Unicorn count hits 4-year high in March, led by AI infrastructure and robotics

The Crunchbase Unicorn Board reported a unicorn count reaching a 4-year high in March, with 37 new companies joining—its highest monthly total in nearly four years. The unicorn count was driven mainly by AI infrastructure and robotics. Sector highlights: Robotics and AI-related categories added 14 of the 36+ new unicorns (robotics, foundational AI, and AI infrastructure). Frontier Labs contributed four new unicorns, including robotics model builders. AI infrastructure added four companies focused on data-center technology and provisioning, while fintech (wealth management, payments, and digital assets) added four more. Developer tools and defense each added three. Geographic split: 20 of the new unicorns were U.S.-based, with 11 from the San Francisco Bay Area. China added six; the U.K. added four, while France, the Netherlands, and Belgium each minted one. The UAE, Seychelles, India, and Australia each added one. Notable valuations and rounds: The most valuable newcomer was Seychelles-based crypto exchange OKX, valued at $25B. The biggest funding deal was a $1B round for Paris-based Advanced Machine Intelligence (founded by Yann LeCun), a frontier lab startup building for physical AI. Younger cohorts were prominent: 18 of the March entrants were under 3 years old, and five were under 1 year old. For traders, this unicorn count snapshot signals continuing private-market momentum in AI/robotics themes, with one large crypto-linked valuation (OKX) adding incremental sentiment support.