With 42 Indian startups crossing the billion-dollar valuation mark, the coveted unicorn club has more than doubled in size. YourStory Research reveals that India is now home to a total of 75 active unicorns with a cumulative valuation of more than $200.4 billion.
While the 42 unicorns of 2021 have raised nearly $17.2 billion over the years, they raised over $5.3 billion during 2021, across 31 funding transactions that involved a mix of 140 investors participating in various round-types.
These unicorns came in all shapes and sizes. Founded by Ananth Narayanan, the D2C house of brands became the youngest Indian startup to enter the unicorn club within six months. Meanwhile, Chennai-based NBFC Five Star Finance, which was incorporated in 1984, took 37 years to enter the unicorn club this year.
The year also saw the first unicorn to emerge out of non-metro cities as Jaipur-based raised $200 million in Series E equity and $50 million debt in its pre-IPO round to reach $1.2 billion in valuation.
