H1 2026 Unicorns Surpass 2025 Totals, Led by AI and Robotics
TL;DR. Global unicorn counts in the first half of 2026 have already exceeded all of 2025, driven significantly by AI and robotics startups. - 195 companies joined the Crunchbase Unicorn Board in H1 2026, surpassing 193 new unicorns in all of 2025. - AI neolabs and robotics were the leading sectors for new unicorn creation, alongside AI infrastructure. - DeepSeek became the most valuable new unicorn at $50 billion, with OpenAI Deployment Co. also making the top three. - The United States leads in new unicorns, with China showing significant growth in H1 2026.
- 195 new unicorns in H1 2026 surpassed 2025's full-year total of 193.
- AI neolabs, robotics, and AI infrastructure led the growth in new unicorn sectors.
- DeepSeek and OpenAI Deployment Co. are among the most valuable new unicorns, reflecting AI's impact.
- The US led with 110 new unicorns, while China saw a significant increase to 38.
Sources
- Global New Unicorn Counts In The First Half Of 2026 Have Already Surpassed 2025’s Totals — news.crunchbase.com