What Unicorn Auctions does

Unicorn Auctions is a privately-held, Chicago-based online auction marketplace founded in 2019 that operates as the primary destination for buying, selling, and vaulting rare spirits and wines in the United States. The company runs weekly timed auctions featuring 3,000-5,000+ lots per event across categories including bourbon, scotch, Japanese whiskey, rye, tequila, and American whiskey, alongside no-reserve wine auctions. Its core technology consists of a self-serve web platform and native iOS/Android mobile applications with proprietary extended-bidding (10-minute anti-snipe timer resets) and auto-bidding systems, supported by a multi-step bottle authentication process where every lot is physically inspected, photographed, and cataloged before listing.

The platform's vertically integrated service stack combines transactional auction operations with secure climate-controlled vault storage ($5.33/9L case/month for wine, $3.00/9L case/month for spirits), handling services at $175/hour, and a content marketing layer via The Unicorn Review editorial newsletter. Revenue is generated through three streams: a 15% buyer's premium on winning bids, a seller commission of $5/bottle plus 5% of hammer price, and recurring storage subscriptions. Cumulative platform metrics include $200M+ in all-time sales processed, 10M+ bids placed, 500K+ lots auctioned, 100K+ registered customers, and $100M+ in bottles currently held in vaulted storage.

Unicorn serves a long-tail base of individual collectors and SMB consignors directly through a product-led, self-serve GTM model, with white-glove pickup options for high-value collections in the Chicago area. The company has raised approximately $13M across three funding rounds in 2023, 2024, and 2025 from investors including 640 Oxford, Blue Equity, Middleton Partners, and Protagonist. Leadership comprises CEO Phil Mikhaylov alongside founder and co-owner A.J. Heindel and Chief Business Officer Cody Modeer.

Name

Unicorn Auctions

Legal name

Unicorn

Website

https://unicornauctions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Unicorn Auctions is a Chicago-based online auction marketplace founded in 2019 that enables individual collectors and consignors to buy, sell, and vault rare spirits and wines through weekly timed auctions with a 15% buyer premium and $5+5% seller commission model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rare Spirits & Wine Auctions

NAICS

All Other Miscellaneous Retailers (459999)

SIC

Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)

akta.pro primary industry

Auction-based Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAC)

Keywords

• Rare spirits auctions
• Wine auctions
• Bourbon auctions
• Online auction marketplace
• Spirits and wine trading

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Buyer's Premium: Unicorn charges buyers a 15% premium on their winning bid amount, plus 10.25% sales tax on each transaction. This is automatically added to the hammer price at the end of each auction.
2. Seller Consignment Fees: For every bottle sold, Unicorn charges a $5/bottle commission plus 5% of the hammer price. If an item doesn't sell, they can re-list it or return it to the seller at their discretion.
3. Storage and Vaulting Services: Monthly storage fees for wine ($5.33 per 9L case/month) and spirits ($3.00 per 9L case/month). Additional fees for handling, transportation, materials, and specialized services including appraisals and custom reporting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Unicorn Auctions runs an online auction marketplace for rare and collectible spirits and wines, featuring curated timed auctions of thousands of lots per event across bourbon, scotch, rye, and wine categories. The platform pairs every lot with a multi-step authentication process and offers Chicago-based climate-controlled vault storage, consignment services for sellers, and a mobile app for remote bidding.

Product overview

Unicorn Auctions operates as an online auction marketplace for rare spirits and wines. The core platform is the Auction Platform, which enables weekly timed auctions featuring extended bidding and auto-bidding functionality. Supporting the auction core are three interconnected services: Consignment Services (for sellers to list bottles with a $5/bottle + 5% commission structure), Vault Storage (for secure collection management with climate-controlled facilities), and the Unicorn Review (editorial newsletter covering market insights and industry news). The platform also offers mobile apps for iOS and Android, a seller dashboard for tracking performance, and logistics services including pickup, delivery, and international shipping.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Auction Marketplace Curated timed online auctions of rare and collectible spirits and wines, featuring thousands of lots per event across bourbon, scotch, rye, and wine categories. Built for individual collectors and enthusiasts who want authenticated, provenance-verified bottles.
• Consignment Service End-to-end consignment service for individual collectors and estates selling rare spirits and wine, including intake via Chicago drop-off or insured shipment, authentication, listing, marketing, and final sale settlement.
• Vault Storage Service Subscription-based, climate-controlled vault storage in Chicago for rare and high-value bottles, paired with digital collection vault management so owners can track and manage their stored inventory online.
• Unicorn Auctions Mobile App Mobile application that allows collectors to browse upcoming auctions, place bids in real time, set auto-bids, and monitor their stored vault collection from a smartphone.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10-day payout timeline for sellers after auction ends
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Catawiki: European online auction marketplace spanning many collectible verticals including spirits and wine. Comparable as a multi-category online auction operator with seller tooling, authentication services, and take-rate monetization, though serving primarily European buyers.
• Bidsquare: Online aggregator that hosts multiple auction houses on a single bidding platform. Comparable as an online-first auction technology provider serving collectibles buyers, though Bidsquare is more of a technology layer than a category specialist.
• Heritage Auctions: Large US-based auction house with strong online presence across multiple collectibles categories including spirits and wine. Most directly comparable to Unicorn in business model — online-first auction marketplace for collectibles — though with a broader category mix.
• Winebid: Online wine auction platform connecting buyers and sellers of fine wine. Comparable to Unicorn's wine auction vertical with similar take-rate model, bidder tools, and storage services, though focused exclusively on wine rather than spirits.
• Whisky.Auction: Online auction platform dedicated specifically to rare whisky. Direct category competitor to Unicorn in rare spirits, with similar model of cataloging, authentication, and online timed auctions; relevant for European demand comparison.
• Acker Merrall & Condit: Specialist wine and spirits auction house in the US with live and online auctions. Direct competitor to Unicorn in the rare wine and spirits auction segment, particularly relevant for benchmarking auction formats, buyer premiums, and consignor relationships.

Broad incumbents

• Christie's: Another global incumbent auction house running wine and spirits auctions alongside art, watches, and collectibles. Comparable to Unicorn in serving high-value collectors, but operates across many verticals at much greater scale and brand reach.
• Bonhams: Global auctioneer with dedicated wine and spirits auctions among broader collectibles categories. Comparable to Unicorn for benchmarking premium pricing, consignment services, and online auction tools at the high end of the market.
• Skinner Auctioneers: US auction house covering fine wine, spirits, and other collectibles. Comparable in offering timed online auctions for rare bottles, but with a more traditional auction house operating model and broader category coverage.
• Sotheby's: Global luxury auction house with broad categories including wine and spirits. Operates a much larger online and live auction footprint than Unicorn but is not specialized in rare spirits, making it a comparable benchmark for cross-category auction dynamics and pricing benchmarks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Unicorn Auctions