A decade ago, venture-backed unicorns—private startups valued at over $1 billion—were considered rare. Today, the startup landscape has evolved dramatically, with a new class of mega unicorns emerging, boasting valuations well beyond $60 billion.
This week, Anthropic, a leading generative AI company, became the latest startup to cross the $60 billion valuation threshold. On Monday, the San Francisco-based company announced a $3.5 billion funding round at a $61.5 billion post-money valuation, led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. The financing came shortly after the release of its latest AI model, Claude.
Once an exception, such sky-high valuations are now increasingly common, particularly in artificial intelligence, fintech, and space technology.
The Most Valuable U.S. Venture-Backed Startups
Currently, at least seven U.S.-based private startups have last-reported valuations exceeding $45 billion—with several rumored to be closing even larger funding rounds. Here’s a look at the highest-valued venture-backed companies in the U.S.:
1. SpaceX – $350 Billion Valuation
- Founded: 2002
- Location: Hawthorne, California
- Sector: Space Technology
- Latest Funding: Reached $350 billion valuation in a secondary share sale late last year.
- Why It Matters: SpaceX is no longer a startup, but remains the highest-valued U.S. private company, leading advancements in space exploration and satellite deployment.
2. OpenAI – $157 Billion Valuation (With More on the Horizon)
- Founded: 2015
- Location: San Francisco, California
- Sector: Artificial Intelligence
- Latest Funding: Raised $6.6 billion in October at a $157 billion valuation.
- Upcoming Round: Reportedly negotiating a SoftBank-backed $40 billion round at a staggering $260 billion pre-money valuation.
- Why It Matters: OpenAI, led by Sam Altman, is at the forefront of AI-driven innovation, rapidly securing major investments.
3. Stripe – $91.5 Billion Valuation
- Founded: 2010
- Location: South San Francisco, California
- Sector: Fintech/Payments
- Latest Funding: Launched a tender offer last week, valuing the company at $91.5 billion.
- Why It Matters: Stripe remains the leading payments infrastructure provider, dominating the global digital payments landscape.
4. Databricks – $62 Billion Valuation
- Founded: 2013
- Location: San Francisco, California
- Sector: Data Analytics & AI
- Latest Funding: Completed a $10 billion Series J round in January at a $62 billion valuation.
- Why It Matters: Databricks is a key player in AI-driven data analytics, making it a crucial technology partner for enterprises.
5. xAI – $50 Billion Valuation (Soon to Grow)
- Founded: 2022
- Location: United States
- Sector: Artificial Intelligence
- Latest Funding: Raised $6 billion in November at a $50 billion valuation.
- Upcoming Round: Reports suggest a $10 billion funding round in February could push its valuation to $75 billion.
- Why It Matters: Backed by Elon Musk, xAI is positioning itself as a challenger in the generative AI space.
6. Waymo – $45 Billion Valuation
- Founded: 2009
- Location: Mountain View, California
- Sector: Autonomous Vehicles
- Latest Funding: Raised $5.6 billion in a Series C round last summer at a $45 billion valuation.
- Why It Matters: As Alphabet’s autonomous vehicle division, Waymo remains a leading force in self-driving car technology.
More Mega Unicorns Expected to Rise
Despite recent fluctuations in public markets, momentum remains on the side of high-valuation private companies. In particular, artificial intelligence startups continue to raise back-to-back funding rounds at ever-higher valuations.
Many of these companies may go public in the coming quarters, though the presence of deep-pocketed investors suggests they can continue operating as privately held giants for the foreseeable future.
The unicorn landscape has transformed, with a new breed of ultra-high-value startups leading the charge. Whether in AI, fintech, space exploration, or autonomous driving, these companies are reshaping industries and setting new benchmarks for venture-backed growth.
While some may soon debut on public markets, one thing is clear—there is still plenty of capital fueling the rise of mega unicorns.
