Top 35 Automotive Unicorn Companies in 2023 (2023)

Updated:

February 7, 2023

UnicornsStartupsFailed Startups

The number of successful companies in the Automotive industry and worth more than $1 billion is becoming increasingly hard to ignore.

Particularly when a lot of these companies were only founded within the last 5 years or so.

That’s why we decided to put together this list of 35 Automotive companies that have achieved the Unicorn status.

‍

35 Automotive Unicorns Companies

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2,658 Accelerators & Incubators

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1,016 Unicorns

Information about their valuation, HQ's location, founded year, name of founders, funding amount and number of employees.

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1,016 Unicorns

Information about their valuation, HQ's location, founded year, name of founders, funding amount and number of employees.

Get the Sheet for $50

ZongMu Technology

Zongmu Technology is a Chinese self-driving tech firm.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$11.40
B(
June 2021
)
Country:
China
City:
Shanghai
Started in:
2013
Founders:
Rui Tang
Industries:
Automotive, Autonomous Vehicles, Robotics
Number of employees:
10-50
Funding Amount:
$210.83M
Number of funding rounds:
4
Number of investors:
11

You can find their website

here

ZongMu Technology

Chehaoduo

Chehaoduo is the most influential online car trading platform in China that provides a set of comprehensive solutions for both individual car sellers and buyers. The company operates its business through the high-end brand Hexa, and has branches in more than 20 cities across China.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$9.00
B(
March 2016
)
Country:
China
City:
Beijing
Started in:
2015
Founders:
Mark Yang
Industries:
Automotive, E-Commerce, Online Auctions
Number of employees:
10,000+
Funding Amount:
$696.76M
Number of funding rounds:
9
Number of investors:
26

You can find their website

here

Chehaoduo

Kavak

KAVAK is a fast-paced marketplace that enables car dealers and private sellers to communicate directly with serious buyers.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$8.70
B(
October 2020
)
Country:
Mexico
City:
Lerma de Villada
Started in:
2016
Founders:
Carlos Julio Garcia, Roger Laughlin
Industries:
Automotive, E-Commerce, E-Commerce Platforms, Online Portals
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
$1,188.00M
Number of funding rounds:
6
Number of investors:
24

You can find their website

here

Kavak

Pony.ai

Pony.ai is revolutionizing the autonomous vehicle sector by providing a high-quality experience that surpasses its competitors.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$5.30
B(
July 2018
)
Country:
United States
City:
Fremont
Started in:
2016
Founders:
James Peng, Tiancheng Lou
Industries:
Artificial Intelligence, Automotive, Autonomous Vehicles, Transportation
Number of employees:
250-500
Funding Amount:
$1,093.00M
Number of funding rounds:
7
Number of investors:
28

You can find their website

here

Pony.ai

Ola Electric Mobility

Ola is a mobility platform and a ride-hailing company providing intercity transport for customers.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$5.00
B(
July 2019
)
Country:
India
City:
Bengaluru
Started in:
2019
Founders:
Anand Shah, Ankit Jain, Bhavish Aggarwal
Industries:
Automotive, Electric Vehicle, Manufacturing, Sales, Sustainability
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
$822.29M
Number of funding rounds:
9
Number of investors:
19

You can find their website

here

Ola Electric Mobility

WM Motor

WM Motor is an all-electric company that designs, builds, and markets super safe zero emissions vehicles.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$5.00
B(
March 2019
)
Country:
China
City:
Shanghai
Started in:
2015
Founders:
Bin Lu, Hui Shen, Ligang Du
Industries:
Automotive, Autonomous Vehicles, Electric Vehicle, Manufacturing
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
$193.24M
Number of funding rounds:
8
Number of investors:
28

You can find their website

here

WM Motor

Tekion

Tekion is a next-gen, self-serving platform that leverages advanced machine learning and AI to provide a personalized and seamless consumer experience.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$3.50
B(
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October 2020
)
Country:
United States
City:
Pleasanton
Started in:
2016
Founders:
Guru Sankararaman, Jay Vijayan
Industries:
Artificial Intelligence, Automotive, Big Data, Machine Learning, Management Information Systems
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
$400.00M
Number of funding rounds:
6
Number of investors:
17

You can find their website

here

Tekion

Youxia Motors

Youxia Motors is a niche EV manufacturer that provides high quality production and a wide range of services.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$3.35
B(
April 2018
)
Country:
China
City:
Shanghai
Started in:
2014
Founders:
Huang Xiuyuan, Will Lee
Industries:
Automotive, Electric Vehicle, Industrial Design, Manufacturing
Number of employees:
100-250
Funding Amount:
$930.00M
Number of funding rounds:
4
Number of investors:
5

You can find their website

here

Youxia Motors

ECARX

ECARX is a real-time vehicle positioning system that pinpoints the position of your car, and warns you about potential traffic jams.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$3.31
B(
October 2020
)
Country:
China
City:
Wuhan
Started in:
2016
Founders:
Li Shufu, Ziyu Shen
Industries:
Artificial Intelligence, Automotive, Information Services
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
$361.00M
Number of funding rounds:
3
Number of investors:
5

You can find their website

here

ECARX

Cars24

CARS24 brings buyers and sellers online through an intuitive, tech-enabled platform that simplifies and streamlines the pre-owned car purchase process.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$3.30
B(
November 2020
)
Country:
India
City:
Gurgaon
Started in:
2015
Founders:
Gajendra Jangid, Mehul Agrawal, Ruchit Agarwal, Vikram Chopra
Industries:
Artificial Intelligence, Automotive, Electrical Distribution, Marketplace
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
$1,296.17M
Number of funding rounds:
11
Number of investors:
33

You can find their website

here

Cars24

Via

Via offers a flexible, on-demand transportation service to help you get from home to work in a safe, fun, and affordable way.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$3.30
B(
March 2020
)
Country:
United States
City:
New York
Started in:
2012
Founders:
Daniel Ramot, Oren Shoval
Industries:
Automotive, Mobile Apps, Real Time, Ride Sharing, Transportation
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
$697.06M
Number of funding rounds:
8
Number of investors:
29

You can find their website

here

Via

SouChe Holdings

Souche is the leading second-hand car trading company that provides quality services for all types of cars.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$3.00
B(
November 2017
)
Country:
China
City:
Hangzhou
Started in:
2012
Founders:
Junhong Yao
Industries:
Automotive, FinTech, Internet, Leasing, SaaS
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
$1,282.21M
Number of funding rounds:
7
Number of investors:
17

You can find their website

here

SouChe Holdings

Hozon Auto

Hozon is an electric vehicle startup that uses technology to develop intelligent electric vehicle models.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$2.74
B(
October 2021
)
Country:
China
City:
Shanghai
Started in:
2014
Founders:
Yunzhou Fang, Zhang Yong
Industries:
Automotive, Electric Vehicle, Manufacturing
Number of employees:
250-500
Funding Amount:
$300.00M
Number of funding rounds:
6
Number of investors:
10

You can find their website

here

Hozon Auto

BYTON

BYTON is a global company that designs, develops, and markets smart connected electric vehicles.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$2.50
B(
April 2018
)
Country:
China
City:
Nanjing
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Started in:
2016
Founders:
Carsten Breitfeld, Daniel Kirchert
Industries:
Automotive, Autonomous Vehicles, Electric Vehicle
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
$330.93M
Number of funding rounds:
5
Number of investors:
9

You can find their website

here

BYTON

Star Charge

Star Charge focuses on developing and manufacturing the new energy vehicle charging equipment.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$2.41
B(
May 2021
)
Country:
China
City:
Changzhou
Started in:
2014
Founders:
Shao Danwei
Industries:
Automotive, Electric Vehicle, Electronics
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
$125.58M
Number of funding rounds:
2
Number of investors:
6

You can find their website

here

Star Charge

Black Sesame Technologies

Black Sesame Technologies is an artificial intelligence (AI) digital imaging technology company focused on developing solutions for real-world AI difficulties.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$2.00
B(
September 2021
)
Country:
China
City:
Shanghai
Started in:
2016
Founders:
Johnson Shan, Wilson Liu
Industries:
Artificial Intelligence, Automotive, Machine Learning
Number of employees:
100-250
Funding Amount:
$64.08M
Number of funding rounds:
4
Number of investors:
18

You can find their website

here

Black Sesame Technologies

ENOVATE

ENOVATE is a high-end new energy vehicle manufacturer employing modern technology and innovative methods to change the way people travel.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$1.85
B(
April 2019
)
Country:
China
City:
Shanghai
Started in:
2015
Founders:
Hailiang Zhang
Industries:
Automotive, Energy, Mobile
Number of employees:
500-1,000
Funding Amount:
$5,986.82M
Number of funding rounds:
1
Number of investors:
No Data

You can find their website

here

AIWAYS

AIWAYS is a smart car manufacturer based in Shanghai, China that creates beautiful electric vehicles that can be used in any situation.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$1.78
B(
April 2018
)
Country:
China
City:
Shanghai
Started in:
2017
Founders:
Fu Qiang, Gu Feng
Industries:
Artificial Intelligence, Automotive, Electric Vehicle, Manufacturing
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
$100.00M
Number of funding rounds:
7
Number of investors:
5

You can find their website

here

AIWAYS

Spinny

Spinny is a used car buying platform enabling trustworthy and hassle-free transactions.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$1.75
B(
November 2021
)
Country:
India
City:
Gurugram
Started in:
2015
Founders:
Ganesh Pawar, Mohit Gupta, Niraj Singh, Ramanshu Mahaur
Industries:
Automotive, E-Commerce, Trading Platform
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
$515.90M
Number of funding rounds:
8
Number of investors:
20

You can find their website

here

Spinny

Carsome

Carsome is a used automobile e-commerce platform that enables individuals and businesses to sell cars efficiently.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$1.70
B(
July 2021
)
Country:
Malaysia
City:
Petaling Jaya
Started in:
2015
Founders:
Eric Cheng, Jiun Ee Teoh
Industries:
Automotive, E-Commerce Platforms, Shopping
Number of employees:
500-1,000
Funding Amount:
$597.35M
Number of funding rounds:
13
Number of investors:
25

You can find their website

here

Carsome

Carzone

Carzone is an automotive e-commerce site.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$1.52
B(
March 2019
)
Country:
China
City:
Nanjing
Started in:
1995
Founders:
Baoguo Shang
Industries:
Automotive, E-Commerce
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Number of employees:
5,000-10,000
Funding Amount:
$946.49M
Number of funding rounds:
6
Number of investors:
11

You can find their website

here

Carzone

StoreDot

StoreDot is a battery developer and materials innovation leader, developing ground-breaking battery technologies for electric vehicles.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$1.50
B(
January 2022
)
Country:
Israel
City:
Herzliya
Started in:
2012
Founders:
Doron Myersdorf, Gil Rosenman, Simon Litsyn
Industries:
Advanced Materials, Automotive, Battery, Electric Vehicle
Number of employees:
100-250
Funding Amount:
$206.00M
Number of funding rounds:
13
Number of investors:
14

You can find their website

here

StoreDot

Motorway

Motorway is an online used-car marketplace for professional car dealers that sells their cars using their smartphones.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$1.33
B(
November 2021
)
Country:
United Kingdom
City:
London
Started in:
2017
Founders:
Alex Buttle, Harry Jones, Tom Leathes
Industries:
Automotive, Consumer Reviews, E-Commerce, Electric Vehicle, Marketplace
Number of employees:
100-250
Funding Amount:
$274.59M
Number of funding rounds:
5
Number of investors:
12

You can find their website

here

Motorway

CarDekho

CarDekho is a vehicle search platform dedicated to the digitization of the automotive ecosystem.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$1.20
B(
October 2021
)
Country:
India
City:
Jaipur
Started in:
2008
Founders:
Amit Jain, Anurag Jain
Industries:
Automotive, E-Commerce, Information Services, Information Technology, Software
Number of employees:
500-1,000
Funding Amount:
$536.10M
Number of funding rounds:
9
Number of investors:
21

You can find their website

here

CarDekho

Fair

Fair car leasing is a new, economical way of purchasing or leasing a vehicle. Fair offers flexible control packages and leasing options. Choose the one that suits you best.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$1.20
B(
December 2018
)
Country:
United States
City:
Santa Monica
Started in:
2016
Founders:
Boone Park, Craig Nehamen, Georg Bauer, Jennifer Parke, Matt Cacciola, Scott Painter
Industries:
Automotive, Internet, Leasing
Number of employees:
100-250
Funding Amount:
$2,101.00M
Number of funding rounds:
13
Number of investors:
37

You can find their website

here

Fair

Tuhu

Tuhu is an automotive supplier delivering high value, innovative products and services.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$1.16
B(
September 2018
)
Country:
China
City:
Shanghai
Started in:
2011
Founders:
Min Chen
Industries:
Automotive, E-Commerce, Service Industry
Number of employees:
500-1,000
Funding Amount:
$580.45M
Number of funding rounds:
7
Number of investors:
14

You can find their website

here

Tuhu

TELD

Teld New Energy is a dedicated team of industry-leading experts who are passionate about finding and implementing the technology that powers electric vehicles.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$1.12
B(
December 2019
)
Country:
China
City:
Qingdao
Started in:
2014
Founders:
Yongguang Guo
Industries:
Automotive, Electric Vehicle, Energy, Transportation
Number of employees:
250-500
Funding Amount:
$435.98M
Number of funding rounds:
4
Number of investors:
8

You can find their website

here

TELD

Rivigo

Rivigo, a technology enabled logistics platform provider, helps customers move goods from origins to destinations with efficiency and reliability.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$1.07
B(
July 2019
)
Country:
India
City:
Gurgaon
Started in:
2014
Founders:
Deepak Garg, Gazal Kalra
Industries:
Automotive, Freight Service, Logistics, Shipping, Software, Transportation
Number of employees:
1,000-5,000
Funding Amount:
$319.89M
Number of funding rounds:
11
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Number of investors:
7

You can find their website

here

Rivigo

Leap Motor

Leapmotor is poised to become a leading brand in China’s burgeoning electric vehicle market.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$1.01
B(
November 2018
)
Country:
China
City:
Hangzhou
Started in:
2015
Founders:
Fu Liquan, Zhu Jiangming
Industries:
Automotive, Electric Vehicle, Energy, Manufacturing
Number of employees:
500-1,000
Funding Amount:
$1,761.19M
Number of funding rounds:
4
Number of investors:
12

You can find their website

here

Leap Motor

Carro

Carro is an online used automobile marketplace that provides a variety of services to assist you in purchasing a vehicle.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$1.00
B(
June 2021
)
Country:
Singapore
City:
Started in:
2015
Founders:
Aaron Tan, Aditya Lesmana, Kelvin Chng
Industries:
Automotive, Direct Sales, E-Commerce Platforms, Marketplace
Number of employees:
250-500
Funding Amount:
$684.52M
Number of funding rounds:
10
Number of investors:
36

You can find their website

here

Carro

Haomao.AI

Haomo.AI is a Chinese autonomous driving startup controlled by Great Wall Motor's Chairman Wei Jianjun.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$1.00
B(
December 2021
)
Country:
China
City:
Beijing
Started in:
2019
Founders:
No Data
Industries:
Artificial Intelligence, Automotive, Consulting, Information Technology
Number of employees:
250-500
Funding Amount:
$110.59M
Number of funding rounds:
2
Number of investors:
7

You can find their website

here

Haomao.AI

Banma Network Technologies

Banma Network Technologies is a next-generation automotive technology company that offers the first standard operating system for cars, the AliOS.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$1.00
B(
September 2018
)
Country:
China
City:
Shanghai
Started in:
2015
Founders:
Alex Shi
Industries:
Automotive, Autonomous Vehicles, Internet
Number of employees:
100-250
Funding Amount:
$11.54M
Number of funding rounds:
2
Number of investors:
6

You can find their website

here

Banma Network Technologies

Shift Technology

Shift is an online marketplace for buying and selling used cars.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$1.00
B(
May 2021
)
Country:
France
City:
Paris
Started in:
2014
Founders:
Christian Ohler, George Arison, Joel Washington, Minnie Ingersoll, Morgan Knutson
Industries:
Automotive, E-Commerce, Internet, Logistics, Marketplace, Retail Technology
Number of employees:
500-1,000
Funding Amount:
$319.72M
Number of funding rounds:
10
Number of investors:
23

You can find their website

here

Shift Technology

SITECH DEV

SITECH DEV is a company focused on bringing space travel to our fingertips. From rockets and spacecrafts to satellites, they provide unique solutions for all of your needs.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$1.00
B(
May 2019
)
Country:
China
City:
Guiyang
Started in:
2017
Founders:
No Data
Industries:
Automotive, Logistics, Space Travel, Transportation
Number of employees:
1-10
Funding Amount:
$443.67M
Number of funding rounds:
2
Number of investors:
3

You can find their website

here

SITECH DEV

YH Global

YH Global provides comprehensive transport distribution solutions that enable cost savings, faster turnaround times, and improved efficiency. They have a full service logistics company that integrates all modes of transportation including air, sea, road, and rail to transport your goods worldwide.

Details of the startup:

Valuation:
$1.00
B(
September 2017
)
Country:
China
City:
Shenzhen
Started in:
1997
Founders:
Zhang Quan
Industries:
Automotive, Freight Service, Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Transportation
Number of employees:
50-100
Funding Amount:
$182.05M
Number of funding rounds:
1
Number of investors:
5

You can find their website

here

YH Global

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Top 35 Automotive Unicorn Companies in 2023 (2023)

35 Automotive Unicorns Companies

ZongMu Technology

Chehaoduo

Kavak

Pony.ai

Ola Electric Mobility

WM Motor

Tekion

Youxia Motors

ECARX

Cars24

Via

SouChe Holdings

Hozon Auto

BYTON

Star Charge

Black Sesame Technologies

ENOVATE

AIWAYS

Spinny

Carsome

Carzone

StoreDot

Motorway

CarDekho

Fair

Tuhu

TELD

Rivigo

Leap Motor

Carro

Haomao.AI

Banma Network Technologies

Shift Technology

SITECH DEV

YH Global

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