(GeekWire Photo Illustration / Photo by Kevin Lisota)

Editor’s note: This post has been updated to add startups that were not initially included in the list. Icertis’ valuation was also updated. 

Another day, another unicorn spotting. 

These once elusive creatures of the corporate world — privately-held companies valued at a $1 billion or more — certainly are plentiful these days.

Just this week, GeekWire reported on another Seattle startup — 5-year-old recruiting tech platform SeekOut — joining the unicorn club. And then today, another blockbuster unicorn boosted its valuation, with Seattle-based sales engagement software company Highspot raising $248 million at a $3.5 billion valuation.

The velocity at which these startups are raising money at lofty valuations is mind boggling, with many longtime watchers of the startup ecosystem saying they’ve never seen an investment pace at this level. In fact, global venture capital investments more than doubled last year, reaching an all-time record level of investment $621 billion. More than half of that haul — $311 billion — went to U.S. companies, according to CB Insights which called the past year “bonkers.”

Unicorn startups aren’t just frolicking in the mossy-covered Northwest. There are 959 startups around the world now with valuations of $1 billion or more. That’s up by 69% over 2020 levels, meaning 517 new unicorns joined the club last year, CB Insights reported.

Seattle’s unicorn club.

Before we learn more about the current crop of Seattle area unicorns, a few interesting facts about this group of 16:

  • None of the Seattle area unicorns boast a female or Black CEO, a disappointing statistic that signals how the venture and startup community has a long way to go to diversify.
  • Microsoft’s lineage runs deep. Of the 16 companies on the list, 10 of the companies employ CEOs who spent time at the software giant, many in high-level executive roles.
  • When we compiled the Seattle area unicorn list in December 2020, there were 10 startups. That list dropped by three last year when Remitly and Sana Biotechnology completed their initial public offerings and Auth0 sold to Okta for $6.5 billion.
  • Even with that attrition, this year’s list has grown to 16, meaning nine new unicorns were minted in 2021.
  • Enterprise software still rules the roost in the region. Eleven of the 16 companies sell their wares to other businesses. Can you name the five other startups? (Hint: They are in the real estate, consumer internet, transportation, clean tech and gaming categories).
  • And most amazingly: Together, this group of 16 Seattle area unicorn companies raised a whopping $2.5 billion in the past 12 months. To put that number in perspective, that compares to a grand total of $2 billion that every Washington startup — 175 in total — raised in all of 2018. And that annual haul was the highest since 2000. It’s safe to say: There’s a lot of money sloshing around.

Now, without further ado, let’s meet the 16 unicorn startups.

Amperity

Amperity co-founders Kabir Shahani (left) and Derek Stager. (Amperity Photo)

Convoy

Convoy’s Dan Lewis (left) and Grant Goodale. (GeekWire Photo / Taylor Soper)

Chronosphere

Chronosphere’s Martin Mao (CEO) and Rob Skillington (CTO). (Chronosphere Photo)

Helion

Helion co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Chris Pihl (left) with founder and CEO David Kirtley at their facility in Redmond, Wash. (Helion Photo)

Highspot

Highspot CEO Robert Wahbe. (Highspot Photo)

Icertis

Icertis CEO Samir Bodas. (Icertis Photo / Anthony Bolante)

Karat

Karat co-founders Mo Bhende (left) and Jeff Spector. (Karat Photo)

OfferUp

OfferUp CEO Todd Dunlap, left, and OfferUp co-founder and Chief Product Officer Nick Huzar. (OfferUp Photo)

Outreach

Outreach CEO Manny Medina. (GeekWire File Photo / Nat Levy)

Place

Place co-founders Ben Kinney (left) and Chris Suarez. (Place Photos)

Qumulo

Qumulo President and CEO Bill Richter. (Qumulo Photo)

Rad Power Bikes

Mike Radenbaugh, CEO of Rad Power Bikes. (GeekWire Photo / Kevin Lisota)

Rec Room

Nick Fajt
Nick Fajt, CEO and co-founder of Rec Room. (GeekWire Photo / Kurt Schlosser)

SeekOut

From left to right: SeekOut CEO Anoop Gupta; SeekOut CTO Aravind Bala; Madrona Venture Group Managing Director and SeekOut board member S. “Soma” Somasegar; SeekOut head of engineering Vikas Manocha; and SeekOut head of product John Tippett. (SeekOut Photo)

Tanium

Tanium CEO Orion Hindawi. (Tanium Photo)

Zenoti

Zenoti CEO Sudheer Koneru. (Zenoti Photo)

Related: The 2021 venture numbers are simply mind-boggling: Record investments recorded in Washington state

*Editor’s note: Data collected via GeekWire, PitchBook, LinkedIn and SEC filings. 

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