Top 10 startups that have already reached unicorn status this year — Expert provides insight into 2021 trends

Late last year, we featured the top unicorn startup companies of 2020. The list includes the top 500 unicorn startups with a valuation of $1 Billion or more. The top five unicorns on the list include industry leaders such as  Bytedance at number one, followed by Didi Chuxing at number two. SpaceX came in third place. Stripe and Airbnb came in fourth and fifth positions respectively. Variants include a decacorn, valued at over $10 billion, and a hectocorn, valued at over $100 billion.

Within just one month into the new year, 2021 is shaping out to be another exciting year for tech startups. So far, 2021 has already seen a huge 24 companies reach unicorn status, with 18 making the milestone in December 2020 – all in the midst of a pandemic. 

Unlike our past report, which was based on data from CB Insights, this list is based on a recent analysis conducted by Tipalti, a firm that provides accounting software financial technology services. After crunching the data, the team at Tipalti has identified 24 startups that have already reached unicorn status this year. They also provide insights into why and what we can expect this year for business investments…

The top 10 most valuable companies that have reached unicorn status in 2021.

Commented on the trends which may continue further into 2021 and beyond, Rob Israch, CMO at Tipalti said:

“As you can see from our previous research, the last three years have seen a decrease in the number of unicorn companies. Though considering the current economic climate, it’s commendable that these companies are succeeding even in times of difficulties. As more new innovations and services are created as a result of our “new normal”, we could see an even bigger burst in new startups and investments moving into 2021. 

“2021 is already seeing some surge in investments, with five companies receiving unicorn status in the first week of the year. While there is a lot of disruption in every industry at the moment, businesses are finding new and innovative ways to keep moving, and even thrive. It may be that private-market investors are anticipating exit valuations and that a late-coming venture market will continue this year.

“When we take a closer look at the unicorns in the market, it is clear that these businesses have reached status by focusing on the product-market-fit for their specific product. They all have a unique strategy of growth, whether this be VC funding or bootstrapping, with some even using crowdfunding. Our research shows that the fintech and e-commerce industries in particular were thriving in 2020, suggesting that these, along with other growing industries such as AI and internet services, will continue to service and innovate consumers in their time of need and hit unicorn status in 2021.”