When Instagram sold to Facebook for $1 billion in 2013, it felt like a massive sum of money.
47 red-hot tech startups that became worth billions this year
In 2018, there were 47 tech companies in the US to reach a billion-dollar valuation.
Five years later, we seem to be numb to the billion-dollar acquisitions and valuations around us. WhatsApp was acquired for $19 billion. Uber is valued at $72 billion.
Yet, to build a billion-dollar company from scratch is still an incredibly difficult feat. CB Insights
Here are the 47 US tech companies that reached unicorn status in 2018:
47. ThoughtSpot
What it does: Search and AI-based analytics
What it's worth now: $1 billion
Year founded: 2012
46. WalkMe
What it does: Guides users to navigate websites and apps more efficiently
What it's worth now: $1 billion
Year founded: 2011
45. Seismic
What it does: Software for sales team productivity
What it's worth now: $1 billion
Year founded: 2010
44. Tresata
What it does: Analytics software company
What it's worth now: $1 billion
Year founded: 2011
43. Talkdesk
What it does: Cloud-based call center software
What it's worth now: $1 billion
Year founded: 2011
42. JFrog
What it does: Deploys software to the cloud
What it's worth now: $1 billion
Year founded: 2008
41. OutSystems
What it's worth now: $1 billion
Year founded: 2001
40. SoundHound
What it does: Audio and speech recognition software
What it's worth now: $1.05 billion
Year founded: 2005
39. Formlabs
What it does: 3D printer manufacturer
What it's worth now: $1.065 billion
Year founded: 2011
38. Rubicon
What it does: Waste management and recycling
What it's worth now: $1.066 billion
Year founded: 2008
37. Postmates
What it does: Food delivery
What it's worth now: $1.076 billion
Year founded: 2011
36. Convoy
What it does: Tech-powered trucking services
What it's worth now: $1.085 billion
Year founded: 2015
35. Tradeshift
What it does: Open-source trade platform
What it's worth now: $1.1 billion
Year founded: 2008
34. Brex
What it does: Corporate credit cards for startups
What it's worth now: $1.1 billion
Year founded: 2017
33. Airtable
What it does: Spreadsheet and database product
What it's worth now: $1.1 billion
Year founded: 2012
32. Lime
What it does: Electric scooters and e-assist bikes
What it's worth now: $1.1 billion
Year founded: 2017
31. Cohesity
What it does: Data infrastructure and storage
What it's worth now: $1.1 billion
Year founded: 2013
30. Gitlab
What it does: A single application for development operations, from project planning to source code management.
What it's worth now: $1.1 billion
Year founded: 2011
29. TripActions
What it does: Corporate travel management
What it's worth now: $1.2 billion
Year founded: 2015
28. Intercom
What it does: Customer messaging platform
What it's worth now: $1.275 billion
Year founded: 2011
27. Starry
What it does: Internet for $50 per month
What it's worth now: $1.29 billion
Year founded: 2014
26. Chargepoint
What it does: Charging stations for electric cars
What it's worth now: $1.3 billion
Year founded: 2007
25. PagerDuty
What it does: Surfaces technical issues for companies
What it's worth now: $1.3 billion
Year founded: 2009
24. Toast
What it does: Restaurant point-of-sale and management system
What it's worth now: $1.4 billion
Year founded: 2011
23. Allbirds
What it does: Merino wool shoes
What it's worth now: $1.4 billion*
Year founded: 2014
*This valuation has been reported but never confirmed by the company.
22. Netskope
What it does: Cloud software security
What it's worth now: $1.4 billion
Year founded: 2012
21. Samsara
What it does: Fleet management system
What it's worth now: $1.4 billion
Year founded: 2015
20. Freshworks
What it does: Customer support and sales software
What it's worth now: $1.5 billion
Year founded: 2010
19. Asana
What it does: Collaboration and productivity software
What it's worth now: $1.5 billion
Year founded: 2008
18. ZipRecruiter
What it does: Job listings and recruiting platform
What it's worth now: $1.5 billion
Year founded: 2010
17. Dataminr
What it does: Discovers critical, breaking information before it’s in the news
What it's worth now: $1.592 billion
Year founded: 2009
16. ServiceTitan
What it does: Management software for home services companies
What it's worth now: $1.6 billion
Year founded: 2013
15. Discord
What it does: Voice, video, and text app designed for gamers
What it's worth now: $1.65 billion
Year founded: 2012
14. Looker
What it does: Database software
What it's worth now: $1.7 billion
Year founded: 2012
13. Automation Anywhere
What it does: Software that helps companies automate repetitive and routine tasks, which industry folks like to call "robotic
What it's worth now: $1.8 billion
Year founded: 2003
12. HashiCorp
What it does: Cloud computing infrastructure
What it's worth now: $1.9 billion
Year founded: 2012
11. InVision
What it does: Digital product design platform
What it's worth now: $2 billion
Year founded: 2011
10. Bird
What it does: Electronic scooters
What it's worth now: $2 billion
Year founded: 2017
9. Roblox
What it does: Online game creation platform
What it's worth now: $2.4 billion
Year founded: 2005
8. Plaid
What it does: Financial software that connects users' bank accounts
What it's worth now: $2.6 billion
Year founded: 2013
7. Procore
What it does: Construction management software
What it's worth now: $3 billion
Year founded: 2003
6. Circle
What it does: Cryptocurrency investment platform
What it's worth now: $3 billion
Year founded: 2013
5. UiPath
What it does: Automates routine tasks for businesses. Similar to Automation Anywhere, it calls its technology, "robotic process automation."
What it's worth now: $3 billion
Year founded: 2005
4. Snowflake
What it does: Cloud-based data-warehousing
What it's worth now: $3.95 billion
Year founded: 2012
3. DoorDash
What it does: Food delivery
What it's worth now: $4 billion
Year founded: 2013
2. Epic Games
What it does: Video game developers and the makers of "Fortnite."
What it's worth now: $15 billion
Year founded: 1991
1. Juul Labs
What it does: Electronic cigarettes
What it's worth now: $38 billion
Year founded: 2017
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