Our market map visualizes the 600+ private companies with billion-dollar valuations, across artificial intelligence, e-commerce, fintech, and more.
There are over 600 private companies around the world valued at $1B+, all featured on our real-time unicorn tracker. These tech startups are collectively worth over $2T and have raised a combined total of $426B.
Using the CB Insights database, we mapped all 600+ global unicorn companies valued at $1B or more according to the primary markets in which they operate.
Market Map
Our market map sorts unicorns into 15 categories, from auto & transportation to supply chain & logistics. Our “Other” category includes renewable energy, space tech, ad tech, and more.
Categories are not mutually exclusive and companies are sorted by primary use case. Data is as of 3/24/2021.
Please click to enlarge.
Key takeaways
Most valuable companies
The world’s most valuable private company is China-based ByteDance, in the artificial intelligence category. The company, which operates content platforms such as TikTok and Toutiao, reached a $140B valuation following an investment from Tiger Global Management in March 2020.
After ByteDance, payments processor Stripe (valued at $95B), aerospace manufacturer SpaceX ($74B), ride-hailing company Didi Chuxing ($62B), and grocery delivery platform Instacart ($39B) round out the top 5 most valuable private companies.
Trends by category
Fintech and internet software & services tie as the most highly represented categories on our map, accounting for 15% of all unicorns each. They are followed by e-commerce & direct-to-consumer (12%), and artificial intelligence (8%).
The most valuable fintech unicorn is Stripe, with a $95B valuation as of March 2021. In internet software & services, the most valuable unicorn is website builder Squarespace ($10B as of March 2021).
In e-commerce & direct-to-consumer, the top spot goes to China-based fast fashion platform SHEIN ($15B, August 2020). ByteDance ($140B, March 2020) leads the artificial intelligence category.
Valuation distribution
ByteDance is the only private company considered to be a “hectocorn” (worth $100B+).
Thirty-one private companies (5% of total unicorns) are considered “decacorns,” worth $10B+.
26% of companies included in the global unicorn club are valued at exactly $1B.
Geographic trends
Since our last analysis in December 2020, the US has increased its lead in share of unicorns by 1 percentage point, now accounting for 50% of all unicorns. China, in second place (23%), lost 1 percentage point in the same time frame.
The UK takes the third spot, with 5% share, followed by India, with 4%.
Unicorn club growth
74% of the companies in our market map have joined the unicorn club since 2018. Of those, 127 made the list in 2019, while 121 of these companies became unicorns in 2020. As of March, 2021 has already seen the birth of 78 unicorns.
Since our last analysis in December 2020, the unicorn club has grown in size by 20%, from 510 to 611 unicorns.
This report was created with data from CB Insights’ emerging technology insights platform, which offers clarity into emerging tech and new business strategies through tools like:
- Earnings Transcripts Search Engine & Analytics to get an information edge on competitors’ and incumbents’ strategies
- Patent Analytics to see where innovation is happening next
- Company Mosaic Scores to evaluate startup health, based on our National Science Foundation-backed algorithm
- Business Relationships to quickly see a company’s competitors, partners, and more
- Market Sizing Tools to visualize market growth and spot the next big opportunity