The number of unicorns, companies worth more than US$1 billion, exploded globally over the past three years, despite the slowdown caused by Covid-19, says Hurun chairman Rupert Hoogewerf during the release of the Global Unicorn Index 2023 by Hurun Research Institute, at the China Daily. Especially the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) did very well, the report says.
The China Daily:
A total of 63 companies in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have made it onto the Global Unicorn Index 2023 by Hurun Research Institute, an increase of 12 compared to a year earlier and double the number listed on the index before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among the top 10 unicorns from China listed on the global 2023 index, half are in the GBA, including Guangzhou-based fast fashion platform Shein (ranking 4th), Shenzhen-based digital bank WeBank (ranking 6th), Dongguan-based mobile phone makers Oppo and Vivo, and Shenzhen-based drone maker DJI. …
According to the index, Guangzhou was the Chinese city with the fastest growing number of unicorns in the past year. There were 22 unicorns from Guangzhou in the latest ranking, 12 more than a year earlier.
“The three years after the COVID-19 outbreak were the most active period for unicorns. Over the past three years, a new unicorn was created every day in the world, bringing the total to more than 1,360. Despite economic slowdown, there were over 500 new unicorns globally in the past year, which is equivalent to nearly 10 each week on average,” said Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman and chief researcher of Hurun index.
He said unicorn companies grew rapidly in the first half of 2022, but slowed down significantly in the second half.
“That was because of the US interest rate hikes, the global economic downturn and uncertainties (which) led to investment institutions nearly halting the funding of new projects. The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank further lowered valuations.”
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