Seven startups crossed the billion-dollar mark in April, with artificial intelligence playing a key role in most of their growth. These new unicorns span critical sectors — from healthcare and cybersecurity to defense and data infrastructure.
Out of the seven, six operate in software, with one defense tech company offering both hardware and software solutions. The two healthcare startups are consumer-focused, while the rest target enterprises or government sectors. Notably, six of these companies are based in the U.S., with one headquartered in Canada.
A Closer Look at April’s Billion-Dollar Breakouts
In the data sector, Supabase, an open-source relational database startup from San Francisco, landed a massive $200 million Series D round led by Accel, pushing its valuation to $2 billion. The five-year-old platform now supports more than 2 million developers. Another San Francisco-based firm, Redpanda Data, raised $100 million in Series D funding led by Google Ventures. It helps companies manage real-time data streams, securing a $1 billion valuation.
Healthcare also saw major movement. New York-based Chapter, which helps seniors navigate Medicare plans, raised $75 million in a Series D round. The company is now valued at $1.5 billion. Meanwhile, Nourish, a telehealth platform offering nutrition counseling for chronic conditions, brought in $70 million in Series B funding led by J.P. Morgan Growth Equity Partners, reaching a $1 billion valuation.
Security startups also had a strong month. Canadian firm Tailscale raised $160 million in a Series C led by Accel. The company, which provides secure VPN services for device connectivity, hit a $1.5 billion valuation. From Palo Alto, Cyberhaven, a data loss prevention startup, secured $100 million in Series D funding led by StepStone Group, bringing its valuation to $1 billion.
Rounding out the list is Chaos, a Los Angeles-based defense tech company building advanced detection tools for drones and aircraft. The company raised a $275 million Series C round led by NEA, reaching a $2 billion valuation just three years after launch.
Valuations Swing as Existing Unicorns Raise Capital
While some companies soared, others faced hard resets. AI lab Safe Superintelligence led the up-round stories, rocketing its valuation by 540% to $32 billion in just seven months — the fastest recorded surge of that scale. Security startup Chainguard also saw major growth, with a 213% increase to $3.5 billion.
Other notable up rounds included Pennylane, a French fintech, and Runway, the AI video startup from New York. Both doubled their valuations in under two years. Real estate startup Flow, founded by Adam Neumann of WeWork fame, reached a $2.5 billion valuation thanks to Andreessen Horowitz.
However, several unicorns took valuation cuts. Fintech Plaid dropped 54% to $6.1 billion. Autonomous driving company Nuro lost 30%, now valued at $6 billion. Mexico’s Kavak suffered a steep 75% decline, falling to $2.2 billion. Spain-based Jobs&Talent, an online gig staffing platform, raised new funds at a 38% discount, bringing its value to $1.5 billion.
Most of these down rounds reflect a market correction from their 2021 valuation peaks.
The Bigger Picture: The Global Unicorn Board
The global unicorn board now lists 1,585 companies with a combined $1 trillion raised and $5.9 trillion in total valuation. Since the start of 2024, 25% of these startups have secured new funding.
As AI continues to influence nearly every vertical, expect more data, health, defense, and cybersecurity startups to reach unicorn status in the months ahead.
