Published: September 2, 2026 at 7:14 am
The UK has created 14 new unicorns in 2026 – just one fewer than in the whole of 2023-2025 combined.
According to research by Tracxn Technologies, a leading data intelligence platform, the UK has created 97 unicorns in total.
The list is made up of companies that achieved a $1bn equity valuation at any point prior to acquisition or IPO.
According to Tracxn, July alone saw four new unicorns created – Moneybox, Humanoid, CuspAI and Kraken Technology Group.
Another striking trend from the research is the speed at which companies are achieving unicorn status.
UK robotics firm Humanoid and CuspAI, a platform developing new materials to tackle global sustainability and clean energy challenges, were both founded in 2024 but became unicorns in 2026.
Ineffable Intelligence, led by David Silver, a professor at University College London, was founded in 2025 and became a unicorn after raising a record $1.1bn in its Seed round in April.
By comparison, music app Shazam was founded in 2000 but didn’t become a unicorn until 2015, while global travel search and comparison platform Skyscanner took 13 years to reach a $1bn valuation in 2016.