January was such an extended month that it has already brought us five fresh European unicorns: from Belgium to Ukraine, several tech startups raised funding at valuations above the $1 billion threshold.
But before we take a better take a look at who joined the club, two caveats.
First: This count includes startups that could be incorporated elsewhere but have their roots or a big a part of their team in Europe. Until a pan-European corporate structure exists (often called “EU Inc”), this split will remain common — and we’ve decided to overlook it. Take Lovable, which is incorporated in Delaware but can’t be dissociated from Stockholm’s startup scene.
Second: valuation doesn’t equal industrial success, and it is simply too early to inform whether all of those corporations will achieve the form of traction that Lovable has, with the corporate recently crossing $300 million in annual recurring revenue. But in the present climate, the undeniable fact that VCs were willing to take a position in them at unicorn valuations is a powerful signal of where the appetite is.
With these caveats out of the best way, let’s dive in.
Aikido
Belgium-based cybersecurity startup Aikido Security reached unicorn status with its $60 million Series B funding round. Valuing the corporate at $1 billion, the round was led by DST Global, with participation from PSG Equity, Singular, Notion Capital, and others.
In accordance with a press release, the funding will help Aikido enhance its platform, which was built to unify security across your entire software lifecycle and is already utilized by greater than 100,000 teams globally. The corporate also reported “five-times revenue growth and nearly three-times customer growth” over the past 12 months.
Techcrunch event
Boston, MA
|
June 23, 2026
In a blog post, the startup celebrated this milestone and its significance. In accordance with its team, “in an industry dominated by Palo Alto and Tel Aviv heavyweights, Aikido shows that Europe can construct a world-class software security company and win globally.”
Solid AI
Cloud optimization company Solid AI is headquartered in Florida, but has Lithuanian roots and a significant office in Vilnius — which explains why many now consider it to have turn out to be Lithuania’s fifth unicorn.
Solid AI’s valuation now exceeds $1 billion following a strategic investment from Pacific Alliance Ventures (PAV), the U.S.-based corporate enterprise arm of Korean conglomerate Shinsegae Group. In April 2025, Solid AI raised a $108 million Series C that had reportedly already brought the corporate near unicorn territory.
Alongside its latest funding round, the corporate also introduced OMNI Compute for AI, which goals to assist users deploy more AI workloads on fewer GPUs and take away regional capability constraints.
Harmattan AI
French defense tech company Harmattan AI was only founded in 2024, but is already price $1.4 billion, in keeping with its latest funding round. The $200 million Series B was led by Dassault Aviation, maker of the Rafale fighter jets, and likewise ties right into a broader partnership.
Before securing this key partner, Harmattan AI had already signed agreements with the French and British ministries of defense and with Ukrainian drone maker Skyeton, amid growing appetite for autonomous defense aircraft.
Osapiens
German ESG software firm Osapiens raised a $100 million Series C led by Decarbonization Partners, a three way partnership between BlackRock and Temasek, which valued the corporate at over $1.1 billion.
Founded in Mannheim in 2018, Osapiens now has greater than 2,400 customers worldwide, including large multinational corporations that depend on its platforms and tools for sustainability reporting and data compliance, but additionally to mitigate supply chain risks.
Preply
The 14-year-old language learning marketplace Preply is now a unicorn valued at $1.2 billion — a milestone that also embodies Ukrainian resilience. The edtech company was founded in the USA, but its founders are Ukrainian and supporters of their home country, where Preply has a team of 150 employees.
In accordance with 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 4 offices — now positioned in Barcelona, London, Recent York, and Kyiv.