Unicorn Startup List Is Growing Globally

The “Unicorn” becomes less elusive all the time. As the amount of investment in venture capital continues to grow, while consolidating into fewer and fewer companies, the inevitable result is the rise of the unicorns. Unicorns, once incredibly rare, private start-ups which have attracted a billion dollars of funding may not be exactly common, but the club is definitely growing.

The following startup companies around the globe are the leaders in their respective industries. This list contains 12 categories with three companies each, which hit the mark to become unicorns.

Healthcare Industry

• Moderna – Moderna Therapeutics is a startup biotechnology company founded in 2010. It is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with Stéphane Bancel as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the Director of the Board. The company experiments with  and develops protein therapies based on messenger ribonucleic acid technology, most commonly known as mRNA. Moderna has a total disclosed funding of $1.3B. MPM Capital, New Enterprise Associates, and Google Ventures are some of its investors.

• Intarcia Therapeutics – The American startup biopharmaceutical company was first called BioMedicines in 1995. In 2004, it changed its name to Intarcia Therapeutics. It is located in Boston with Kurt Graves as its CEO. Intarcia Therapeutics develops therapies for illnesses that demand long-term chronic treatment. The company has a total disclosed funding of $1B. Some of its investors are New Leaf Venture Partners, New Enterprise Associates, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

• Oscar Health Insurance Corporation – Oscar Health Insurance is a startup health insurance company focused on technology. It was founded in 2012 and is located in New York City, with Mario Schlosser as the company’s CEO. Oscar Health Insurance Corporation utilizes design, data, and technology in order to humanize the health care system. The company has a total disclosed funding of $727.5M. Khosla Ventures, BoxGroup, and Formation8 are some of the company’s investors.

Fintech Industry

• Avant, Inc. – Formerly known as AvantCredit, Avant is a private startup company founded in 2012. The company is based in Chicago, Illinois, with well-known entrepreneur Albert “Al” Goldstein as its CEO. Avant is an online marketplace that borrows faster, better, and safer financial products. The company has a disclosed total funding of $1.7B. Some of its investors include CVC Capital Partners and Summit Partners.

• Lufax – LU.com, also known as Shanghai Lujiazui International Financial Asset Exchange Co., Ltd. (Lufax), was founded in 2011. The private company based in Shanghai, China works as an online peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform and internet financial marketplace. The Shanghai-based company provides lending and financing services for medium and small enterprises and individual clients. The company has a total disclosed funding of $1.7B. Bank of China, Ping An Insurance, and CDH Investments are some of its investors.

• Social Finance – Social Finance, Inc., most commonly known as SoFi, is a startup online personal finance company that was created in 2011. SoFi is based in San Francisco, California, with Mike Cagney as its CEO. The company is using a groundbreaking technique when it comes to lending and wealth management. SoFi has a total disclosed funding of $1.6B. Some of its investors are Doll Capital Management, Baseline Ventures, and Institutional Ventures Partners.

Big Data Industry

• Palantir Technologies – Palantir Technologies, Inc., is a startup private software and services company founded in 2004. The company is located in Palo Alto, California, with Alex Karp as its coFounder and CEO. Palantir Technologies presents a suite of software applications for visualizing, integrating, and analyzing different information. The Palo Alto-based company aims to solve the problems of the world’s important organizations. Palantir Technologies has a total disclosed funding of $1.9B. In-Q-Tel, Founders Fund, and RRE Ventures are some of the company’s investors.

• OVH – Located in Roubaix, France, OVH is a startup cloud computing company. The company was founded in 1999, with Laurent Allard as its current CEO. OVH is an independent startup that provides web and cloud hosting solutions. The company has a total disclosed funding of $787M. TowerBrook Capital Partners and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. are just some of its investors.

• Domo – Domo, Inc. is a startup computer software company founded in 2010. The company is located in American Fork, Utah with Josh James as its CEO. Domo offers help to business leaders and CEOs in order to change the way they do business through direct access to data. The company delivers a software as a service (SaaS)-based platform. The Utah-based company has a total disclosed funding of $589M. Founders Fund, Benchmark Capital, and Institutional Venture Partners are some of its investors.

Internet Software & Services Industry

• Infor – This United States-based multinational startup enterprise software company was founded in 2002. Infor is located in New York City with Charles Phillips as its CEO. Infor provides a full range of enterprise business software for customer relationship management (CRM), human resource management (HRM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), performance management, supply chain management, and financial management. The company has a total disclosed funding of $2.6B. Some of its investors are Koch Industries and Blackstone Group.

• Spotify – Launched in 2008 of October, Spotify is a podcast, video streaming, and music service. The company is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden with Daniel Ek as its CEO.Spotify provides listeners a restricted digital content from a range of artists and record labels. The company has a total disclosed funding of $2.3B. Norwest Venture Partners, Horizons Ventures, and Technology Crossover Ventures are some of its investors.

• Dropbox – Dropbox, Inc. is a startup company that has an eponymous file hosting service. Founded in 2007, the company is located in San Francisco, California, with co-founder Drew Houston as their CEO. The aim of Dropbox is to develop cloud-based storage for important information and files, allowing people to access these files from virtually anywhere, with or without their app installed. The company has a total disclosed funding of $1.1B. Some of its investors are Index Ventures, Greylock Partners, and Accel Partners.

E-Commerce/Marketplace Industry

• Airbnb – The startup company is an online hospitability and marketplace service that was founded in 2008. Airbnb is located in San Francisco, California, with Brian Chesky as its CEO. Airbnb allows users to find and book accommodations around the world online. The San Francisco-based company has a total disclosed funding of $3.9B. Morningside Group, Banyan Capital, and GGV Capital are some of the company’s investors.

• China Internet Plus – China Internet Plus, formally named Meituan-Dianping, is a discount platform founded in 2002. The company is located in Beijing, China, with Tao Zhang as its CEO. China Internet Plus is a group-buying and dining information website. It has the ability to retail and deliver food from local restaurants online. The company has a total disclosed funding of $3.3B. UBS and Broadline Capital are just some of its investors.

• Flipkart – The Bengaluru, India-based startup company focuses on electronic commerce. It was discovered in 2007 of October and has already launched its very own product range called “DigiFlip” for products such as USBs, laptop bags, and tablets. Kalyan Krishnamurthy is the CEO of Flipkart. It is an online shopping platform, for music, movies, books, and electronics in India. The company has a total disclosed funding of $3.2B. ICONIQ Capital, Accel Partners, and Digital Sky Technologies are some of its investors.

Real Estate Industry

• WeWork – WeWork is a startup company in America founded in 2010. The company is located in New York City with Adam Neumann as its CEO. WeWork provides shared community, workspace, and services for different people like freelancers, entrepreneurs, small businesses, and startups. The company turns buildings into environments for focus, collaboration, and creativity. WeWork has a total disclosed funding of $1.7B. Wellington Management, Benchmark Capital, and T. Rowe Price are some of its investors.

• Mofang Gongyu – Mofang Gongyu is a startup rental apartment company in China that is created in 2010. The company is located in Shanghai, China with different projects across all tier one cities in the country. Mofang Gongyu is a rental apartment operator, and the company has a total disclosed funding of $560M. Some of its investors are Aviation Industry Corporation of China and Warburg Pincus.

• Aiwujiwu – Aiwujiwu is a startup Chinese second-home and rental listings portal created in 2014. The company is located in Shanghai, China. It has a total disclosed funding of $305M. Draper Fisher Jurtson (DFJ) Growth Fund, Granite Ventures, and Shasta Ventures are some of Aiwujiwu’s investors.

Mobile Software & Services Industry

• Yello Mobile – Yello Mobile Inc. is a startup mobile business platform in Korea founded in 2012. The company is located in South Korea with Sanghyuk Lee as its CEO. Named as South Korea’s second biggest startup, this innovative mobile media company offers media content, marketing & advertising, shopping, travel, and online-to-offline (O2O) business. Yello Mobile has a total disclosed funding of $187M. One of its investors is Formation 8.

• ironSource – The startup digital content company is discovered in 2009. ironSource is located in Tel Aviv, Israel with Tomer Bar-Zeev as its CEO. The company distributes and monetize answers for software developers, device manufacturers, mobile carriers, and app developers. ironSource now has a total disclosed funding of $185M. Clal Industries and Investments Ltd. and Access Industries, Inc. are some of its investors.

• Garena – The Asia-based startup is a consumer internet platform provider. Garena Group was created in 2009 and is located in Singapore. Forrest Li is the CEO of the company. Garena has a total disclosed funding of $172 M. General Atlantic, Khazanah Nasional Berhad, and Keynote Ventures are some of its investors.

Cybersecurity Industry

• Tanium – Tanium is a startup systems managements and endpoint security company founded in 2007. The company is located in Emeryville, California with Orion Hindawi as its CEO. The company lets enterprise scale with real-time data collection, regardless of the size of user’s network. Tanium has a total disclosed funding of $295.29M. Some of the company’s investors are Nor-Cal Invest and Andreessen Horowitz.

• Lookout Mobile Security – Previously known as Flexilis, Lookout isa  startup mobile security company founded in 2007. The company is located in San Francisco, California with Jim Dolce as its CEO. The company protects entrepreneurs and individuals. It also stops mobile threats and predicts them before they do any damage. Lookout has a total disclosed funding of $281M. Some of its investors are Lowercase Capital, Greylock Partners, and Accel Partners.
• CrowdStrike – The company is a startup cybersecurity technology company that was created in 2011. CrowdStrike is located in Sunnyvale, California with George Kurtz as its CEO. CrowdStrike delivers next-generation endpoint services and protection. It has the capability to detect attacks such as malware-free intrusions. The company has a total disclosed funding of $256M. Accel Partners, CapitalG, and Warburg Pincus are some of its investors.

On-demand Industry

• Uber – Uber Technologies Inc. is a startup private hire company founded in 2009. The well-known company is located in San Francisco, California with Dara Khosrowshahi as its CEO. The company enhances, markets, and operates Uber food delivery mobile applications and car transportation. It has the ability to connect drivers and riders through its app. Uber has a total disclosed funding of $12.5B. Google Ventures, Benchmark Capital, and Lowercase Capital are some of its investors.

• Didi Chuxing – Formerly known as Didi Kuaidi, Didi Chuxing is a well-known ride-sharing company created in 2012. Headquartered in Beijing, China, the company has Cheng Wei as its CEO. Didi Chuxing brings transportation services to more than 400 million people across over 400 cities in China. The company has a total disclosed funding of $8.5B. Some of its investors are Softbank Corporation, Tiger Global Management, and Matrix Partners.

• me – This Chinese startup online food delivery service was founded in 2008. Ele.me is located in Shanghai, China, with cofounder Xuhao Zhang as its CEO. Ele.me serves as a professional customer-to-customer (C2C) meal ordering platform in China. It wants to connect both users and restaurants. The company has a total disclosed funding of $2.3B. Horizons Ventures, GSR Ventures, and Sequoia Capital China are some of Ele.me’s investors.

Media Industry

• Toutiao – Officially known as Jinri Toutiao, this company is a startup information and news platform powered by artificial intelligence technology. Created in 2012, the company is located in Beijing, China, with Zhang Yiming as its CEO. The Beijing-based company integrates the most applicable contents for users by using machine learning to discover what the readers enjoy reading. Toutiao has a total disclosed funding of $1.1B. Some of its investors are SIG Asia Investments, Source Code Capital, and Sequoia Capital China.

• Vice Media – Vice Media LLC is a startup broadcasting and digital media company that was founded in 1994. The North American company is located in Brooklyn, New York with Shane Smith as its CEO. Vice Media focuses on event, print, online, music, television, and feature film business activities. The company has a total disclosed funding of $770M.  A&E Television Networks and Technology Crossover Ventures are some of its investors.

• BuzzFeed – Started in 2006, the American startup internet media company focuses on digital media. BuzzFeed is located in New York City, New York, with cofounder Jonah Peretti as its CEO. BuzzFeed aims to spread original reporting, breaking news, videos, and entertainment across the social web. The company has a total disclosed funding of $497M. Some of its investors are Wakefield Group, Sequoia Capital, and Google Ventures.

Hardware Industry

• Xiaomi – Xiaomi Incorporated is a startup software and electronics company that is discovered in 2010. The company is located in Beijing, China with Lei Jun as its CEO. In 2017, it was reported to be the 5^th biggest smartphone maker. Xiaomi develops, designs, and sells consumer electronics and mobile phones. The company has a total disclosed funding of $2.5B. Qualcomm Ventures, Qiming Venture Partners, and Digital Sky Technologies are some of its investors.

• Meizu Technology – Founded in 2003, Meizu Technology Co., Ltd. is a startup consumer electronics company. They are located in Guangdong, China, with Jack Wong as CEO. Meizu Technology offers different smartphones and accessories. The company has a total disclosed funding of $943M. Alibaba Group is one of its investors.

• Jawbone – Jawbone was founded in 1999, it was originally named Aliph. The company is located in San Francisco, California, with co-founder Hosain Rahman as its CEO. Jawbone manufactures and markets portable audio and wearable technology devices. The company has a total disclosed funding of $778.82M. T-Venture, Khosla Ventures, and Mayfield Fund are some of its investors.

Social Industry

• Pinterest – Launched in 2010, the startup mobile and web application manages a software system that aggregates image information from the World Wide Web. The company is located in San Francisco, California, with cofounder Ben Silbermann as its CEO. The application is a tool for visual bookmarking, allowing users to save and discover different creative ideas. Pinterest has a total disclosed funding of $1.3B. FirstMark Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, and Andreessen Horowitz are some of its investors.

• Xuan Yi Xia – Xuan Yi Xia Technology is a startup live-streaming and mobile short videos technology company founded in 2011 and is located in China. It has a total disclosed funding of $395M. Redpoint Ventures, Sequoia Capital China, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Sina Weibo are some of their investors.

• Tango – In 2009, the startup developer created Tango, a free mobile messaging application. TangoMe Inc. is located in Mountain View, California, with Eric Setton as its CEO. The company has a total disclosed funding of $373.44M. Alibaba Group, Qualcomm Ventures, and DFJ are some of its investors.

These startup companies are just some of the many players making it big around the world.

Their funding gives them the ability to compete against larger, well-established companies. There is no doubt that the bold impact that startup companies create helps the society grow and innovate.