Unicorn (finance)

In business, a unicorn is a privately held startup company valued at over US$1 billion.[1]^: 1270[2] The term was first published in 2013, coined by venture capitalist Aileen Lee, choosing the mythical animal to represent the statistical rarity of such successful ventures.[3][4][5][6]

CB Insights identified 1,170 unicorns worldwide as of June 2022^[update].[7] Unicorns with over $10 billion in valuation have been designated as "decacorn" companies.[8] For private companies valued over $100 billion, the terms "centicorn" and "hectocorn" have been used.[9] SpaceX is in the forefront to reach the elusive "superunicorn" status, to reach over $1 trillion valuation while remaining as a private company.[10]