A record 42 startups became decacorns in 2026

A record 42 startups reached $10B valuations so far in 2026, beating 2021's 34, per PitchBook. The average time to hit decacorn status fell to 5.5 years in 2025 from 9.4 years in 2020.

• 42 startups hit $10B valuations in 2026, up from 34 in 2021
• Average time to decacorn fell to 5.5 years in 2025
• In 2020 it took an average of 9.4 years
• Some decacorns now emerge almost overnight