Amid the tech landscape, unicorns are few and far between.
Last year, CB Insights tallied the odds of becoming a unicorn — a company valued at $1 billion or more — at under 1%.
But already, within the first few months of 2018, a total of 16 companies have overcome those odds and crossed the billion-dollar valuation mark. These companies, which were originally rounded up in a recent report by Pitchbook, are working to transform industries like transportation, medicine, entertainment, data analysis, and farming.
While most of the companies to reach unicorn status are located within the US, China was a notable contender with four companies making the list, and Romania celebrated its first unicorn to date, a robotic automation company called UI Path.
Here's the full roundup of 2018's freshly-minted unicorns:
Canva is an Australian company that provides graphic designers with an intuitive platform.
Year founded: 2012
Total raised: $96 million
Currently valued at: $1 billion
What it does: Canva complements graphic design projects with easy-to-use design software and a comprehensive selection of graphic elements like stock photos and fonts.
The Chinese company Meicai created an app that connects farmers to restaurants.
Year founded: 2014
Total raised: $477 million
Currently valued at: $2.8 billion
What it does: Meicai, which translates to "buy vegetables," runs its application on inexpensive cellphones so that Chinese farmers can distribute fresh produce to restaurants in their area.
Caocao Zhuanche is a Chinese-based ride-share company that operates a fleet of electric and hybrid cars in China.
Year founded: 2015
Total raised: $380 million
Currently valued at: $1.6 billion
What it does: Caocao has been fighting its way into China's colossal ride-share market. The company offers taxi hailing services, car rental services, and private car touring options.
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