In the startup world, the odds of a company achieving a valuation of $1 billion or more is considered so slim, it's named after a mythical beast — the unicorn.
In the entire US, there are just 135 private companies that are valued at over a billion dollars or more. Of those, only ten became so-called unicorns in less than three years, setting the speed record for all the rest.
This list, based on data from Pitchbook, rounds up all of the companies in the US that hit the $1 billion valuation mark in record time.
Desktop Metal is a 3D metal printing company that is hoping to make metal printing more accessible for manufacturers and engineers.
Year founded: 2015
How long it took to become a unicorn: 1 year, 9 months
Total raised: $277 million
Currently valued at: $1 billion
Cancer detection startup Grail has received investments from Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates.
Year founded: 2016
How long it took to become a unicorn: 1 year, 9 months
Total raised: $1.38 billion
Estimated current value: $2.5 billion
Smartphone maker Essential was founded by Android creator Andy Rubin.
Year founded: 2015
How long it took to become a unicorn: 1 year, 11 months
Total raised: $330 million
Estimated current value: $1 billion
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