Synopsis
DK Shivakumar, Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, is set to unveil the Economic Times Top Soonicorns and Minicorns of Karnataka 2025 report, based on data from January 1, 2020, to June 9, 2025, revealing 31 unicorns, 85 soonicorns, and emerging innovation clusters across five urban hubs.
At the upcoming ET Soonicorns Summit 2025, Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar will deliver the inaugural address and unveil the Economic Times Top Soonicorns and Minicorns of Karnataka | Priority Sectors 2025 report, created in collaboration with Research Partner Tracxn. The comprehensive analysis reveals a state operating with a dual-speed innovation economy—one driven by Bengaluru’s global powerhouse status and another characterised by the promising rise of emerging tech hubs across Karnataka.
The findings paint a striking picture of entrepreneurial dominance across the study period from January 1, 2020, to June 9, 2025. Bengaluru alone has witnessed the founding of 6,785 startups since January 2020, attracting a staggering $48.2 billion in funding across 4,540 rounds. The city has produced 31 unicorns and hosts 85 soonicorns poised to become the next generation of billion-dollar companies, alongside 317 minicorns ensuring a robust pipeline for years ahead. The report identifies 10 priority sectors based on the highest number of unique Karnataka-based investors, signifying broad consensus on their potential and robust support networks for new ventures.
In a first, an ET Soonicorns Summit report spotlights minicorns alongside soonicorns. “Minicorns are typically young ventures that have secured funding greater than $1-2 million and demonstrated positive revenue growth, often in the range of $10 million or more,” Neha Singh, Co-founder of Tracxn, explains. “Soonicorns, soon-to-be unicorns, in contrast, operate at an entirely different level of maturity. These are companies with funding well above $40–45 million, consistently strong growth, and revenue that often surpasses the $100 million mark.”
While minicorns may sometimes appear as isolated cases, their growth potential suggests they can be reliable early indicators of a developing innovation ecosystem, adds Singh. “Policymakers and investors should therefore view minicorns as valuable signs of untapped potential in smaller clusters, deserving strategic support and investment to nurture these budding hubs and expand the broader startup pipeline,” she urges.
Source: www.economictimes.indiatimes.com