Meet the new European unicorns of 2026

January was specified a agelong twelvemonth that it has already brought america 5 caller European unicorns: from Belgium to Ukraine, respective tech startups raised backing astatine valuations supra the symbolic $1 cardinal threshold.

But earlier we instrumentality a person look astatine who joined the club, 2 caveats.

First: This number includes startups that whitethorn beryllium incorporated elsewhere but person their roots oregon a ample portion of their squad successful Europe. Until EU Inc exists arsenic a pan-European firm structure, this divided volition stay communal — and we’ve decided to place it. Take Lovable, which is incorporated successful Delaware but cannot beryllium dissociated from Stockholm’s startup scene.

Second: valuation doesn’t adjacent commercialized success, and it is excessively aboriginal to archer whether each of these companies volition travel successful Lovable’s footsteps, with the institution precocious crossing $300 cardinal successful yearly recurring revenue. But successful the existent climate, the information that VCs were consenting to put successful them astatine unicorn valuations is simply a beardown awesome of wherever the appetite is. 

With these caveats retired of the way, let’s dive in.

Aikido 

Belgium-based cybersecurity startup Aikido Security reached unicorn presumption with its $60 cardinal Series B. Valuing the institution astatine $1 billion, the circular was led by DST Global, with information from PSG Equity, Singular, Notion Capital, and others.

According to a property release, the backing volition assistance Aikido heighten its platform, which was built to unify information crossed the full bundle lifecycle and is already utilized by much than 100,000 teams globally. Per the aforesaid source, the Series B “follows a twelvemonth of accelerated maturation for the company, including five-times gross maturation and astir three-times lawsuit growth.”

In a blog post, the startup celebrated this milestone and its significance. According to its team, “in an manufacture dominated by Palo Alto and Tel Aviv heavyweights, Aikido shows that Europe tin physique a world-class bundle information institution and triumph globally.”

Cast AI 

Cloud optimization institution Cast AI is headquartered successful Florida, but has Lithuanian roots and an important bureau successful Vilnius — which explains wherefore galore besides see it has present become Lithuania’s 5th unicorn.

That Cast AI’s valuation present exceeds $1 cardinal is the effect of a strategic concern from Pacific Alliance Ventures (PAV), the U.S.-based firm task limb of Korean conglomerate Shinsegae Group. In April 2025, Cast AI had raised a $108 cardinal Series C that had reportedly already enactment the institution successful “near unicorn” territory.

Alongside its latest backing round, the institution besides introduced OMNI Compute for AI, which aims to assistance users deploy much AI workloads connected less GPUs and region determination capableness constraints.

Harmattan AI 

French defence tech institution Harmattan AI was lone founded successful 2024, but is already worthy $1.4 billion, according to its latest backing round. The $200 cardinal Series B was led by Dassault Aviation, shaper of the Rafale combatant jets, and besides ties into a broader partnership.

Before securing this cardinal partner, Harmattan AI had already signed agreements with the French and British ministries of defence and with Ukrainian drone shaper Skyeton, amid increasing appetite for autonomous defence aircraft.

Osapiens 

German ESG bundle steadfast Osapiens raised a $100 cardinal Series C led by Decarbonization Partners, a joint task betwixt BlackRock and Temasek, which valued the institution astatine implicit $1.1 billion.

Founded successful Mannheim successful 2018, Osapiens present has much than 2,400 customers worldwide, including ample multinational companies that trust connected its platforms and tools for sustainability reporting and information compliance, but besides to mitigate proviso concatenation risks.

Preply

Fourteen-year-old connection learning marketplace Preply is present a unicorn valued astatine $1.2 cardinal — a milestone that besides embodies Ukrainian resilience. The edtech institution was founded successful the United States, but its founders are Ukrainian and supporters of their location country, wherever Preply has a squad of 150 employees.

According to its CEO, Kirill Bigai, who believes successful AI-amplified learning, proceeds from the $150 cardinal Series D circular volition assistance the startup prosecute much AI endowment crossed its 4 offices — present located successful Barcelona, London, New York, and Kyiv.