January was such a long month that it has already brought us five new European unicorns: from Belgium to Ukraine, several tech startups raised funding at valuations above the $1 billion threshold.
But before we take a closer look at who joined the club, two caveats.
First: This count includes startups that may be incorporated elsewhere but have their roots or much of their team in Europe. Until a pan-European corporate structure exists (often called “EU Inc”), this division will remain common and we have decided to ignore it. Carry Gentlewhich is incorporated in Delaware but cannot be dissociated from the Stockholm startup scene.
Second: Valuation does not equate commercial success, and it’s too early to say whether all of these companies will achieve the kind of traction that Lovable, and the company recently, has crossing $300 million in annual recurring revenue. But in the current climate, the fact that venture capitalists were willing to invest in them at unicorn valuations is a strong sign of where the appetite is.
With these caveats aside, let’s delve deeper.
Aikido
Belgium-based cybersecurity startup Aikido Safety achieved unicorn status with its $60 million Series B financing round. The round, which valued the company at $1 billion, was led by DST Global, with participation from PSG Equity, Singular, Notion Capital and others.
According to a press release, the funding will help Aikido improve its platform, which was created to unify security across the software lifecycle and is already used by more than 100,000 teams worldwide. The company also reported “five times revenue growth and almost three times customer growth” over the past year.
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in a blog postthe startup celebrated this milestone and its importance. According to its team, “in an industry dominated by heavyweights from Palo Alto and Tel Aviv, Aikido proves that Europe can build a world-class software security company and win globally.”
AI cast
Cloud optimization company. AI cast is based in Florida, but has Lithuanian roots and a major office in Vilnius, which explains why many now consider it to have become The fifth unicorn of Lithuania.
Cast AI’s valuation now exceeds $1 billion following a strategic investment from Pacific Alliance Ventures (PAV), the US-based corporate venture arm of Korean conglomerate Shinsegae Group. In April 2025, Cast AI increased a Series C of 108 million dollars That had reportedly already brought the company closer to unicorn territory.
In addition to its latest financing round, the company also presented OMNI Compute for AIwhich aims to help users deploy more AI workloads on fewer GPUs and eliminate regional capacity limitations.
Harmattan AI
French defense technology company Harmattan AI It was only founded in 2024, but it is already worth it 1.4 billion dollarsbased on its latest funding round. The $200 million Series B was led by Dassault Aviation, maker of the Rafale fighter jets, and is also part of a broader partnership.
Before securing this key partner, Harmattan AI had already signed agreements with the French and British defense ministries and with Ukrainian drone manufacturer Skyeton, amid a growing appetite for autonomous defense aircraft.
Osapiens
German ESG software company Osapiens increase a $100 million Series C led by Decarbonization Partners, a joint venture between BlackRock and Temasekwhich valued the company at more than $1.1 billion.
Founded in Mannheim in 2018, Osapiens now has more than 2,400 customers worldwide, including large multinational companies that depend on its platforms and tools for sustainability reporting and data compliance, but also to mitigate supply chain risks.
Get ready
The 14-year-old language learning market Get ready is now a unicorn valued at $1.2 billion, a milestone that also embodies Ukrainian resilience. The educational technology company was founded in the United States, but its founders are Ukrainians and support their home country, where Preply has a team of 150 employees.
According to its CEO Kirill Bigai, who believes in AI-enhanced learning, proceeds from the $150 million Series D round will help the startup hire more AI talent across its four offices, now located in Barcelona, London, New York and kyiv.
