VCs are minting decacorns at a record pace
Startups are reaching $10 billion valuations faster, and more frequently.
TL;DR
- The average time for companies to reach decacorn status has decreased significantly, from 9.4 years in 2020 to 5.5 years in 2025.
- A record 42 decacorns have been created globally in 2026, surpassing the previous record of 34 in 2021.
- Seventeen of the 20 fastest decacorns achieved this status in 2025 or 2026, taking three years or less.
- While AI is a significant factor, older companies founded before the AI boom have also reached decacorn status.
- The lopsided VC market, with investors piling into mega-seed and late-stage deals, is a driving force behind these rapid valuations.
- Cracks in the IPO landscape, with delayed and cancelled offerings, could signal a downturn for the current decacorn era.