The Full List of 9 Unicorn Startups in North Carolina (2026)
North Carolina's startup ecosystem features nine unicorn companies, primarily concentrated in the software industry. These companies are located in major hubs such as Raleigh, Cary, and Charlotte.
Video game developer Epic Games is the most valuable company on the list with a $23 billion valuation. Other notable startups include financial software firm insightsoftware, valued at $4 billion.
Below is the full list of 9 North Carolina unicorn startups at this time.
Top 9 Most Valuable North Carolina Unicorns
Epic Games builds interactive entertainment experiences and the Unreal Engine, a foundational technology for game developers. They are best known for the global hit Fortnite and for running the Epic Games Store, a digital marketplace for PC games.
| Valuation | $23B (Joined October 2018) |
| Year Founded | 1991 |
| Founders | Mark Rein, Tim Sweeney |
| Funding Amount | $7.9B |
| Company Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Quiet Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, ICONIQ Growth |
insightsoftware develops a suite of financial reporting and enterprise performance management tools designed for the Office of the CFO. Their solutions help organizations connect to and make sense of their enterprise data, providing a holistic view of financial and operational performance.
| Valuation | $4B |
| Year Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | — |
| Funding Amount | CA$1B |
| Company Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Private Equity |
| Top Investors | TA Associates, ST6, Hg, Genstar Capital |
Pendo offers an all-in-one platform for product teams to analyze user behavior and improve digital adoption. They're known for combining powerful analytics with tools that help guide users, making software easier to use and adopt.
| Valuation | $3B (Joined October 2019) |
| Year Founded | 2013 |
| Founders | Eric Boduch, Erik Troan, Rahul Jain, Todd Olson |
| Funding Amount | $579.4M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Venture Round |
| Top Investors | Sapphire Ventures, B Capital, General Atlantic, Thoma Bravo, Battery Ventures |
Teamworks builds an operating system for sports that centralizes talent acquisition, operations, and performance development. Their integrated software is used by athletic organizations to streamline everything from communication and scheduling to athlete data management.
| Valuation | $1.24B (Joined June 2025) |
| Year Founded | 2009 |
| Founders | Mitch Heath, Shaun Powell, Zachary Maurides |
| Funding Amount | $422.2M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series F |
| Top Investors | Seaport Capital, Dragoneer Investment Group, Delta-v Capital, Teamworthy Ventures, General Catalyst |
Oyster created a global employment platform that lets companies hire, pay, and care for team members in any country. They handle the complexities of international hiring, including local compliance, payroll, and benefits, so businesses can build a distributed workforce.
| Valuation | $1.2B (Joined April 2022) |
| Year Founded | 2020 |
| Founders | Jack Mardack, Tony Jamous |
| Funding Amount | $288.2M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Series D |
| Top Investors | Emergence Capital, Endeavor Catalyst, Salesforce Ventures, Base10 Partners, Georgian |
Vantaca builds community management software designed to help property management companies automate their daily operations. Their platform uses AI to streamline workflows, financial management, and communications for homeowners associations and their residents.
| Valuation | $1B |
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Dave Sweyer |
| Funding Amount | $305M |
| Company Size | Large Team (251-1,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Private Equity |
| Top Investors | JMI Equity, Cove Hill Partners |
Printful provides a print-on-demand dropshipping service that helps creators and entrepreneurs launch their own product lines. The platform handles the entire fulfillment process, from printing custom designs on apparel and accessories to shipping orders directly to the end customer.
| Valuation | $1B (Joined May 2021) |
| Year Founded | 2013 |
| Founders | Davis Siksnans, Lauris Liberts |
| Funding Amount | $130M |
| Company Size | Major Organization (1,001-5,000) |
| Last Funding Status | Private Equity |
| Top Investors | Bregal Sagemount |
JupiterOne builds a cyber asset management platform that gives security teams a complete inventory of their digital footprint. The platform connects assets across cloud environments to provide the visibility needed to manage and secure complex systems.
| Valuation | $1B (Joined June 2022) |
| Year Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | Erkang Zheng |
| Funding Amount | $119M |
| Company Size | Mid-Size Team (51-250) |
| Last Funding Status | Series C |
| Top Investors | Cisco Investments, Tribe Capital, Intel Capital, Bain Capital Ventures, Sapphire Ventures |
Tresata builds a software platform for real-time customer intelligence management. Their data operating system helps large enterprises analyze and monetize their customer data.
| Valuation | $1B (Joined October 2018) |
| Year Founded | 2011 |
| Founders | Abhishek Virendra Mehta, Richard Morris |
| Funding Amount | $51.3M |
| Company Size | Lean Team (11-50) |
| Last Funding Status | Private Equity |
| Top Investors | GCP Capital Partners |
