Will 2026 Be the Year of the ‘Soonicorn’?

Once coined by Aileen Lee in 2013 for private start-ups worth more than $1 billion, the “unicorn” label has expanded to include decacorns and hectocorns — and a newer term: soonicorns. Firms valued at $500 million to $999 million post‑money now fall into that category, and Stanford finance professor Ilya A.

Strebulaev says there are dramatically more soonicorns in the United States than a decade ago; more than 2,000 had reached the status by the end of last year. Dr. Strebulaev expects 2026 to be a big year for soonicorns, in part because the artificial intelligence boom has lowered barriers to funding.

Investors are pouring capital into new projects, making it relatively easy to start a company compared with the early 2020s; some firms founded a couple of years ago may hit soonicorn status this year, and others could receive first rounds that value them at $500 million or more immediately.

United States

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