The tech world is entering a new era defined by the rise of the hectocorn — startups valued at $100 billion or more. Once the rare achievement of becoming a unicorn, hitting a $1 billion valuation is now just the starting point for the most ambitious tech ventures. Seven companies have already crossed the $100 billion threshold, marking a shift in how we measure success in the startup ecosystem. OpenAI, co-founded by Sam Altman in 2015, is one of the pioneers of this new era. The AI research lab behind models like GPT-3 and GPT-4 has become a central force in the generative AI revolution. Its rapid growth and strategic partnerships have driven its valuation into the hundreds of billions. SpaceX, Elon Musk’s aerospace company, has also reached hectocorn status. With its Starlink satellite internet network, reusable rockets, and plans for crewed missions to Mars, SpaceX continues to expand its influence beyond Earth. Its valuation now stands in the hundreds of billions. Anthropic, founded in 2021 by former OpenAI employees including CEO Dario Amodei and President Daniela Amodei, has emerged as a major player in AI safety and alignment. Its flagship product, the Claude family of large language models, has gained widespread adoption. Backed by heavyweights like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Nvidia, Anthropic reached a $183 billion valuation in 2025. Reports suggest Google may increase its stake, potentially pushing the company’s value past $350 billion. ByteDance, the Chinese tech giant behind TikTok, is another hectocorn. Founded by Zhang Yiming in 2012, the company gained global fame with its short-form video app, which launched internationally in 2017 after acquiring Musical.ly. TikTok’s success was further amplified by the launch of TikTok Shop in 2023. In August 2024, ByteDance self-assessed a $330 billion valuation, with early investor Fidelity valuing it as high as $380 billion. Databricks, a data analytics and AI platform built on the Apache Spark framework, reached a $134 billion valuation in a 2025 funding round. The company has become essential for enterprises managing large-scale data workloads. Stripe, the fintech powerhouse enabling online payments, surpassed the $100 billion mark in September 2024. Its platform is used by millions of businesses worldwide, and it continues to expand into new financial services. Finally, xAI, Elon Musk’s AI venture launched in 2023, has rapidly grown in value. The company’s Grok AI model powers a chatbot and is integrated across Musk’s other companies, including X (formerly Twitter) and Tesla. After acquiring X in 2022, xAI’s combined valuation rose to $113 billion. While Musk denied reports of a $230 billion valuation in November 2024, the company remains a key player in the AI race. With Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving unit, reportedly in talks to raise billions, it may soon join the exclusive hectocorn club. The rise of these hyper-valued startups reflects a new reality in tech — where ambition, innovation, and strategic partnerships define the next generation of giants.