Europe's Unicorn Herd Hits an All Time High The recent report from PitchBook detailing Europe's unicorn herd hitting an all time high brings to mind a peculiar aspect of modern capitalism: its tendency to borrow language from ecology, only to strip it of any meaningful context.
The term "unicorn" itself is a masterclass in linguistic appropriation – what was once a majestic, mythical creature has been reduced to a euphemism for unprofitable yet highly valued startups.
The notion of a "herd" implies a managed, regulated population – one that is subject to careful observation and intervention.