Unicorns aren’t the rare beast they once were in European tech — despite the long odds that companies shooting for that milestone still face.
Europe is now home to over 120 unicorns, according to Sifted’s definition, 68 of which graduated in 2021 alone — more than triple the 18 new entries of 2020 and four times as many as all unicorns minted on the continent before 2014. That means Europe made more than five unicorns a month in 2021.
To help you keep track of it all, Sifted’s team has compiled a list of Europe’s unicorns using data from European Startups and our own research — with valuation estimates from Dealroom. We’ll update the list whenever a new company hits the billion-dollar valuation.
Sifted defines a unicorn as a privately held, VC-backed company valued at $1bn. To be considered unicorns, startups must have: reached a $1bn valuation on any round previous to IPO or acquisition, been founded after 2005 and be both founded and headquartered in Europe. Companies valued at $1bn at IPO but never at any prior financing stage are not considered unicorns as they are no longer privately held at that valuation.
Note: if there is anyone missing from this list, or something needs updating, please let us know by email at [email protected]
For an in-depth analysis of the latest unicorn cohort check out our Pro briefing on Europe's 2022 unicorns.
Istanbul, Turkey
2019
Series C
€250m
€450m
Stockholm, Sweden
2005
Growth Equity VC
€727.3m
€3.8b
Paris, France
2006
Convertible
€104.5m
€510m
Lausanne, Switzerland
2012
Late VC
€95.5m
€307.7m
Bristol, United Kingdom
2016
-
-
€620m
London, United Kingdom
2015
Secondary
-
€782.5m
London, United Kingdom
2012
Late VC
€101.8m
€785.5m
Austin (previously Germany), United States
2007
Series B
€150.2m
€150.2m
Ellon, United Kingdom
2007
Late VC
€2.5m
€147.3m
London, United Kingdom
2015
Secondary
-
€1.6b
Berlin, Germany
2013
Series E
€818.2m
€1.6b
Munich, Germany
2011
Series D
€363.6m
€1.6b
Tallinn, Estonia
2013
Series F
€628m
€1.7b
Berlin, Germany
2012
Series E
€72.7m
€432.7m
Madrid, Spain
2011
Late VC
-
€368.9m
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2011
Series C
€72.7m
€182m
Zurich, Switzerland
2016
Late VC
-
€148.2m
Munich, Germany
2013
Series G
€295.4m
€805.5m
London, United Kingdom
2015
Late VC
€454.6m
€1.2b
London, United Kingdom
2005
Late VC
€272.7m
€706.9m
London, United Kingdom
2012
Series D
€909.1m
€1.7b
London, United Kingdom
2008
Seed
-
-
London, United Kingdom
2016
Secondary
-
€700m
London, United Kingdom
2011
Debt
€750m
€39.1m
Berlin, Germany
2015
Series D
€363.6m
€1.2b
Leudelange, Luxembourg
2010
Growth Equity VC
€90.9m
€95.5m
Impington, United Kingdom
2014
Series D
€545.5m
€896.4m
Stockholm, Sweden
2016
Convertible
€1b
€5b
Amsterdam-Duivendrecht, Netherlands
2015
Series D
€600m
€900m
Vilnius, Lithuania
2008
Series F
€250m
€483.4m
London, United Kingdom
2010
Series E
€265.4m
€595.2m
Paris, France
2016
Series C
€209.1m
€269.5m
Levallois-Perret, France
2013
Debt
€250m
€487.2m
Bristol, United Kingdom
2008
Growth Equity VC
€240m
€277.2m
Ghent, Belgium
2019
-
-
-
Berlin, Germany
2009
Debt
€80m
€728m
London, United Kingdom
2019
Support Program
-
€928.7m
Paris, France
2012
Series F
€363.6m
€1.1b
Paris, France
2013
Late VC
€266m
€447.8m
Solihull, United Kingdom
2012
Growth Equity VC
€240m
€240m
London, United Kingdom
2014
Growth Equity VC
€252m
€260.9m
Berlin, Germany
2018
Series D
€181.8m
€532.2m
London, United Kingdom
2011
Series G
€283.6m
€481.2m
Stockholm, Sweden
2014
Debt
€145.4m
€655.4m
London, United Kingdom
2015
Growth Equity VC
€204.6m
€1.6b
Espoo, Finland
2016
Series A
€209.1m
€300m
London, United Kingdom
2006
Debt
€454.6m
€181.8m
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2011
Series C
€727.3m
€1b
Paris, France
2012
Series E
€504.6m
€861.8m
London, United Kingdom
2012
Late VC
€90.9m
€279.6m
London, United Kingdom
2007
Secondary
€2.5b
€600m
Paris, France
2014
Series E
€463.6m
€926.2m
London, United Kingdom
2006
Secondary
€160m
€336.4m
Stockholm, Sweden
2018
Series D
€104.5m
€423.3m
Helsinki, Finland
2016
Series D
€190.9m
€381.8m
San Francisco, United States
2018
Series A
€504.6m
€504.6m
Saint-Mandé, France
2018
Series B
€618.2m
€669.6m
Paris, France
2016
Series E
€183m
€492.8m
Munich, Germany
2014
Series E
€163.6m
€282.4m
Altrincham, United Kingdom
2011
Series E
-
€281.3m
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2012
Series A
€193m
€237.9m
Aarhus, Denmark
2015
Late VC
€28.5m
€416.2m
Barcelona, Spain
2015
Series E
€101m
€371.9m
London, United Kingdom
2018
Series C
€45.5m
€254.6m
Berlin, Germany
2005
Growth Equity VC
€90.9m
€409.1m
Paris, France
2011
Series C
€90.9m
€233.4m
London, United Kingdom
2016
Series E
€118.2m
€246.8m
Berlin, Germany
2020
Late VC
€227.3m
€373.3m
London, United Kingdom
2017
Series C
€172.7m
€246.9m
Vienna, Austria
2016
Series D
€309.1m
€593.4m
London, United Kingdom
2017
Series B
€75.5m
€107.5m
Berlin, Germany
2015
Series D
€72.7m
€292.7m
London, United Kingdom
2016
Series C
€136.4m
€232.3m
Berlin, Germany
2013
Series D
€181.8m
€428.6m
Berlin, Germany
2018
Series C
€250m
€1b
London, United Kingdom
2019
Series C
€336.4m
€570.5m
Berlin, Germany
2016
Series D
€227.3m
€560m
Copenhagen, Denmark
2015
Series C
€181.8m
€387.4m
London, United Kingdom
2012
Series D
€318.2m
€439.3m
Paris, France
2013
Growth Equity VC
€136.4m
€186.4m
Paris, France
2016
Growth Equity VC
€163.6m
€231.8m
Berlin, Germany
2020
Series B
€664m
€900.3m
Munich, Germany
2015
Late VC
€43.9m
€703.6m
Munich, Germany
2006
Series C
€127.3m
€273.4m
London, United Kingdom
2014
Series D
€145.4m
€508.8m
Berlin, Germany
2020
Series C
€909.1m
€1.2b
London, United Kingdom
2014
Late VC
€156.6m
€1b
Vienna, Austria
2014
Series C
€239.1m
€450.9m
Hinckley and Bosworth, United Kingdom
2019
Late VC
€48m
€277.1m
Oslo, Norway
2007
Late VC
€218.2m
€244.6m
Warsaw, Poland
2011
Late VC
-
€125.9m
Berlin, Germany
2017
Debt
€70m
€251m
Hampton, United Kingdom
2007
Late VC
€59.1m
€113.6m
Chaumont-Gistoux, Belgium
2005
Secondary
€112m
€207.6m
Paris, France
2009
Growth Equity VC
€190.9m
€587.8m
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2011
Series E
€235m
€388m
Berlin, Germany
2013
Series F
€159.1m
€302m
Oslo, Norway
2013
Debt
€66m
€338.3m
Munich, Germany
2018
Late VC
€27.3m
€236.4m
Stockholm, Sweden
2009
Growth Equity VC
€409.1m
€463.2m
Paris, France
2013
Series F
€322.7m
€633.2m
Prague, Czech Republic
2014
Series D
€210m
€539.4m
London, United Kingdom
2007
Growth Equity VC
€272.7m
€272.7m
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2009
Secondary
-
-
Montpellier, France
2016
Late VC
-
€296.2m
Istanbul, Turkey
2015
Series E
€750m
€1.6b
Madrid, Spain
2009
Debt
€227.3m
€799.6m
Paris, France
2013
Series D
€200m
€289.1m
Paris, France
2014
Series C
€345.4m
€432.1m
Berlin, Germany
2020
Debt
€363.6m
€148.4m
London, United Kingdom
2014
Series D
€54.5m
€104.5m
Berlin, Germany
2007
Late VC
€22m
€137.6m
Frankfurt, Germany
2015
-
-
€114.5m
London, United Kingdom
2012
Series D
€318.2m
€439.3m
Berlin, Germany
2016
Late VC
€40m
€385.1m
Bærum, Norway
2016
Late VC
-
€204.6m
London, United Kingdom
2011
Late VC
-
€445.4m
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2011
Series C
€118.2m
€118.5m
Saint Julian's, Malta
2017
Early VC
€36.4m
€38.1m
Milan, Italy
2013
Series D
€320m
€475.3m
Zurich, Switzerland
2009
Late VC
€500m
€706.8m
London Borough of Islington, United Kingdom
2012
Series D
€45.5m
€202.8m
Berlin, Germany
2008
Series D
€272.7m
€289m
London, United Kingdom
2017
Series B
€105.5m
€183.4m
Oslo, Norway
2018
Series B
€63.1m
€72.2m
Croix, France
2015
Series D
€304.6m
€424.1m
Bruchsal, Germany
2011
Series E
€165.4m
€699.5m
Paris, France
2015
Series E
€254m
€433.5m
Paris, France
2016
Late VC
€5m
€626.6m
Fågelvikshöjden, Sweden
2016
Secondary
-
€138.1m
Dublin, Ireland
2015
Late VC
€87.3m
€134.8m
Barcelona, Spain
2016
Series C
€109.1m
€198.8m
Tallinn, Estonia
2015
Series C
€90.9m
€174.8m
Zurich, Switzerland
2009
Series D
€136.4m
€247.9m
London, United Kingdom
2012
Series D
€181.8m
€264.9m
Paris, France
2019
Series C
€257.3m
€379.2m
Helsinki, Finland
2005
Growth Equity VC
€500m
€712.3m
Paris, France
2016
Series C
€100m
€261.3m
London, United Kingdom
2018
Series B
€90.9m
€214.4m
Milan, Italy
2019
Series B
€24.6m
€399.1m
Dublin, Ireland
2019
Lending Capital
€230m
€214.7m
Paris, France
2009
Late VC
€60m
€386.2m
Paris, France
2007
Growth Equity VC
€454.6m
€667.6m
Vernier, Switzerland
2008
Late VC
€374.6m
€415.5m
Chemnitz, Germany
2014
Series E
€106m
€284.9m
Berlin, Germany
2016
Series D
€200m
€296.4m
Letterkenny, Ireland
2008
Late VC
€63.6m
€114.6m
Berlin, Germany
2015
Debt
€324m
€216.6m
London, United Kingdom
2018
Series C
€164.6m
€254.8m
London, United Kingdom
2021
Series A
€90.9m
€110m
Berlin, Germany
2018
Series B
€100.9m
€249.7m
Vilnius, Lithuania
2012
Late VC
€90.9m
€90.9m
London, United Kingdom
2021
Early VC
€300m
€407.3m
Ghent, Belgium
2018
Series D
€136.4m
€215.4m
Nottingham, United Kingdom
2018
Secondary
-
-
Paris, France
2019
Late VC
€300m
€300m
Vienna, Austria
2018
Late VC
€259.1m
€259.1m
Oslo, Norway
2013
Late VC
-
-
London, United Kingdom
2018
Growth Equity VC
€172.7m
€172.7m
Stockholm, Sweden
2015
Convertible
€11m
€320.8m
Sveta Nedelja, Croatia
2009
Series D
€500m
€800m
Oulu, Finland
2013
Late VC
-
€140.5m
Stockholm, Sweden
2015
Secondary
€104.5m
€133.7m
London, United Kingdom
2019
Early VC
€91.8m
€91.8m
Istanbul, Turkey
2012
Series D
€116m
€160m
London, United Kingdom
2016
Series D
€210m
€395m