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. Please let us know if we’ve missed any at [email protected]
Key
Year founded
Amount raised
Last funding round
Valuation
Employees
2012
360m
CONVERTIBLE
0.91
200-500
2006
336.36m
SECONDARY
0.91
200-500
Razor
A new-age global consumer holding partnering with e-commerce merchants to acquire and scale winning brands
marketing / ecommerce solutions
razor-group.comBerlin, Germany
2020
148.39m
SERIES B
0.91
50-200
Razor
A new-age global consumer holding partnering with e-commerce merchants to acquire and scale winning brands
marketing / ecommerce solutions
razor-group.comBerlin, Germany
2020
148.39m
SERIES B
0.91
50-200
SaltPay
FinTech company dedicated to building a better future for merchants by servicing them through payment and management tools
fintech / financial management solutions, payments
saltpay.coLondon, United Kingdom
2019
570.55m
SERIES C
0.91
200-500
Sifted Take
SaltPay
FinTech company dedicated to building a better future for merchants by servicing them through payment and management tools
fintech / financial management solutions, payments
saltpay.coLondon, United Kingdom
2019
570.55m
SERIES C
0.91
200-500
Sifted Take
SellerX
Europe’s leading aggregator of e-commerce businesses
marketing / ecommerce solutions
sellerx.comBerlin, Germany
2020
373.27m
DEBT
0.91
50-200
SellerX
Europe’s leading aggregator of e-commerce businesses
marketing / ecommerce solutions
sellerx.comBerlin, Germany
2020
373.27m
DEBT
0.91
50-200
Shift Technology
Delivers the only AI-native decision automation and optimization solutions built specifically for the global insurance industry
security, fintech / data protection, identity & access, regtech, insurance
shift-technology.comParis, France
2013
289.3m
SERIES D
0.91
200-500
Shift Technology
Delivers the only AI-native decision automation and optimization solutions built specifically for the global insurance industry
security, fintech / data protection, identity & access, regtech, insurance
shift-technology.comParis, France
2013
289.3m
SERIES D
0.91
200-500
Swile (ex-Lunchr)
An app to pay food from restaurants
fintech, food / financial management solutions, in-store retail & restaurant tech, payments
swile.coMontpellier, France
2018
296.23m
SERIES D
0.91
200-500
Swile (ex-Lunchr)
An app to pay food from restaurants
fintech, food / financial management solutions, in-store retail & restaurant tech, payments
swile.coMontpellier, France
2018
296.23m
SERIES D
0.91
200-500
Thought Machine
Thought Machine builds cloud native technology to revolutionise banking
fintech / banking
thoughtmachine.netLondon, United Kingdom
2014
320.65m
SERIES C
0.91
200-500
Thought Machine
Thought Machine builds cloud native technology to revolutionise banking
fintech / banking
thoughtmachine.netLondon, United Kingdom
2014
320.65m
SERIES C
0.91
200-500
Touchlight Genetics
Touchlight Genetics, a British bio-pharmaceutical company founded in 2007
health / biotechnology
touchlight.comHampton, United Kingdom
2007
113.64m
LATE VC
0.91
50-200
Sifted Take
Touchlight Genetics
Touchlight Genetics, a British bio-pharmaceutical company founded in 2007
health / biotechnology
touchlight.comHampton, United Kingdom
2007
113.64m
LATE VC
0.91
50-200
Sifted Take
Tractable
Develops artificial intelligence for accident & disaster recovery
fintech, enterprise software / insurance
tractable.aiLondon, United Kingdom
2014
104.45m
SERIES D
0.91
200-500
Tractable
Develops artificial intelligence for accident & disaster recovery
fintech, enterprise software / insurance
tractable.aiLondon, United Kingdom
2014
104.45m
SERIES D
0.91
200-500
TrueLayer
Platform allows easily integrate next-generation payments and financial data into any app
fintech / banking
truelayer.comLondon, United Kingdom
2016
246.76m
SERIES E
0.91
200-500
TrueLayer
Platform allows easily integrate next-generation payments and financial data into any app
fintech / banking
truelayer.comLondon, United Kingdom
2016
246.76m
SERIES E
0.91
200-500
Younited
Lending & Payments. Simpler, Safer since 2012. Fully authorized and regulated as a credit institution by the ACPR
fintech / mortgages & lending
younited-group.comParis, France
2009
326.2m
LATE VC
0.91
500-1000
Younited
Lending & Payments. Simpler, Safer since 2012. Fully authorized and regulated as a credit institution by the ACPR
fintech / mortgages & lending
younited-group.comParis, France
2009
326.2m
LATE VC
0.91
500-1000
2005
706.85m
LATE VC
0.91
200-500
Numbrs
A customer-centric financial services company that enables customers to manage their existing bank accounts and personal finances
fintech / financial management solutions
numbrs.comZurich, Switzerland
2013
205m
LATE VC
0.83
50-200
Numbrs
A customer-centric financial services company that enables customers to manage their existing bank accounts and personal finances
fintech / financial management solutions
numbrs.comZurich, Switzerland
2013
205m
LATE VC
0.83
50-200
Tricentis
Offers software testing solutions
enterprise software /
tricentis.comHamburg, Germany
2007
150.15m
SERIES B
0.80
1000-5000
2007
150.15m
SERIES B
0.80
1000-5000
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