Ant Financial, Didi Chuxing and Xiaomi top 2017 best Chinese unicorns - Rupert Hoogewerf

Rupert Hoogewerf

Ant Financial, Didi Chuxing and Xiaomi made it to the top-3 Chinese unicorns in 2017 on a list of 120 most successful unicorns in Greater China, announced the Hurun Greater China Unicorn 2017 Index last week. Beijing is leading the pack, says Hurun founder Rupert Hoogewerf, followed by Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Hangzhou. Keeping up with the amazing growth is tough, Hoogewerf tells AsiaVenturepedia.

Asiaventurepedia:

The Hurun Research Institute released today the Hurun Greater China Unicorn Index 2017, where Ant Financial, Didi Chuxing, and Xiaomi top the chart. The report listed out 120 best unicorns in the Greater China region that are valued over $1 billion as of the end of November 2017. 

“We select the companies valued over $1 billion based on the initial definition of a unicorn startup. However, for many investors nowadays, only those valued over $10 billion or over $15 billion are considered unicorns,” says Rupert Hoogewerf, chairman of Hurun Report, in a statement. 

It’s worth noting that Beijing accommodates the most unicorn startups, holding up 45% of the companies on the list, followed by Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Shenzhen. Among the selected companies, 17 of them are from the internet finance industry with valuations totaling RMB 700 billion (roughly $106.5 billion). 

On top of that, the list also sees a slew of startups from the internet service and e-commerce sectors, both of which account for 18% of all the listed companies. Startups from the entertainment, transportation, and health sector are active as well. 

Also, among the top 10 unicorns, eight of them are valued over RMB 8 billion ($12 billion). Sequoia Capital, on the other hand, became the venture capital that invested in the most unicorns, followed by Tencent and MatrixPartners China. 

On the list, Ant Financial, Didi Chuxing, and Xiaomi are named the top three unicorns with valuations respectively at RMB 400 billion ($60.84 billion), RMB 300 billion ($45.63 billion), and RMB 200 billion ($30.42 billion). The other unicorns include China Internet Plus, Toutiao, CATL, Lufax, DJI, Koubei, Cainiao, JD Finance, and Ele.me.

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