A total of 150 Chinese companies are listed in the 2025 Global Unicorn Top 500, with Chinese companies maintaining their global lead in both number and market value, according to the latest list released on Wednesday.
Statistics show that the combined valuation of the 2025 Global Unicorn Top 500 Enterprises came in at 39.14 trillion yuan (about 5.5 trillion U.S. dollars), a year-on-year rise exceeding 30 percent. The list is dominated by U.S. and Chinese companies.
By sector, the unicorns are predominantly concentrated in financial technology, information technology, and advanced manufacturing. This year, the artificial intelligence segment saw a particularly sharp rise of 80 percent, with the number of AI unicorns growing from 20 to 36. Within that global trend, China's AI unicorn count jumped from 2 to 9, a 350 percent increase.
"In recent years, the central government has placed increasing emphasis on cultivating unicorn enterprises. For the first time, their development has been formally included in the 15th Five-Year Plan this year. Simultaneously, the enactment and deepening implementation of the law on the promotion of the private sector, along with policies integrating science, technology, industry, and finance, are providing comprehensive support for the technological breakthroughs, scaling, and global expansion of unicorn enterprises," said Xie Shujiang, director of the Unicorn Enterprise Innovation Branch under the China Association of Inventions.
At present, the number of unicorn enterprises in China ranks first in the world in advanced manufacturing, automotive technology, transportation and logistics, life service and cultural tourism media.
Unicorns are privately owned companies valued at over one billion U.S. dollars and established within the past decade. They serve as a key indicator of a country's or a region's innovation ecosystem and economic vibrancy.
150 Chinese companies enter into 2025 Global Unicorn Top 500 list
