Beijing has further cemented its status as the country's foremost hub for unicorn enterprises, with the total number of such companies in the capital reaching 145 as of mid-year, securing the top spot nationally. Data from a recently released global unicorn observation report for the first half of 2026 indicates that Beijing led all Chinese cities in new additions during this period.

According to the latest report, 179 companies globally achieved unicorn status in the first six months of 2026, marking a substantial year-on-year surge of 250.98%. Among these, the United States contributed 81 new unicorns, a 179.31% increase, while China added 68, representing a near-sixfold jump compared to the same period last year. By June 30, Beijing's unicorn population stood at 145, ranking first nationwide and solidifying its claim as the "Unicorn Capital."

Unicorn companies are typically defined as private startups that are no more than a decade old and valued at over $1 billion. The report reveals that globally, there were 2,034 active unicorns as of June 30. The United States accounts for the largest share with 921 unicorns, representing 45.28% of the global total, followed by China with 564, or 27.73%. Together, the two nations continue to define the fundamental landscape of the global unicorn market.

Focusing on China, the market's resurgence is particularly evident: the number of newly minted unicorns in the first half jumped by 580% year-on-year and 385.7% quarter-on-quarter. The 68 new additions in this period have already surpassed the total of 24 recorded for the entirety of 2025. In terms of geographic distribution, Beijing captured the highest number of new unicorns, with 24 enterprises—including firms like Huashen Zhiyao, Xinghailu, and Aerospace Yuxing—joining the ranks, the most of any city. Shanghai and Shenzhen followed, adding 18 and 9 new unicorns, respectively.

Artificial intelligence remains a dominant driving force behind this growth. The report shows that of the global new unicorns in the half-year period, 102 were AI-focused firms, making up 56.98% of the total. In the United States, 50 out of 81 new unicorns were AI companies, accounting for 61.73%, while in China, 42 out of 68 were AI-related, representing 61.76%. Notably, among these 42 Chinese AI unicorns, 23 are involved in embodied intelligence, a 54.76% share, spanning key segments from robot hardware to core components. This trend underscores a shift of AI entrepreneurship moving from the digital realm into the physical world.

Overall, by the end of June, China's national unicorn total reached 564, with Beijing's 145 companies constituting 25.7% of that figure. This sustained leadership in unicorn totals across the country reinforces Beijing's standing as the primary hub. According to Guan Chenghua, dean of the Capital Institute of Science and Technology Development Strategy, Beijing's success is not attributed to a single factor but rather results from the concentrated release of its innovation ecosystem's overall efficiency.

Guan's team's ongoing research highlights Beijing's composite strengths across several dimensions. In talent and research, the city's R&D investment intensity and basic research spending rank at the forefront nationally. Combined with over one million highly skilled professionals, this provides abundant sources of innovation. On the policy front, the "Top Ten Unicorn Policies" paired with dedicated service packages and a dual-manager mechanism have refined support from broad-based measures to tailored strategies for individual enterprises. On the industrial side, the high-tech industry's added value has accounted for 30% of the city's gross regional product since two years ago, offering substantial capacity to absorb new technologies. "With support across research investment, commercialization, policy services, and industrial adoption, the concentrated emergence of unicorns in Beijing is a natural outcome of this innovation system operating effectively over the long term," Guan added.