In Silicon Valley, ‘Unicorns’ Exist

Unicorns are mythical creatures, and in medieval lore they were visible only to very select people of exceptional purity. In Silicon Valley, however, if you miss a unicorn, you can always wait for the next one. After all, there are 90 of them. In the tech world, of course, a unicorn is not a flitting creature of fancy, but something very different: A startup that is a very tangible, concrete evidence of just how much money is looking for a home in Silicon Valley. "Unicorn" has become a widely used shorthand for startups who have won the techie jackpot: companies that are worth $1 billion or more, solely through fundraising and the generosity and faith of venture capitalists.