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.
Stockholm, Sweden
2016
Convertible
€1b
€5b
Stockholm, Sweden
2005
Growth Equity VC
€727.3m
€3.8b
Tallinn, Estonia
2013
Series F
€628m
€1.7b
London, United Kingdom
2012
Series D
€909.1m
€1.7b
Istanbul, Turkey
2015
Series E
€750m
€1.6b
Munich, Germany
2011
Series D
€363.6m
€1.6b
London, United Kingdom
2015
Growth Equity VC
€204.6m
€1.6b
Berlin, Germany
2013
Series E
€818.2m
€1.6b
London, United Kingdom
2015
Secondary
-
€1.6b
Berlin, Germany
2020
Series C
€909.1m
€1.2b
Berlin, Germany
2015
Series D
€363.6m
€1.2b
London, United Kingdom
2015
Late VC
€454.6m
€1.2b
Paris, France
2012
Series F
€363.6m
€1.1b
London, United Kingdom
2014
Late VC
€156.6m
€1b
Berlin, Germany
2018
Series C
€250m
€1b
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2011
Series C
€727.3m
€1b
London, United Kingdom
2019
Support Program
-
€928.7m
Paris, France
2014
Series E
€463.6m
€926.2m
Berlin, Germany
2020
Series B
€664m
€900.3m
Amsterdam-Duivendrecht, Netherlands
2015
Series D
€600m
€900m
Impington, United Kingdom
2014
Series D
€545.5m
€896.4m
Paris, France
2012
Series E
€504.6m
€861.8m
Munich, Germany
2013
Series G
€295.4m
€805.5m
Sveta Nedelja, Croatia
2009
Series D
€500m
€800m
Madrid, Spain
2009
Debt
€227.3m
€799.6m
London, United Kingdom
2012
Late VC
€101.8m
€785.5m
London, United Kingdom
2015
Secondary
-
€782.5m
Berlin, Germany
2009
Debt
€80m
€728m
Helsinki, Finland
2005
Growth Equity VC
€500m
€712.3m
London, United Kingdom
2005
Late VC
€272.7m
€706.9m
Zurich, Switzerland
2009
Late VC
€500m
€706.8m
Munich, Germany
2015
Late VC
€43.9m
€703.6m
London, United Kingdom
2016
Secondary
-
€700m
Bruchsal, Germany
2011
Series E
€165.4m
€699.5m
Saint-Mandé, France
2018
Series B
€618.2m
€669.6m
Paris, France
2007
Growth Equity VC
€454.6m
€667.6m
Stockholm, Sweden
2014
Debt
€145.4m
€655.4m
Paris, France
2013
Series F
€322.7m
€633.2m
Paris, France
2016
Late VC
€5m
€626.6m
Bristol, United Kingdom
2016
-
-
€620m
London, United Kingdom
2007
Secondary
€2.5b
€600m
London, United Kingdom
2010
Series E
€265.4m
€595.2m
Vienna, Austria
2016
Series D
€309.1m
€593.4m
Paris, France
2009
Growth Equity VC
€190.9m
€587.8m
London, United Kingdom
2019
Series C
€336.4m
€570.5m
Berlin, Germany
2016
Series D
€227.3m
€560m
Prague, Czech Republic
2014
Series D
€210m
€539.4m
Berlin, Germany
2018
Series D
€181.8m
€532.2m
Paris, France
2006
Convertible
€104.5m
€510m
London, United Kingdom
2014
Series D
€145.4m
€508.8m
San Francisco, United States
2018
Series A
€504.6m
€504.6m
Paris, France
2016
Series E
€183m
€492.8m
Levallois-Perret, France
2013
Debt
€250m
€487.2m
Vilnius, Lithuania
2008
Series F
€250m
€483.4m
London, United Kingdom
2011
Series G
€283.6m
€481.2m
Milan, Italy
2013
Series D
€320m
€475.3m
Stockholm, Sweden
2009
Growth Equity VC
€409.1m
€463.2m
Vienna, Austria
2014
Series C
€239.1m
€450.9m
Istanbul, Turkey
2019
Series C
€250m
€450m
Paris, France
2013
Late VC
€266m
€447.8m
London, United Kingdom
2011
Late VC
-
€445.4m
London, United Kingdom
2012
Series D
€318.2m
€439.3m
London, United Kingdom
2012
Series D
€318.2m
€439.3m
Paris, France
2015
Series E
€254m
€433.5m
Berlin, Germany
2012
Series E
€72.7m
€432.7m
Paris, France
2014
Series C
€345.4m
€432.1m
Berlin, Germany
2013
Series D
€181.8m
€428.6m
Croix, France
2015
Series D
€304.6m
€424.1m
Stockholm, Sweden
2018
Series D
€104.5m
€423.3m
Aarhus, Denmark
2015
Late VC
€28.5m
€416.2m
Vernier, Switzerland
2008
Late VC
€374.6m
€415.5m
Berlin, Germany
2005
Growth Equity VC
€90.9m
€409.1m
London, United Kingdom
2021
Early VC
€300m
€407.3m
Milan, Italy
2019
Series B
€24.6m
€399.1m
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2011
Series E
€235m
€388m
Copenhagen, Denmark
2015
Series C
€181.8m
€387.4m
Berlin, Germany
2016
Late VC
€40m
€385.1m
Helsinki, Finland
2016
Series D
€190.9m
€381.8m
Paris, France
2019
Series C
€257.3m
€379.2m
Berlin, Germany
2020
Late VC
€227.3m
€373.3m
Barcelona, Spain
2015
Series E
€101m
€371.9m
Madrid, Spain
2011
Late VC
-
€368.9m
Oslo, Norway
2013
Debt
€66m
€338.3m
London, United Kingdom
2006
Secondary
€160m
€336.4m
Paris, France
2009
Late VC
€154.6m
€326.2m
Stockholm, Sweden
2015
Convertible
€11m
€320.8m
Lausanne, Switzerland
2012
Late VC
€95.5m
€307.7m
Berlin, Germany
2013
Series F
€159.1m
€302m
Espoo, Finland
2016
Series A
€209.1m
€300m
Paris, France
2019
Late VC
€300m
€300m
Berlin, Germany
2016
Series D
€200m
€296.4m
Montpellier, France
2016
Late VC
-
€296.2m
Berlin, Germany
2015
Series D
€72.7m
€292.7m
Paris, France
2013
Series D
€200m
€289.1m
Berlin, Germany
2008
Series D
€272.7m
€289m
Chemnitz, Germany
2014
Series E
€106m
€284.9m
Munich, Germany
2014
Series E
€163.6m
€282.4m
Altrincham, United Kingdom
2011
Series E
-
€281.3m
London, United Kingdom
2012
Late VC
€90.9m
€279.6m
Bristol, United Kingdom
2008
Growth Equity VC
€240m
€277.2m
Hinckley and Bosworth, United Kingdom
2019
Late VC
€48m
€277.1m
Munich, Germany
2006
Series C
€127.3m
€273.4m
London, United Kingdom
2007
Growth Equity VC
€272.7m
€272.7m
Paris, France
2016
Series C
€209.1m
€269.5m
London, United Kingdom
2012
Series D
€181.8m
€264.9m
Paris, France
2016
Series C
€100m
€261.3m
London, United Kingdom
2014
Growth Equity VC
€252m
€260.9m
Vienna, Austria
2018
Late VC
€259.1m
€259.1m
London, United Kingdom
2018
Series C
€164.6m
€254.8m
London, United Kingdom
2018
Series C
€45.5m
€254.6m
Berlin, Germany
2017
Debt
€70m
€251m
Berlin, Germany
2018
Series B
€100.9m
€249.7m
Zurich, Switzerland
2009
Series D
€136.4m
€247.9m
London, United Kingdom
2017
Series C
€172.7m
€246.9m
London, United Kingdom
2016
Series E
€118.2m
€246.8m
Oslo, Norway
2007
Late VC
€218.2m
€244.6m
Solihull, United Kingdom
2012
Growth Equity VC
€240m
€240m
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2012
Series A
€193m
€237.9m
Munich, Germany
2018
Late VC
€27.3m
€236.4m
Paris, France
2011
Series C
€90.9m
€233.4m
London, United Kingdom
2016
Series C
€136.4m
€232.3m
Paris, France
2016
Growth Equity VC
€163.6m
€231.8m
Berlin, Germany
2015
Debt
€324m
€216.6m
Ghent, Belgium
2018
Series D
€136.4m
€215.4m
Dublin, Ireland
2019
Lending Capital
€230m
€214.7m
London, United Kingdom
2018
Series B
€90.9m
€214.4m
Chaumont-Gistoux, Belgium
2005
Secondary
€112m
€207.6m
Bærum, Norway
2016
Late VC
-
€204.6m
Barcelona, Spain
2016
Series C
€109.1m
€198.8m
Paris, France
2013
Growth Equity VC
€136.4m
€186.4m
London, United Kingdom
2017
Series B
€105.5m
€183.4m
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2011
Series C
€72.7m
€182m
London, United Kingdom
2006
Debt
€454.6m
€181.8m
Tallinn, Estonia
2015
Series C
€90.9m
€174.8m
London, United Kingdom
2018
Growth Equity VC
€172.7m
€172.7m
Austin (previously Germany), United States
2007
Series B
€150.2m
€150.2m
Berlin, Germany
2020
Debt
€363.6m
€148.4m
Zurich, Switzerland
2016
Late VC
-
€148.2m
Ellon, United Kingdom
2007
Late VC
€2.5m
€147.3m
Oulu, Finland
2013
Late VC
-
€140.5m
Fågelvikshöjden, Sweden
2016
Secondary
-
€138.1m
Berlin, Germany
2007
Late VC
€22m
€137.6m
Dublin, Ireland
2015
Late VC
€87.3m
€134.8m
Stockholm, Sweden
2015
Secondary
€104.5m
€133.7m
Warsaw, Poland
2011
Late VC
-
€125.9m
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2011
Series C
€118.2m
€118.5m
Letterkenny, Ireland
2008
Late VC
€63.6m
€114.6m
Frankfurt, Germany
2015
-
-
€114.5m
Hampton, United Kingdom
2007
Late VC
€59.1m
€113.6m
London, United Kingdom
2021
Series A
€90.9m
€110m
London, United Kingdom
2017
Series B
€75.5m
€107.5m
London, United Kingdom
2014
Series D
€54.5m
€104.5m
Leudelange, Luxembourg
2010
Growth Equity VC
€90.9m
€95.5m
London, United Kingdom
2019
Early VC
€91.8m
€91.8m
Vilnius, Lithuania
2012
Late VC
€90.9m
€90.9m
Oslo, Norway
2018
Series B
€63.1m
€72.2m
London, United Kingdom
2011
Debt
€750m
€39.1m
Saint Julian's, Malta
2017
Early VC
€36.4m
€38.1m
London, United Kingdom
2008
Seed
-
-
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2009
Secondary
-
-
Ghent, Belgium
2019
-
-
-
Nottingham, United Kingdom
2018
Secondary
-
-
Oslo, Norway
2013
Late VC
-
-