2025 Annual Report
PitchBook Data
857 Unicorns

US VC Valuations & Returns

Interactive analysis of venture capital valuations, deal dynamics, and market trends across the US startup ecosystem. Powered by PitchBook's latest valuation estimates and comprehensive market data.

Total Unicorn Value
$4.7T
Last reported valuations
Estimated Value
$4.4T
Current market conditions
Top 10 Concentration
51.8%
Up from 18.5% in 2022
Down/Flat Rounds
20.9%
Of all rounds in 2025
Unicorn Market Size Evolution
Aggregate post-money valuations showing gap between reported and estimated values
Market Concentration Trend
Top 10 unicorns as % of total market value - rising concentration signals power law dynamics
Series A Valuation Dispersion
Pre-money valuations showing median, average, and decile ranges - 22.5% median jump in 2025
Key Market Takeaways
Critical insights from the 2025 VC valuations report

Two-Tier Market

VC now operates as two distinct ecosystems - while top companies raise frequent rounds at rising valuations, a substantial portion struggles to access capital

Valuation Staleness

Average unicorn last raised 2.5+ years ago. Valuations outside top tier reflect staleness more than overpricing, with 2021/2022 cohorts down 68% and 52%

AI Drives Concentration

Top 10 unicorns now represent 51.8% of total value (up from 18.5% in 2022), driven primarily by AI leaders like OpenAI and Anthropic

Down Rounds Persist

20.9% of 2025 rounds were down or flat, reflecting continued market recalibration. 14 of 17 unicorn IPOs priced below last private round

Competitive Early Stages

Top-decile valuations surged 13% at seed, 29% at Series A, and 64% at Series B. High-growth outliers driving competitive pricing negotiations

Future Liquidity Risk

Current valuations stretch further above fundamentals. Future liquidity markets will need to be even frothier to validate current pricing

Data Source: PitchBook • 2025 Annual US VC Valuations and Returns Report

Published February 10, 2026 • Sponsored by Morgan Stanley at Work

Made by Trace Cohen • t@nyvp.com