Say it like this
- We're trying to build a unicorn
- She has invested in multiple unicorns
- The startup joined the unicorn club last year
Use it at work
Startups
- The company became a unicorn after its Series C.
- There are only a few unicorns in our country.
Hiring
- We're looking for a unicorn: a designer who also codes.
- That candidate is a unicorn.
Pushing back
- Let's not hire for a unicorn. Split the role.
- Unicorn job descriptions scare people away.
Don't say this
Unicorn status is earned through growth and valuation, not declared before launch. It happens as a result of business success over time.
Practice
Try it
4 quick exercises
1. Your company just received a funding round that brought its valuation to $1 billion. How would you announce this achievement?
2. After Series D funding, our company joined the _______ club with a $1.2 billion valuation.
3. Which sentence uses 'unicorn' incorrectly?
4. Rewrite this sentence using the term 'unicorn': 'Our company has reached a private valuation of $1 billion, which makes it very rare and valuable.'
Say it out loud
Phrase 1 of 3
"We're trying to build a unicorn"
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More about unicorn
Real examples(4)
- in a news discussion
"The startup became a unicorn after its latest funding round valued it at 1.2 billion dollars."
- in a job interview
"I'm looking for a company that's growing fast, maybe a unicorn, but with a clear path to profit."
- in a hiring meeting
"The job post asks for a designer, a developer and a data scientist in one person. That's a unicorn."
- in a networking conversation
"She joined early at a unicorn, so her equity is worth a lot on paper."
More mistakes(2)
Handle with care. Do not confuse with the mythical creature. In tech business, it refers specifically to a privately held startup valued at $1 billion or more, not just any successful company.
- ✕This small tech business is a unicorn because it is doing well.✓This startup achieved unicorn status with a $1 billion valuation.
Being successful or profitable does not make a company a unicorn—it must specifically reach a $1 billion private valuation.
- ✕After the IPO, the company is no longer a unicorn.✓After the IPO, the company is no longer considered a unicorn (it becomes a public company).
While technically true, the term unicorn typically applies to private companies, so the phrasing should clarify the status change.
Other forms(3)
- unicorn noun
"The startup achieved unicorn status last month."
- unicorn (plural) noun
"There are now over 1,000 unicorns globally."
- unicorn (attributive) adjective
"She works at a unicorn company in Silicon Valley."
Often used with(5)
- unicorn status · The achievement of reaching $1 billion valuation
- become a unicorn · To reach billion-dollar valuation
- unicorn club · The group of companies that have achieved unicorn status
- unicorn startup · A startup that has reached or is aiming for $1 billion valuation
- future unicorn · A promising startup expected to reach unicorn status
Similar words(3)
- billion-dollar startup · More literal but less commonly used in tech circles
- decacorn · A startup valued at $10 billion or more (even rarer than unicorn)
- high-growth startup · Less specific; does not necessarily imply billion-dollar valuation
Opposites(3)
- startup
- early-stage company
- bootstrapped company
Questions(6)
- What is a unicorn startup?
- A unicorn is a privately held startup valued at one billion US dollars or more, usually based on its latest funding round.
- Who invented the word unicorn for startups?
- Investor Aileen Lee used it in 2013 to describe startups worth over a billion dollars, which were very rare at the time.
- What is a decacorn?
- A decacorn is a private startup valued at ten billion US dollars or more. It is a bigger version of a unicorn.
- Does unicorn mean the company is profitable?
- No. Valuation is what investors think the company is worth. Many unicorns lose money while they grow quickly.
- Is a company still a unicorn after it goes public?
- Usually the word describes private companies. After an IPO the company is called a public company, even if it is still valuable.
- What is a unicorn employee or unicorn candidate?
- It is a joke or complaint about a person who has an unrealistic mix of skills, such as one engineer who is also a designer and a data scientist. A job ad asking for a unicorn is often a red flag.
