For many, unicorns are mythical creature, with a pointed horn that leaves a trail of fairy dust everywhere it goes.
In the business world, unicorns are startup companies valued at $1 billion or more, which was once the stuff of myths in the tech world. These rare beasts, many of which you’ve probably never heard of, had the uncanny ability to predict consumer needs and capitalize on the opportunity.
Here are the 20 startups that have been the fastest to reach a billion dollar valuation – all of which did so in under two years…
Jet.com
Time to $1B Value: Four Months
This US site operates as a smart shopping platform that allows its member to shop online from various retailers. It also holds the unicorn speed record for reaching $1B in value the fastest.
APUS Group
Time to $1B Value: Seven Months
This company looked at how they could develop the most accessible apps for Android software.
Rong360
Time to $1B Value: Seven Months
This Chinese company offers consumers customized financing and loan services based on their needs.
BeiBei
Time to $1B Value: Ten Months
Noticing that mothers didn’t have direct access to baby products, this e-commerce site caters solely to mothers and infants.
Illumio
Time to $1B Value: One Year
Realizing there was huge potential to break into the networking security industry, Illumio was developed and delivers adaptive security for every computing environment.
Iwjw
Time to $1B Value: One Year
Iwjw is a Shanghai-based online real estate agency that was founded in 2014.
Lashou.com
Time to $1B Value: One Year
Lashou is a location-based, social commerce platform for web-based and mobile users in China. It enables users to carry out online-to-offline commerce transactions and provides merchants with marketing solutions.
58 Daojia
Time to $1B Value: One Year and One Month
58 Daojia provides online information and access to high-quality offline services such as cleaning, moving, babysitting, and beauty care.
Lamabang
Time to $1B Value: One Year and Three Months
This social networking sites targets women at four different stages in their journey to parenthood: pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, childbirth, and early parenting.
Uptake
Time to $1B Value: One Year and Four Months
Uptake is a social travel site helps you decide what to do on your ideal vacation by giving you advice and recommendations from the largest online travel library and the people you trust most.
WePiao
Time to $1B Value: One Year and Five Months
Operating on Wechat and WePia applications, WePiao is a online movie ticket selling platform.
WeWork
Time to $1B Value: One Year and Six Months
WeWork is a platform for creators that provides the space, community and services people might need to create their life’s work. Take a look at our profile of their new Montreal office space.
Xiaomi
Time to $1B Value: One Year and Nine Months
This is the fourth largest smartphone manufacturer in the world.
Oscar Health Insurance Co.
Time to $1B Value: One Year and Ten Months
This company wanted to offer consumers “smart and simple” health insurance.
Carbon3D
Time to $1B Value: Two Years
As 3D printing began to develop, Carbon3D realized there was a lot of opportunity in this field and began manufacturing 3D printers.
Dada
Time to $1B Value: Two Years
Realizing that more drivers wanted access to additional work, the delivery app Dada was launched to connect freelance drivers with more job opportunities.
Fab
Time to $1B Value: Two Years
Fab is a design-focused company dedicated to helping customers discover fun and unique products. It also tumbled spectacularly ever since until it eventually collapsed.
Square
Time to $1B Value: Two Years
Discovering that consumers wanted to be able to pay for goods faster, and through their mobile phones, Square is now used all around the world.
ZhongAn
Time to $1B Value: Two Years
Realizing there was a need for Internet-based insurance, this innovative insurance company was created in June 2013.
Zuily
Time to $1B Value: Two Years
This online marketplace sells every day items, from clothes and toys to household products—all at incredible prices.
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