Technology ‘Unicorn’ Herd May Get Thinner If Volatility Persists

There are now more than 125 so-called unicorns - pre-IPO companies worth over $1 billion – stampeding across the country from Silicon Valley to Wall Street and back. Vincent Bradley, CEO of Flashfunders and TheStreet contributor, said the herd could soon be thinned if they don’t fatten their margins. 'The market is a little frothy and access to capital is easy,' said Bradley. 'A lot of these companies are operating on very small margins. They are growing like crazy but every customer they add, they are losing a little money on.' Bradley said companies like Uber and Airbnb, which are innovative and changing the dynamics of their respective industries, will likely survive and eventually reward their initial investors with an IPO. He said companies without strong financials that are riding a wave of cheap capital may not make it to the finish line. 'There are a lot of businesses in the food delivery space where they have done some very innovative things but they face a lot of competition and what separates them from their competitors is very small,' said Bradley. 'That’s always worrisome.' These food delivery companies are also trying to conquer a terrain where many failed before, most notably during the internet bubble in the late 1990’s. Bradley noted, however, that many of these players like Blue Apron and Instacart actually existed 15 years ago and have been trying to crack the code ever since.