Unicorn Farm

Definition

A VC fund or accelerator that has successfully backed multiple unicorns, earning them the right to be insufferably smug about their 'formula'.

Example Usage

Y Combinator is basically the ultimate unicorn farm with over 200+ successful exits, which is why their partner advice is simultaneously valuable and impossible to follow.

Origin

Startup and venture capital slang; 'farm' metaphor

Fun Fact

Unicorn farm founders all claim the reason for their success is some secret principle they'll definitely share in their next book

Source: Venture capital and startup terminology

Related Terms

Beginner

Deck Slide

A single slide in a pitch deck, often discussing one specific aspect of the business in vague, aspirational terms.

🚀 Startup / VC

Advanced

Down Round

A funding round where a company raises money at a lower valuation than the previous round, which is the startup equivalent of your house being appraised for less than you paid for it, except everyone on Twitter knows about it. Morale is measured in tears per employee.

🚀 Startup / VC

Intermediate

zebra company

A startup that aims to be both profitable AND socially responsible, as opposed to unicorns that prioritize growth at any cost. They're real, sustainable, and less likely to leave a trail of layoffs and burned capital.

🚀 Startup / VC

Intermediate

pattern matching

When VCs make investment decisions based on superficial similarities to previous successful startups rather than rigorous analysis. It's why they love Stanford dropouts building social apps in their dorm rooms.

🚀 Startup / VC

Advanced

burn multiple

A capital efficiency metric calculated as net burn divided by net new ARR, measuring how many dollars a company incincinerates to generate each dollar of recurring revenue. A burn multiple under 1.5x suggests efficiency; above 3x suggests a bonfire of investor capital.

🚀 Startup / VC

Advanced

recapitalization

Restructuring a company's capital stack—often a euphemism for 'things went poorly and we need to reset everyone's expectations and ownership.' Can range from modest adjustments to burning everything down and starting over.

🚀 Startup / VC

Translate This Term

See “Unicorn Farm” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.

Try the Translator

Share This Term

Post on X Share on Facebook Share on LinkedIn

Discover a Term

Beginner

apod

Another Point Of Discussion...