2026 Unicorn Tracker: Your Real-Time Guide To This Year’s Newly Minted Unicorns

Unicorn startups have become one of the clearest indicators of where global innovation is heading. Each new billion-dollar company reflects not only investor confidence, but also shifting priorities in technology, consumer behaviour, enterprise demand and emerging markets around the world.

This guide is designed to be a complete tracker of every unicorn minted in 2026, updated month by month as new companies cross the $1 billion valuation threshold. Whether the unicorn emerges from AI, fintech, climate tech, health tech, defence or the creator economy, each entry offers insight into which industries are accelerating and where venture capital is placing its biggest bets.

As 2026 unfolds, this running list will act as a live snapshot of the year’s most significant startup success stories, offering readers a reliable reference point for understanding the pace, geography, and trends shaping the unicorn landscape.

How TechRound’s 2026 Unicorn Tracker Works

Everybody loves unicorns, so we want to make sure our readers can find everything they need to know about 2026’s newest unicorns in one place.

For that reason, we publish monthly articles detailing the newest companies from around the world that have achieved unicorn status, including descriptions of each of them along with their new valuations. And to make things easy for you, we’re consolidating all that information into one complete guide that you can peruse on a month-to-month basis – right here.

What Counts as a “Unicorn” in 2026?

For the purposes of this guide, a unicorn refers to a privately held startup that reaches a valuation of $1 billion or more, typically following a funding round, acquisition deal, or market-based valuation estimate.

However, not all unicorn announcements are equally transparent. Some companies release official valuation figures, while others are reported through trusted media outlets or industry databases. To maintain accuracy, unicorns will only be included in this tracker if their valuation is confirmed through reliable sources.

It’s also worth noting that unicorn status doesn’t always mean long-term success. Some valuations reflect aggressive market optimism, while others signal genuine product traction and revenue strength. That is why this tracker also highlights the context behind each unicorn milestone, offering a clearer picture of which companies are truly shaping the future.

8 New Unicorns in January 2026

As of February 12 2026, here are the 8 companies that have been minted as unicorns in January 2026.

• Preply: $1.2 Billion
• Upwind: $1.5 Billion
• Cast AI: $1 Billion
• Arena: $1.7 Billion
• Rain: $1.95 Billion
• Harmattan: $1.4 Billion
• Osapiens: $1.1 Billion
• Akido Security: $1 Billlion

This guide is updated on a monthly basis – stay tuned for our next batch of February 2026 unicorns, coming soon!

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