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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Aisha Down and Dan Milmo

The year of the ‘hectocorn’: the $100bn tech companies that could float in 2026

OpenAI SpaceX Donald Trump Anthropic Stripe Bolt IPO Elon Musk Neil Wilson Canva
OpenAI logo on keyboard
OpenAI could be valued at $1tn if it launches an initial public offering, Reuters said. Photograph: Dado Ruvić/Reuters

You’ve probably heard of “unicorns” – technology startups valued at more than $1bn – but 2026 is shaping up to be the year of the “hectocorn”, with several US and European companies potentially floating on stock markets at valuations over $100bn (£75bn).

OpenAI, Anthropic, SpaceX and Stripe are among the big names said to be considering an initial public offering (IPO) this year.

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