China's ex-unicorns find success challenging as public companies

Startups battle to win over penny-pinching customers and skeptical investors

20190619 NIO electric car (GETTY)

A Nio sports utility vehicle on display at Auto China 2018 in Beijing: The electric car manufacturer, dubbed the "Tesla killer," sold just 1,089 cars in May. © Getty Images

YUSHO CHO, Nikkei staff writer

SHANGHAI -- As any schoolchild can tell you, a unicorn is a mythical, horse-like creature with a single horn and magical powers. It is also the term for unlisted companies valued at $1 billion or more. In China, however, many of these corporate beasts find their post-IPO reality distinctly lacking in magic.

They now find their stock prices below their IPO levels, and some are struggling to bring in enough revenue. Investors are shying away from Chinese stocks as the U.S.-China trade row heats up and companies deal with sluggish earnings.

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