Nearly 90 Startups Hit Unicorn Status in Record First Half of 2026
Wealthari
In the first half of 2026, nearly 90 startups achieved unicorn status, driven by massive venture capital investment in artificial intelligence.Summary
The first half of 2026 saw a record surge in venture capital, with nearly 90 new unicorns and global funding on track to exceed $1 trillion. This growth is predominantly driven by the artificial intelligence sector, which captured 80% of Q1 funding, including massive rounds for companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, and Waymo. Notably, the startup Prometheus, founded by Jeff Bezos and Vik Bajaj, achieved a $41 billion valuation. However, the data reveals a heavy concentration of capital, as the top five deals account for over 70% of investment volume, raising concerns about market balance and the competitiveness of smaller firms.
(Source：Wealthari)