Unicorn Startup
A privately held startup valued at over one billion dollars. The name was chosen for rarity, and has aged badly.
Full definition of Unicorn Startup →:: COMPARE ::
Unicorn startupvsBootstrapping
The short answer
Unicorn status is defined by an external valuation event. A bootstrapped company has no valuation to be measured by — which makes it invisible to this vocabulary entirely, regardless of how much money it makes.
Side by side
| Aspect | Unicorn startup | Bootstrapping |
|---|---|---|
| Defined by | Valuation | Ownership |
| Needs investors | Yes | No |
| Visible in the data | Highly | Barely |
| Timeline | ~7 years | Unbounded |
What each one means
Bootstrapping
Building a company on internal cash flow and personal savings, with no outside capital. Growth is capped by revenue; ownership is not. The word carries other senses too: starting a computer by loading its own start-up code, and, more generally, getting anything going without outside help.
Full definition of Bootstrapping →