I guess the european definition of a startup is different that the american one.

European startup : able to buy back shares, carefully select employees, refuse 8 digits funding because it doesn't want to go public, rent a country house so that the funders can keep working in this ambiance.

American east-cost startup : cries for funding, hires like crazy wishes to sell and go public ASAP so that the funders can no longer work.

I don't know, maybe it's partial, but these remark aside, I'd guess the european startup might be able to do this because it's profitable, which is the #1 thing. Everything else is eye candy.