70 unicorns have been minted in 2026 so far and 17 of them are AI startups

If the first quarter of 2026 has proven anything, it is that the global technology sector is aggressively shifting from digital theory to physical execution. For the past two years, industry discussions have been dominated by the theoretical limits of generative models. Now, as evidenced by the latest market data, venture capital is decisively backing AI startups, building the infrastructure and hardware required to bring those models into the real world.

This transition is the focal point of a new report published by BestBrokers. By aggregating data from the Crunchbase Unicorn Board, PitchBook, and independent valuations, the research team has analysed the private companies that reached a valuation of at least $$1 billion this year. The resulting dataset, which reviews global funding rounds through April 2026, confirms the structural market shift we observed earlier this year at events like NVIDIA’s GTC and CES: “Physical AI” is now a commercial mandate.

AI startups add 17 new unicorns

Since January, 70 private companies globally have attained unicorn status. Unsurprisingly, artificial intelligence remains the primary engine for this wealth creation. AI startups account for 17 of the 70 new entrants, making up nearly a quarter of the entire cohort.

The scale of capital concentrated at the top of this category is significant. Four of the most highly valued new unicorns are core AI companies: Humans& ($4.5B), Ricursive Intelligence ($4.0B), Advanced Machine Intelligence ($3.5B), and Waabi ($3.0B). The numbers indicate that investors are no longer purely funding experimental software; they are backing platforms capable of enterprise-scale deployment.

However, intelligence requires execution, and this is where the robotics sector has stepped in to bridge the gap. Robotics companies produced seven new unicorns in 2026, with an impressive four of those crossing the billion-dollar mark in March alone. We have tracked this momentum through major recent funding rounds, most notably Mind Robotics’ $500 million Series A and Rhoda AI’s $450 million raise.

The BestBrokers report highlights a distinct transpacific divide in how this robotics capital is being deployed. The U.S. and China account for the majority of these new firms, but their strategies run in parallel rather than intersecting. American companies, including Mind Robotics ($2.0B), Bedrock Robotics ($1.8B), Rhoda AI ($1.7B), and Sunday ($1.6B), are focusing heavily on software-led AI integration, targeting industrial automation and autonomous enterprise systems. Conversely, companies in China and Hong Kong, such as AI2 Robotics, PaXini Tech, and Robotera (all valued at $1.4B), are securing funds for hardware-first, embodied intelligence, and humanoid systems.

Beyond the automation race, healthcare remains a highly reliable draw for venture capital. Healthtech is the second-largest sector in the report, generating eight new unicorns this year. The capital is flowing toward digital healthcare platforms and preventative services. Standout companies include Pomelo Care ($1.7B), focusing on maternal and newborn health, alongside sleep technology developer Eight Sleep ($1.5B), Science ($1.5B), Talkiatry ($1.4B), and Garner ($1.4B).

Crucially, the infrastructure required to support this broader technology expansion is scaling in tandem. Cloud computing and cybersecurity each added five new unicorns. Startups such as Oxide ($1.6B), Render ($1.5B), and Cast AI ($1.0B) are building the compute backbone necessary for training large AI models. To secure these rapidly evolving environments, cybersecurity firms like Upwind Security ($1.5B) and Torq ($1.2B) are delivering automated, AI-native threat response systems.

The remaining 10% of the new unicorns are distributed across a mix of active, albeit smaller, niches. These include EdTech (Preply), Energy & ClimateTech (Lunar Energy), BioTech (Iterative Health), and Data Analytics (Tulip Interfaces and Fundamental).

According to the report, there are currently 1,727 unicorns worldwide as of April 2026. The U.S. retains the overwhelming majority with 886 companies, followed by China (288), India (85), and the United Kingdom (72). At the absolute top of the table, following its acquisition of xAI in February, SpaceX is now the most valuable private startup globally, carrying an estimated valuation of $1.25 trillion.

Alan Goldberg, an analyst at BestBrokers, summarises the implications of the data thus: “What was once experimental automation is increasingly becoming commercial infrastructure, as AI models move out of the cloud and into factories, logistics networks, and consumer environments. The result is a clear structural split in the market: AI defines the intelligence layer, while robotics is fast becoming the execution layer.”

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