Singapore and Hong Kong Named as Unicorn Incubators

The city-state’s unicorn businesses take an average of 6 years and 11 months to reach the valuation of $1 billion.

Singapore is the joint fourth best country in the world for unicorn start-ups, according to a recent study by credit broker Money.co.uk, with six businesses currently valued at over $1 billion.

The top country for unicorns is China, with 155 such companies, which take an average of 5 years 10 months to reach this status. Hong Kong, which has five unicorns, is the second-fastest country for businesses to reach $1 billion, which take an average of 6 years and 1 month, followed by Japan unicorns, which take average of 6 years and 3 months.

According to the study, which cited data by private equity firm CB Insights, there are only 750 unicorns – defined as independently owned and valued at over $1 billion – globally. The U.S., also in joint fourth position, has the most, at 378.

Globally, there are 131 fintech unicorns, which took an average of 7 years 1 month to reach $1 billion.

Must read

Behind the Buzz
Retail News Asia — Your Daily Fix of What’s Happening in Asian Retail

We’re here to keep you in the loop—every single day. Whether you’re running a small local shop, scaling an online biz, or part of a global brand making moves in Asia, we’ve got something for you.

With 50+ fresh stories a week and 13.6 million readers, Retail News Asia isn’t just another news site—it’s the go-to source for all things retail across the region.
Retail Kitchen
We respect your inbox as much as we value your time. That’s why we only send carefully curated weekly updates, packed with the most relevant news, trends, and insights from the retail industry across Asia and beyond.

Copyright © 2014 -2025 |
Redwind BV