
Method
Counts come from CommunityMentions' AI-answer tracking and delivery database; anything under 50 shows as "under 50". The page text is generated from those counts. Full method.
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