Lots of startups use PHP (with frameworks like Laravel4, CodeIgniter, Symfony) for their API and sexy new front end JS frameworks that they promote. On our current codebase, started in 2013, we decided to use PHP and have Ruby, JS, Python apps, where appropriate, that run on top.
Twitter, famously known as a Rails, now Scala, shop, has used php throughout its life (I know several php coders that have worked there). Their developer/documentation area is Drupal (acquia).
But moreover, as web architectures have become more distributed and JSON heavy, PHP has held onto its language position, especially with International devs.
As a CTO, not a employee, its also important to consider the salaries, roles of the people you need to build the platform.
Twitter, famously known as a Rails, now Scala, shop, has used php throughout its life (I know several php coders that have worked there). Their developer/documentation area is Drupal (acquia).
But moreover, as web architectures have become more distributed and JSON heavy, PHP has held onto its language position, especially with International devs.
As a CTO, not a employee, its also important to consider the salaries, roles of the people you need to build the platform.
SF Rails http://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=rails&l=San+Francisco,+CA&rbt=R...
SF PHP http://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=php&l=San+Francisco,+CA&rbt=Sen...
Then look at Non-US prices. Can't find a recent blog post where someone reported on salaries by language.