unicorn
yoo-ni-kornnoun
Silicon ValleyNorCalSafe anywhereDifficulty 2 of 3: Regional
Definition
A privately held startup valued at more than one billion dollars.
In simple English: A new company worth over a billion dollars.
Examples
Three of their portfolio companies became unicorns.
Usage notes
Coined by investor Aileen Lee in 2013, when such companies were still rare enough to warrant the name.
At a glance
- Track
- Silicon Valley
- Region
- NorCal
- Part of speech
- noun