90 Startups Reached Unicorn Status in H1 2026 as AI Continues to Lead Venture Capital
Crunchbase and PitchBook data show that 90 venture-backed startups achieved unicorn status during the first half of 2026, with artificial intelligence companies dominating the list.
Data from Crunchbase and PitchBook shows that 90 venture capital-backed startups reached unicorn status—a valuation of $1 billion or more—between January and June 2026.
While the majority of the newly minted unicorns operate in the artificial intelligence sector, a surprising number are focused on industries such as healthcare, while several others specialize in cryptocurrency and enterprise software.
January 2026: 18 New Unicorns
A total of 18 startups achieved unicorn status in January.
The three highest-valued companies were:
humans& — $4.5 Billion
The AI research lab focuses on developing artificial intelligence designed to collaborate with humans.
The company recently raised $480 million in seed funding led by SV Angel and Georges Harik, reaching a valuation of $4.5 billion.
Recursive Intelligence — $4 Billion
Founded in 2025, Recursive Intelligence develops AI-powered semiconductor chips.
The company raised $300 million in a Series A funding round, bringing its valuation to $4 billion.
To date, it has secured approximately $335 million from investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners and Sequoia Capital.
webAI — $2.5 Billion
Founded in 2019, webAI enables enterprises to build their own AI models.
The company most recently completed an undisclosed Series A funding round, reaching a valuation of $2.5 billion.
February 2026: 21 New Unicorns
February produced 21 new unicorns, led by:
Apptronik — $5.3 Billion
The humanoid robotics company, founded in 2016, raised $935 million in Series A funding from investors including B Capital Group and Capital Factory.
Bedrock Robotics — $1.8 Billion
Founded in 2024 by a former Waymo employee, Bedrock Robotics develops AI systems that enable construction equipment to operate with minimal human intervention.
The company raised $270 million in Series B funding and has secured $350 million overall.
Oxide — $1.6 Billion
Oxide develops cloud infrastructure that enables organizations to operate private cloud environments within their own data centers.
Founded in 2019, the company recently raised $200 million in Series C funding and has attracted more than $360 million in total investment.
March 2026: AI Continues to Dominate
Seventeen startups joined the unicorn club in March.
Hark — $6 Billion
Founded in 2025, Hark develops AI-powered personal devices capable of speaking, listening, and remembering.
The startup raised $700 million in Series A funding led by Parkway Venture Capital, with participation from NVIDIA and Salesforce Ventures, bringing total funding to $759 million.
Nextop AI — $4.2 Billion
Founded in 2024, Nextop AI builds Ethernet networking hardware for AI data centers.
The company raised $500 million in Series B funding led by Andreessen Horowitz and Lightspeed Venture Partners, bringing total funding to $610 million.
Stipple Bio — $2.25 Billion
Founded in 2022, Stipple Bio focuses on precision cancer drug discovery.
The startup secured $100 million in Series A funding led by Andreessen Horowitz, Nextech Invest, and RA Capital Management.
April 2026: A $41 Billion AI Startup Emerges
Eleven startups became unicorns in April.
Promethus — $41 Billion
Co-founded by Jeff Bezos in 2025, Promethus develops AI tools that automate general engineering tasks.
The company raised an extraordinary $12 billion in Series B funding led by JPMorgan Chase and BlackRock, bringing total funding to $18.2 billion.
Parallel — $2 Billion
Founded in 2023, Parallel develops search technology designed specifically for AI agents.
The startup recently raised $100 million in Series B funding led by Sequoia, with participation from Khosla Ventures and Kleiner Perkins.
Rogo — $2 Billion
Founded in 2021, Rogo provides AI-powered workflow automation for financial institutions.
The company recently completed a $160 million Series D funding round and has raised more than $310 million overall.
May 2026: AI and MedTech Continue to Grow
Sixteen startups achieved unicorn status in May.
Recursive — $4.65 Billion
Founded in 2025, Recursive is another AI research laboratory.
The company raised $650 million in Series A funding led by GV and Greycroft.
MiRus — $4.41 Billion
Founded in 2015, MiRus develops cardiovascular and orthopedic medical devices.
The company secured $1.5 billion in late-stage funding from Boston Scientific, surpassing $1 billion in total investment.
Corgi — $2.6 Billion
Founded in 2024, Corgi provides insurance products for startups covering cyber risks, technology liability, and AI-related exposure.
The company raised $105 million in Series B1 funding led by TCV and has secured $374 million overall.
June 2026: One New Unicorn
Only one startup joined the unicorn club in June.
MainFunc
Founded in 2023, MainFunc develops Genspark, an AI-powered productivity workspace.
The company raised $485 million in Series B funding led by LG Technology Ventures, SBI Investment, and Emergency Equity Management, bringing total funding to $645 million.
AI Continues to Drive the Unicorn Boom
The first half of 2026 underscores the continued dominance of artificial intelligence in the global startup ecosystem. While AI companies accounted for most newly created unicorns, sectors such as healthcare, robotics, cloud infrastructure, enterprise software, insurance technology, and cryptocurrency also produced several billion-dollar startups, highlighting the growing diversity of venture capital investment.