Unicorns aren’t the rare beasts they once were in European tech — despite the long odds that companies shooting for that milestone still face.
As well as being a privately held, VC-backed company valued at $1bn, to be classed as a unicorn by Sifted, startups must have reached a $1bn valuation following any equity funding round prior 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.
To help you keep track, Sifted has compiled a list of Europe’s unicorns which will be updated whenever a new company hits the $1bn valuation or if an existing unicorn raises further funding. If a unicorn loses its status by virtue of a fall in valuation or an exit (IPO or acquisition) then it will be removed from the list.
Companies are listed in reverse chronological order of when they became a unicorn i.e. the newest European unicorn is at the top of the list.
Note: if there are any companies missing from this list, or something needs updating, please let us know by email at rankings@sifted.eu
Last updated: 11 March 2025
Available to Sifted Pro subscribers
Dublin, Ireland
2018
Series C
€120.4m
€261.1m
Stockholm, Sweden
2018
Series B
€249.2m
€312.4m
Toulouse / San Francisco, France / United States
2019
Series C
€170m
€333.7m
Zurich, Switzerland
2018
Late VC
€56.5m
€126.7m
Munich, Germany
2010
Series G
€181.8m
€528.6m
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2017
Series B
€90.9m
€90.9m
Paris, France
2021
Series A
€135m
€562.3m
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2012
Debt
€90.9m
€310.7m
London, United Kingdom
2012
Series C
€336.4m
€427.3m
London / New York City, United Kingdom / United States
2022
Series C
€240.9m
€338.3m
London, United Kingdom
2015
Series C
€181.8m
€251.3m
Paris, France
2023
Series B
€454.6m
€569.1m
Milan, Italy
2013
Late VC
€140.9m
€577.6m
Paris, France
2020
Series C
€40m
€153.5m
Paris, France
2019
Series D
€131.8m
€353.6m
London, United Kingdom
2017
Series C
€1.1b
€1.2b
Cologne, Germany
2009
Late VC
€272.7m
€372.7m
Munich, Germany
2021
Series C
€450m
€761.5m
Hamburg, Germany
2021
Growth Equity VC
€150m
€880m
London, United Kingdom
2017
Debt
€492m
€1.3b
Manchester, United Kingdom
2016
Late VC
€174m
€177.8m
Paris, France
2023
Series B
€468m
€973m
London, United Kingdom
2017
Series D
€174.7m
€317m
London, United Kingdom
2016
Series E
€117.3m
€336.4m
Stockholm, Sweden
2016
Late VC
-
€322.1m
Paris, France
2016
Late VC
€5m
€626.6m
Chemnitz, Germany
2014
Series E
€106m
€284.9m
Stockholm, Sweden
2020
Debt
€4.2b
€2.4b
Zurich, Switzerland
2009
Grant
€2.3m
€709.1m
Paris, France
2016
Series C
€100m
€261.3m
Paris, France
2015
Series E
€254m
€433.5m
Vaduz, Liechtenstein
2019
Late VC
€90.9m
€142.3m
London, United Kingdom
2018
Series C
€164.6m
€255.7m
Oslo, Norway
2018
Series B
€63.1m
€72.2m
Tallinn, Estonia
2015
Series C
€90.9m
€174.8m
Vilnius, Lithuania
2012
Growth Equity VC
€90.9m
€181.8m
Zurich, Switzerland
2009
Series D
€136.4m
€247.9m
Ghent, Belgium
2018
Series D
€136.4m
€215.4m
Dublin, Ireland
2015
Late VC
€87.3m
€134.8m
Vernier, Switzerland
2008
Late VC
€374.6m
€415.5m
Dublin, Ireland
2019
Lending Capital
€909.1m
€214.7m
London, United Kingdom
2016
Series D
€200m
€376.4m
Berlin, Germany
2015
Late VC
€50m
€227.1m
Oslo, Norway
2013
Debt
€55m
€21.8m
Athens, Greece
2010
Growth equity VC
€100m
€162.2m
Stockholm, Sweden
2015
Late VC
€43.5m
€328m
Grenoble, France
2020
Debt
€1.3b
€1.9b
Paris, France
2019
Late VC
€300m
€334m
Paris, France
2019
Series C
€257.3m
€379.2m
Berlin, Germany
2018
Late VC
€25m
€307.7m
London, United Kingdom
2017
Series B
€105.5m
€183.4m
London, United Kingdom
2019
Early VC
€72.7m
€210m
Barcelona, Spain
2016
Debt
€72.7m
€198.8m
London, United Kingdom
2012
Debt
-
€202.8m
Croix, France
2015
Series D
€304.6m
€404.7m
London, United Kingdom
2018
Growth Equity VC
€136.4m
€309.1m
Istanbul, Türkiye
2012
Series E
€454.6m
€701.9m
Berlin, Germany
2008
Series D
€272.7m
€289m
Sveta Nedelja, Croatia
2009
Series D
€500m
€800m
Dublin / Milan, Ireland / Italy
2019
Series B
€24.6m
€399.1m
London, United Kingdom
2018
Series B
€90.9m
€214.4m
Milan, Italy
2013
Late VC
€60m
€524.4m
London, United Kingdom
2012
Series D
€181.8m
€264.9m
Kilkenny, Ireland
2011
Late VC
€63.6m
€114.6m
Berlin, Germany
2016
Series D
€200m
€296.4m
Helsinki, Finland
2005
Growth Equity VC
€500m
€712.3m
Montornès del Vallès, Spain
2015
Series E
€191.7m
€674.7m
Oulu, Finland
2013
Series D
€113.6m
€321.6m
Berlin, Germany
2016
Series F
€101.9m
€518.1m
Copenhagen, Denmark
2015
Late VC
€24.1m
€502.1m
London, United Kingdom
2014
Late VC
€156.6m
€1b
London, United Kingdom
2014
Series D
€145.4m
€508.8m
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2012
Late VC
€29m
€366.9m
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2011
Series E
€235m
€388m
London, United Kingdom
2007
Grant
-
€113.6m
Chaumont-Gistoux, Belgium
2002
Secondary
€500m
€357.6m
Copenhagen, Denmark
2015
Debt
€36.4m
€387.4m
Vienna, Austria
2014
Series C
€239.1m
€450.9m
Paris, France
2014
Series C
€99.1m
€531.3m
London, United Kingdom
2011
Series E
€100m
€545.5m
Helsinki, Finland
2016
Series D
€190.9m
€381.8m
Bærum, Norway
2016
Late VC
€147m
€204.8m
Altrincham, United Kingdom
2011
Series E
€147m
€281.3m
Berlin, Germany
2020
Late VC
€102m
€1.3b
Istanbul, Türkiye
2015
Late VC
€227.3m
€2.3b
Prague, Czechia
2014
Growth Equity VC
€154.6m
€693.9m
Paris, France
2016
Series F
€173m
€665.8m
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2011
Late VC
-
€125.9m
Porto / New York, Portugal / United States
2015
Late VC
€27m
€298.2m
London, United Kingdom
2005
Late VC
€82m
€870.1m
Paris, France
2016
Series B
€72.7m
€304.6m
Oslo, Norway
2007
Late VC
€218.2m
€244.6m
Vienna, Austria
2016
Late VC
€43.2m
€636.5m
Paris, France
2014
Series E
€463.6m
€926.2m
Paris, France
2009
Late VC
€3.4m
€591.2m
Istanbul, Türkiye
2019
Series C
€231.8m
€425m
Saint-Mandé, France
2018
Series B
€666m
€669.6m
Paris, France
2013
Series F
€322.7m
€633.2m
Munich, Germany
2015
Late VC
€43.9m
€703.6m
Madrid, Spain
2009
Debt
€250m
€817.8m
Lisbon / San Francisco, Portugal / United States
2019
Series C
€272.7m
€450.9m
London, United Kingdom
2017
Lending Capital
€18m
€107.5m
London, United Kingdom
2016
Series C
€136.4m
€190.8m
Frankfurt, Germany
2015
Late VC
-
€114.5m
Paris, France
2013
Series D
€200m
€289.1m
Sheffield, United Kingdom
2014
Series E
€59.1m
€163.6m
Berlin, Germany
2020
Growth Equity VC
€90.9m
€319.3m
Berlin, Germany
2013
Series F
€159.1m
€303.2m
Paris, France
2014
Growth Equity VC
€136.4m
€186.4m
London, United Kingdom
2017
Series C
€172.7m
€246.9m
Stockholm, Sweden
2009
Growth Equity VC
€409.1m
€463.2m
London, United Kingdom
2019
Series C
€336.4m
€970.5m
London, United Kingdom
2018
Debt
€60m
€278.6m
Paris, France
2016
Series D
€196m
€296.2m
Perpignan, France
2011
Series C
€90.9m
€233.4m
London, United Kingdom
2006
Late VC
€85m
€421.4m
London, United Kingdom
2012
Series D
€318.2m
€439.3m
Coimbra, Portugal
2011
Series D
€194m
€251m
Munich, Germany
2018
Late VC
€27.3m
€236.4m
Paris, France
2012
Series F
€363.6m
€1.2b
Berlin, Germany
2017
Debt
€1.3b
€575m
Berlin, Germany
2016
Series D
€227.3m
€560m
Berlin, Germany
2015
Late VC
€57.7m
€350.4m
Munich, Germany
2014
Series E
€58.8m
€341.1m
Berlin, Germany
2015
Series C
€250m
€1b
Stockholm, Sweden
2015
Debt
€145.4m
€655.4m
London, United Kingdom
2014
Growth Equity VC
€252m
€260.9m
London, United Kingdom
2015
Growth Equity VC
€784m
€2.3b
Solihull, United Kingdom
2012
Growth Equity VC
€240m
€240m
Paris, France
2013
Late VC
€266m
€448.7m
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2011
Series C
€727.3m
€1b
London, United Kingdom
2011
Series G
€305m
€576.8m
Paris, France
2012
Debt
€100m
€861.8m
London, United Kingdom
2006
Debt
€454.6m
€181.8m
Leudelange, Luxembourg
2010
Growth Equity VC
€90.9m
€225m
Vilnius, Lithuania
2008
Secondary
€340m
€483.4m
Amsterdam, Netherlands
2015
Late VC
€355m
€1.3b
Levallois-Perret, France
2013
Debt
€250m
€487.2m
Bristol, United Kingdom
2008
Growth Equity VC
€240m
€517.2m
Cambridge, United Kingdom
2014
Late VC
€150m
€1b
London, United Kingdom
2016
Series E
€293m
€700m
London, United Kingdom
2012
Series D
€909.1m
€1.7b
London, United Kingdom
2010
Growth Equity VC
€242.7m
€837.9m
Ghent, Belgium
2019
Secondary
€550m
-
Berlin, Germany
2009
Series F
€99.1m
€806.8m
London, United Kingdom
2015
Late VC
€186m
€1.7b
London, United Kingdom
2015
Series E
€784m
€1.6b
Berlin, Germany
2013
Series E
€818.2m
€1.6b
Zurich, Switzerland
2016
Late VC
-
€148.2m
Munich, Germany
2010
Debt
€588m
€1.6b
Madrid, Spain
2011
Growth Equity VC
€19.6m
€443m
Munich, Germany
2011
Late VC
-
€805.5m
Tallinn, Estonia
2013
Debt
€220m
€1.7b
Berlin, Germany
2012
Debt
€109.1m
€432.7m
London, United Kingdom
2015
Growth Equity VC
€430m
€815.5m
London, United Kingdom
2012
Late VC
€101.8m
€785.5m
Ellon, United Kingdom
2007
Late VC
€2.5m
€213.4m
Paris, France
2006
Debt
€98.2m
€510m
Stockholm, Sweden
2005
Growth Equity VC
€727.3m
€3.8b