We tend to equate them with tech companies, but fundamentally startups are businesses designed to grow quickly. To echo an oft-repeated truism: startup = growth.
Then why the free association between startups and tech? Over the past decade, the easiest way to grow quickly has been to acquire online users. The transitive equation has been: startup = growth = online users = tech.
In fact, we wrongfully equate startups with the tech industry. Startups are high-growth companies with large market potential. Tech reflects society's adaptation towards software automation tools, and spans culture, management, and technology.