PitchBook Logs 42 Decacorns in 2026 So Far, Beating 2021 Record as AI Startups Race Past $10B

Axios reports 42 startups have hit $10B valuations in 2026 with three months to go, cementing a record above 2021's 34 decacorns. PitchBook data shows the average time to decacorn status dropped to 5.5 years in 2025 from 9.4 years in 2020, with AI driving both faster revenue ramps and sharper valuation bid-ups. Discovery Loop, founded in August by former Google chief scientist Jeff Dean, is targeting a $50B round that would make it the fastest-ever decacorn.