SAO PAULO- Brazilian biometrics startup unico has raised $100 million in an investment round led by Goldman Sachs Group Inc, which valued the company at $2.6 billion, the U.S.-based investment bank said on Wednesday.

The new funding round comes less than a year after unico achieved unicorn status, as startups valued above $1 billion are known, after raising 625 million reais ($134.21 million) from SoftBank Group Corp and private equity firm General Atlantic.

Both SoftBank and General Atlantic also took part in the new Series D funding round, Goldman Sachs said in a statement.

Founded in 2007, unico now plans to expand outside the South American country, it added, focused on other Latin American nations.

($1 = 4.6568 reais)

(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo; editing by Jason Neely)