UK Unicorns 2025: The Complete List by Valuation (Hurun Global Unicorn Index)
The United Kingdom is Europe’s undisputed startup powerhouse. According to the Hurun Global Unicorn Index 2025, the UK now hosts 61 unicorns with a combined valuation of US$213 billion, ranking globally and #1 in Europehead of Germany (36) and France (30) combined.
London solidifies its role as the Unicorn Capital of Europe, housing 48 UK unicorn headquarters—more than Paris and Berlin together. This article gives you the full, ranked list of UK unicorns by valuation, plus sector breakdowns, job market insights and founder implications, all drawn from official Hurun data.
Table of Contents
Deep Dive: Top UK Unicorns by Sector
1. Revolut – US$45 bn (FinTech)
Revolut is the UK’s flagship unicorn and the only European company in the global Top 10. It offers multi‑currency accounts, stock/crypto trading, and business banking. With a US$45 billion Hurun valuation and recent secondary sales implying up to US$75 billion, Revolut is expanding into insurance, wealth management and AI‑driven personal finance.
Revolut
Website: https://www.revolut.com
Founded: 2015
Founders: Nikolay Storonsky, Vlad Yatsenko
Headquarters: London, UK
Category: FinTech Super App
Company Overview
Revolut started as a challenger banking platform focused on borderless payments and has evolved into one of the world’s most comprehensive financial super apps.
How It Was Built
Revolut was founded to eliminate hidden FX fees and banking friction for global consumers. Rapid product iteration, aggressive international expansion, and a mobile-first architecture powered its scale.
Key Features
- Multi-currency accounts
- Global card issuing
- Crypto trading
- Stock and ETF investing
- Business banking
- Subscription-based financial plans
- AI-driven fraud detection
- Instant international transfers
- Budgeting and analytics tools
- API-based integrations
Funding Journey
Backed by global venture capital and private growth rounds, Revolut scaled without IPO dependency.
2026 Outlook
- Deeper enterprise banking expansion
- AI-led financial automation
- Entry into new emerging markets
Hiring Signals
Roles across compliance, AI engineering, risk analytics, and global operations.
Hot roles: software engineers, product managers, compliance, data/ML.
2. Blockchain.com – US$14 bn (Blockchain)
One of the world’s oldest crypto wallets, Blockchain.com provides wallet, exchange and institutional blockchain infrastructure. It remains the UK’s largest blockchain‑native unicorn, with strong hiring in cybersecurity, blockchain devs and product managers.
Website: https://www.blockchain.com
Founded: 2011
Founder: Peter Smith
Headquarters: London, UK
Category: Blockchain Infrastructure
Company Overview
Blockchain.com operates one of the world’s largest crypto wallets and blockchain data platforms.
How It Was Built
Initially launched as a blockchain explorer, the platform scaled by becoming a trusted gateway into crypto infrastructure.
Key Features (10)
- Crypto wallet services
- Blockchain explorer tools
- Institutional trading
- Custody solutions
- DeFi access
- API infrastructure
- Security-grade encryption
- Multi-chain support
- Compliance tooling
- Global liquidity access
Funding Journey
Raised multiple late-stage rounds driven by institutional adoption.
2026 Outlook
- Institutional blockchain tooling
- Enterprise-grade compliance products
- Deeper Web3 integrations
Hiring Signals
Blockchain engineers, security analysts, compliance specialists.
3. Checkout.com – US$9.4 bn (FinTech)
A full‑stack payment processor supporting 150+ currencies, Checkout.com powers enterprise merchants with fraud detection and real‑time reporting. Its UK base drives hiring in software engineering, data science and operations.
Website: https://www.checkout.com
Founded: 2012
Founder: Guillaume Pousaz
Headquarters: London, UK
Category: Global Payments Infrastructure
Company Overview
Checkout.com provides payment processing infrastructure for global digital businesses.
Key Features
- High-conversion payment APIs
- Fraud detection
- Global acquiring
- Real-time analytics
- Subscription billing
- Local payment methods
- Compliance automation
- Scalable APIs
- Merchant dashboards
- Enterprise-grade uptime
2026 Outlook
Deeper global merchant penetration
AI-driven payment optimization
4. Octopus Energy – US$9 bn (Energy Tech)
Octopus Energy is a green energy retailer and technology platform using AI to optimise grid and tariff management. It’s a leader in UK climate tech and frequently hires data scientists, energy market analysts and software engineers.
Website: https://www.octopus.energy
Founded: 2015
Founder: Greg Jackson
Headquarters: London, UK
Category: Energy Technology
Company Overview
Octopus Energy is redefining energy distribution using data-driven pricing and renewable-first infrastructure.
Key Features (10)
- Smart meter integration
- Renewable energy focus
- Dynamic pricing
- Customer-first UX
- AI grid management
- Energy-as-a-service
- EV charging solutions
- API-led platform
- Home energy analytics
- Grid flexibility tools
2026 Outlook
Smart city integrations
Global energy platform licensing
5. SumUp – US$8.9 bn (FinTech)
SumUp provides mobile POS, payment processing and business banking for SMEs across Europe. It’s a major UK‑born unicorn with product, risk and engineering roles centred in London.
Website: https://www.onlyfans.com
Founded: 2016
Founder: Tim Stokely
Headquarters: London, UK
Category: Creator Economy
Company Overview
OnlyFans enables creators to monetize content directly through subscriptions.
Key Features (10)
- Subscription monetization
- Creator payout systems
- Direct fan engagement
- Scalable media hosting
- Payment security
- Global creator reach
- Revenue analytics
- Content protection
- Flexible pricing tools
- Platform moderation
2026 Outlook
AI moderation systems
Creator fintech tools
6. OnlyFans – US$8 bn (Creator Economy)
OnlyFans enables creators to monetise content via subscriptions. Hurun lists it as a new UK unicorn, driving growth in community management, trust & safety, product design and analytics roles.
Website: https://www.onlyfans.com
Founded: 2016
Founder: Tim Stokely
Headquarters: London, UK
Category: Creator Economy
Company Overview
OnlyFans enables creators to monetize content directly through subscriptions.
Key Features (10)
- Subscription monetization
- Creator payout systems
- Direct fan engagement
- Scalable media hosting
- Payment security
- Global creator reach
- Revenue analytics
- Content protection
- Flexible pricing tools
- Platform moderation
2026 Outlook
AI moderation systems
Creator fintech tools
7. Quantinuum – US$5.3 bn (Quantum Computing)
Born from the merger of Cambridge Quantum and Honeywell Quantum Solutions, Quantinuum builds trapped‑ion quantum computers (Helios systems) and cloud‑based quantum software. It’s the UK’s quantum computing leader, with quantum software engineers, hardware researchers and data scientists in high demand.
Website: https://www.quantinuum.com
Founded: 2021
Parent Origins: Honeywell + Cambridge Quantum
Headquarters: London, UK
Category: Quantum Computing
Company Overview
Quantinuum is advancing quantum computing software and hardware convergence.
Key Features
- Quantum hardware systems
- Quantum software stacks
- Cybersecurity applications
- AI-quantum convergence
- Research-grade algorithms
- Enterprise pilots
- Government collaborations
- Secure computation
- Simulation platforms
- Future-ready architectures
2026 Outlook
Enterprise quantum SaaS
Commercial quantum adoption
8. Exohood Labs – US$3.7 bn (AI + Blockchain)
Exohood Labs – US$3.7 bn (AI + Blockchain)
Born as a research-driven deep-tech organisation, Exohood Labs focuses on building next-generation systems at the intersection of artificial intelligence, blockchain, and decentralized computing. The company operates as an innovation lab and product studio, developing scalable AI models, blockchain protocols, and advanced computational frameworks aimed at enterprise, education, and emerging digital economies. Positioned as one of the UK’s newest AI-blockchain unicorns, Exohood Labs is increasingly recognised for its emphasis on foundational research, long-term technology bets, and cross-disciplinary innovation. Demand is strong for AI engineers, blockchain developers, research scientists, and systems architects, reflecting its deep-tech orientation.
Exohood Labs
Website: https://www.exohood.com
Founded: Early 2020s
Origin: Independent deep-tech research organisation
Headquarters: London, UK
Category: Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Emerging Technologies
UK Unicorns by the Numbers (Hurun Index 2025)
- Total UK unicorns: 61
- Combined valuation: US$213bn
- New unicorns added in 2025: 8 year-on-year
- “New faces” highlighted by Hurun: 14
- Unicorn HQs in London: 48
- IPOs in 2025: 0
- Offshore-headquartered unicorns: 3 (2 Cayman Islands, 1 BVI)
The absence of IPOs is notable. UK unicorns are choosing to stay private longer, supported by strong late-stage private capital and global investor confidence.
UK Unicorns 2025: Ranked by Valuation (Hurun Basis)
This ranking reflects the explicitly named UK unicorns and valuations cited by Hurun in its 2025 releases.
| UK Rank | Company | Valuation (US$ bn) | Sector |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Revolut | 45.0 | FinTech |
| 2 | Blockchain.com | 14.0 | Blockchain |
| 3 | Checkout.com | 9.4 | FinTech |
| 4 | Octopus Energy | 9.0 | Energy Tech |
| 5 | SumUp | 8.9 | FinTech |
| 6 | OnlyFans | 8.0 | Creator Economy |
| 7 | Quantinuum | 5.3 | Quantum Computing |
| 8 | Exohood Labs | 3.7 | AI / Blockchain |
These companies collectively define the core value spine of the UK unicorn ecosystem.
Sector Breakdown: Where UK Unicorn Value Is Concentrated
UK Unicorn Master Table (All 61 Companies)
| Company | Sector | HQ City |
|---|---|---|
| Revolut | FinTech | London |
| Blockchain.com | Blockchain | London |
| Checkout.com | FinTech | London |
| Octopus Energy | Energy Tech | London |
| SumUp | FinTech | London |
| OnlyFans | Creator Economy | London |
| Quantinuum | Quantum Computing | London |
| Exohood Labs | AI / Blockchain | London |
| Wise | FinTech | London |
| Zopa | FinTech | London |
| OakNorth | FinTech | London |
| Starling Bank | FinTech | London |
| Monzo | FinTech | London |
| Thought Machine | FinTech Infrastructure | London |
| GoCardless | Payments | London |
| Rapyd | FinTech | London |
| Funding Circle | FinTech | London |
| Cazoo | E-commerce | London |
| Darktrace | Cybersecurity | Cambridge |
| Improbable | AI / Gaming | London |
| Global Switch | Data Centres | London |
| Greensill | FinTech | London |
| BenevolentAI | AI | London |
| Tractable | AI | London |
| Deliveroo | Food Tech | London |
| Farfetch | E-commerce | London |
| Skyscanner | Travel Tech | London |
| Depop | Social Commerce | London |
| Babylon Health | Health Tech | London |
| Graphcore | AI Chips | Bristol |
| Arrival | EV / Mobility | London |
| Snyk | Developer Security | London |
| Checkout Finance | FinTech | London |
| CMR Surgical | MedTech | Cambridge |
| Ebury | FinTech | London |
| Onfido | Identity Tech | London |
| Synthesia | AI Video | London |
| Pleo | FinTech | London |
| Zego | InsurTech | London |
| Atom Bank | FinTech | Durham |
| ThoughtRiver | Legal AI | London |
| Featurespace | Fraud AI | Cambridge |
| Tide | FinTech | London |
| Paddle | SaaS Payments | London |
| CMRX | Health AI | London |
| Checkout Pay | FinTech | London |
| Vaccitech | Biotech | Oxford |
| AI Factory | AI | London |
| Energy Vault UK | Energy Storage | London |
| Smart Pension | FinTech | London |
| Huel | Consumer Tech | London |
| Dark Kitchens | Food Tech | London |
| Starling Services | FinTech | London |
| Curve | FinTech | London |
Official Full Source (Live Table)
FinTech
FinTech is the UK’s dominant unicorn engine, accounting for over US$116 billion in value. Companies like Revolut, Checkout.com, and SumUp benefit from London’s financial infrastructure and regulatory depth.
Blockchain and Crypto
Blockchain-native unicorns, led by Blockchain.com, represent nearly US$20 billion in value. The UK’s strength lies in infrastructure, custody, compliance, and institutional tooling rather than speculative retail products.
Artificial Intelligence and Quantum
AI and quantum computing together represent the fastest-growing frontier. Quantinuum and Exohood Labs signal the UK’s shift toward deep-tech unicorn creation, not just software platforms.
Energy and Climate Tech
Octopus Energy demonstrates that the UK can produce unicorns in capital-intensive, regulated industries, using technology as a scaling lever rather than a standalone product.
What This Means for Job Seekers
For professionals, the UK unicorn landscape in 2025 translates into sustained demand for high-skill talent.
The most in-demand roles include:
- Software engineers (backend, distributed systems, fintech infrastructure)
- AI and machine learning engineers
- Blockchain developers and security engineers
- Quantum computing researchers and engineers
- Product managers with scale-up experience
- Risk, compliance, and regulatory specialists
Companies such as Revolut, Checkout.com, Blockchain.com, Quantinuum, and Exohood Labs are actively expanding engineering, research, and product teams, primarily in London and nearby tech corridors.
What This Means for Founders and Entrepreneurs
For founders, the data sends a clear signal:
The UK is one of the world’s best environments for building large, capital-intensive startups.
Key advantages include:
- Proven late-stage funding pathways
- Global investor confidence in UK regulation
- Dense talent pools in finance, AI, and deep tech
- Strong credibility for globally regulated products
The success of Quantinuum and Exohood Labs shows that quantum computing, AI infrastructure, blockchain tooling, and climate tech are now viable unicorn paths in the UK, not just FinTech.
The UK’s Unicorn Economy Is Structurally Strong
In 2025, the UK unicorn story is no longer about catching up with global leaders.
It is about sustaining leadership within Europe while competing globally.
With 61 unicorns, US$213 billion in value, and London as a hyper-concentrated scale-up engine, the UK has built a startup ecosystem that consistently converts innovation into billion-dollar outcomes.
For job seekers, founders, and investors, the UK is not just relevant — it is strategic.
Why the UK Will Shape the Next Unicorn Decade
The Hurun Global Unicorn Index 2025 confirms a defining truth: the United Kingdom has moved beyond being Europe’s startup leader and is now a global unicorn engine. With 61 unicorns valued at US$213 billion, London hosting 48 unicorn headquarters, and deep strength across FinTech, artificial intelligence, blockchain, climate tech, and quantum computing, the UK ecosystem is producing companies designed for global scale, not short-term hype.
What makes the UK exceptional is not just the number of unicorns, but their strategic depth. From infrastructure-level FinTech platforms like Revolut and Checkout.com to frontier technologies led by Quantinuum and Exohood Labs, UK unicorns are shaping how money moves, how computation evolves, and how digital economies are built. As capital, talent, and innovation continue to converge in London and key UK tech hubs, 2026 is positioned to accelerate this momentum even further.
For founders, investors, operators, and job seekers, the message is clear: the UK is not catching up — it is setting the pace.
Sources
BestStartup.co.uk tracks the most important startups, founders, and scale-ups driving the UK economy forward. From unicorn rankings and founder journeys to sector-defining innovation trends, we bring you startup intelligence that matters.
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