January was such an extended yr that it has already introduced us 5 contemporary European unicorns: from Belgium to Ukraine, a number of tech startups raised funding at valuations above the symbolic $1 billion threshold.
However earlier than we take a more in-depth take a look at who joined the membership, two caveats.
First: This depend consists of startups that could be included elsewhere however have their roots or a big a part of their crew in Europe. Till EU Inc exists as a pan-European company construction, this break up will stay frequent — and we’ve determined to miss it. Take Lovable, which is included in Delaware however can’t be dissociated from Stockholm’s startup scene.
Second: valuation doesn’t equal business success, and it’s too early to inform whether or not all of those corporations will observe in Lovable’s footsteps, with the corporate lately crossing $300 million in annual recurring revenue. However within the present local weather, the truth that VCs had been keen to spend money on them at unicorn valuations is a powerful sign of the place the urge for food is.
With these caveats out of the way in which, let’s dive in.
Aikido
Belgium-based cybersecurity startup Aikido Security reached unicorn standing with its $60 million Series B. Valuing the corporate at $1 billion, the spherical was led by DST World, with participation from PSG Fairness, Singular, Notion Capital, and others.
In accordance with a press launch, the funding will assist Aikido improve its platform, which was constructed to unify safety throughout your entire software program lifecycle and is already utilized by greater than 100,000 groups globally. Per the identical supply, the Sequence B “follows a yr of speedy development for the corporate, together with five-times income development and almost three-times buyer development.”
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In a blog post, the startup celebrated this milestone and its significance. In accordance with its crew, “in an trade dominated by Palo Alto and Tel Aviv heavyweights, Aikido reveals that Europe can construct a world-class software program safety firm and win globally.”
Forged AI
Cloud optimization firm Cast AI is headquartered in Florida, however has Lithuanian roots and an essential workplace in Vilnius — which explains why many additionally contemplate it has now become Lithuania’s fifth unicorn.
That Forged AI’s valuation now exceeds $1 billion is the results of a strategic investment from Pacific Alliance Ventures (PAV), the U.S.-based company enterprise arm of Korean conglomerate Shinsegae Group. In April 2025, Forged AI had raised a $108 million Sequence C that had reportedly already put the corporate in “close to unicorn” territory.
Alongside its newest funding spherical, the corporate additionally launched OMNI Compute for AI, which goals to assist customers deploy extra AI workloads on fewer GPUs and take away regional capability constraints.
Harmattan AI
French protection tech firm Harmattan AI was solely based in 2024, however is already value $1.4 billion, in line with its newest funding spherical. The $200 million Sequence B was led by Dassault Aviation, maker of the Rafale fighter jets, and likewise ties right into a broader partnership.
Earlier than securing this key companion, Harmattan AI had already signed agreements with the French and British ministries of protection and with Ukrainian drone maker Skyeton, amid rising urge for food for autonomous protection plane.
Osapiens
German ESG software program agency Osapiens raised a $100 million Series C led by Decarbonization Companions, a three way partnership between BlackRock and Temasek, which valued the corporate at over $1.1 billion.
Based in Mannheim in 2018, Osapiens now has greater than 2,400 clients worldwide, together with massive multinational corporations that depend on its platforms and instruments for sustainability reporting and information compliance, but in addition to mitigate provide chain dangers.
Preply
Fourteen-year-old language studying market Preply is now a unicorn valued at $1.2 billion — a milestone that additionally embodies Ukrainian resilience. The edtech firm was based in the USA, however its founders are Ukrainian and supporters of their residence nation, the place Preply has a crew of 150 staff.
In accordance with its CEO, Kirill Bigai, who believes in AI-amplified studying, proceeds from the $150 million Sequence D spherical will assist the startup rent extra AI expertise throughout its 4 places of work — now situated in Barcelona, London, New York, and Kyiv.
