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A "unicorn" is a privately-owned start-up company with a current valuation of over US $1B in the venture capital industry.
The term was first used by angel investor Aileen Lee, founder of Cowboy Ventures, in 2013. At that time, the statistical probability of the existence of such phenomenally successful ventures was comparable to the sighting of the mythical creature!
But with the rapid advancement in technology, the world has witnessed a sudden spurt in the number of unicorn start-ups, especially eCommerce unicorns, in recent years.
According to CB Insights, more than 1,000 unicorn companies were in early 2022, and this number is only slated to grow!
A global digital sports platform currently valued at USD 27B, Fanatics collaborates with over 1,000 product vendors and operates the eCommerce businesses of major media brands and professional sports leagues.
Some of the major investors in the group are SoftBank Group, Andreessen Horowitz, and Temasek Holdings.
Monthly unique visitors: 1,619,440
Order Volume: 10,000-50,000
Web Sales: $250M-$500M
A social media and eCommerce platform based in Shanghai, Xiaohongshu has over 300 million registered users and is currently valued at the USD 20B.
Popularly described as "China's answer to Instagram," the platform is viral among young women, who use it to post, discover, and share content on a range of subjects.
A Chinese online fast-fashion retailer with a valuation of USD 15B, SHEIN currently sells its products in around 200 countries worldwide and is one of the top unicorn companies. It is known for its affordably priced apparel.
The company has been the subject of several controversies, including intellectual property theft and human rights violations in its factories.
Monthly unique visitors: 10,680,79
Order Volume: >50,000
Web Sales: $5B-$10B
Based in Philadelphia, goPuff is a fast-growing consumer goods and food delivery company. With operations in over 650 cities in the United States, the company also has a presence in the United Kingdom.
GoPuff also runs a beer delivery service called goBeer and an alcohol delivery service called goBooze.
Monthly unique visitors: 207,261
Web Sales: $25M-$50M
A gas-free online marketplace for non-fungible tokens (NFT), OpenSea was founded by Devin Finzer and Alex Atallah in New York City in 2017. It is currently valued at USD 13.30B as of early 2022.
Its significant investors are Andreessen Horowitz, Thirty-Five Ventures, and Sound Ventures.
Xingsheng Selected is a China-based company counted among the top eCommerce companies in 2022. It enables its customers to procure food items, pantry products, and household items quickly and conveniently.
KKR, Tencent Holdings, and Sequoia Capital China are some of the company's major investors.
One of the few top eCommerce companies not from the United States or China, Getir is a Turkish start-up founded in 2015.
The company offers an on-demand "ultrafast" delivery service for takeaway food, water, and grocery items. Besides Turkey, the company also has operations in Germany, France, Spain, and Italy.
Beijing-based online car trading platform Chehaoduo directly links individual car sellers and buyers, thereby eliminating the role of a middleman.
The company runs three critical businesses, including Guazi, an eCommerce company that provides online consumer-to-consumer services.
The top eCommerce unicorn from Mexico, Kavak is a start-up that operates a pre-owned car marketplace in Latin America. Valued at USD 8.7B, the company also offers financial services through its fintech arm, Kavak Capital.
Today, Kavak is the undisputed leader in Latin America's pre-owned car market.
Headquartered in Beijing, rental services company Ziroom is another China-based top eCommerce company in 2022.
The company has revolutionized home rental and property management services and provides cleaning, moving, maintenance, and comprehensive residential services.
Lianjia, formerly Homelink, is a Chinese real estate brokerage company with over 6,000 brokerage offices and more than 120,000 brokers.
It is one of the biggest chains of offline real estate stores in China and has a widespread online global reach.
Headquartered in Paris, France, Back Market features among the top eCommerce companies in 2022.
The company operates a marketplace of refurbished electronics devices where the items are sold at highly affordable rates. Aglae Ventures, Eurazeo, and Daphni are its major investors.
Monthly unique visitors: 652,368
Order Volume: >50,000
Web Sales: $250M-$500M
With a current valuation of USD 5.10B as of early 2022, QuintoAndar is a Brazil-based eCommerce unicorn company. The organization has developed a highly successful real estate marketplace focused on rentals and sales.
The company is considered "a unique and trusted brand in Brazil" for those looking for a home.
The only India-based eCommerce unicorn to feature in the top eCommerce companies of 2022, OfBusiness is a new-age B2B commerce and fintech start-up. It provides financing and procurement solutions to SMEs through its tech-enabled platform.
The company's focus is on the manufacturing and infrastructure sectors.
An online marketplace based in Lithuania, Vinted deals with buying, selling, and exchanging new or second-hand items.
The company became Lithuania's first tech unicorn in 2019 and is available in 15 countries. As of early 2022, it is valued at USD 4.53B.
Monthly unique visitors: 254,850
Order Volume: 10,000-50,000
Web Sales: $25M-$50M
Sorare is a global fantasy football game company based in Paris, France. Counted among the eCommerce unicorns in the world, it is currently valued at USD 4.30B.
Created by football fans for football fans, the company allows players to buy, trade, and play with official digital cards.
Yet another Beijing-based Chinese company to make it to the top eCommerce companies in 2022, Miaoshou Doctor is a health care platform that facilitates communication services between doctors and patients.
It helps doctors and patients manage post-diagnosis outcomes.
A multi-brand retailer based in Montreal, Canada, SSENSE specializes in the sale of designer fashion and high-end streetwear.
The company has websites in French, English, Japanese, and Korean and has operations in 114 countries worldwide.
Monthly unique visitors: 2,210,447
Order Volume: >50,000
Web Sales: $500B-$1B
Palo Alto-based American eCommerce unicorn Houzz provides architecture, interior designing, landscaping, and home improvement services through its online community.
The company has around 3 million professionals in its professional services database
Monthly unique visitors: 3,186,862
Order Volume: >50,000
Web Sales: $1B-$5B
Another American company to feature in the top eCommerce companies in 2022, Vuori is an apparel brand that caters to men and women.
Specializing in athletic wear, the company has a range of shorts, tops, pants, and yoga clothing and accessories.
Monthly unique visitors: 294,615
Order Volume: >50,000
Web Sales: $100M-$250M
Welcome to the @withassembly family, PipeCandy! #innovation#ecommerce#technews
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