January is such a long month that it has already given birth to five new European unicorns. From Belgium to Ukraine, several tech startups have raised funding at valuations exceeding the $1 billion threshold.
But before we take a closer look at who has joined the club, there are two caveats.
First: this number includes startups that may be incorporated elsewhere but have roots or a significant portion of their teams in Europe. Until a pan-European corporate structure (often referred to as “EU Inc”) exists, this division will remain the norm and we have decided to overlook it. Take Lovable as an example, incorporated in Delaware but inseparable from Stockholm’s startup scene.
Second: Valuation does not equal commercial success, and it is too early to tell whether either of these companies will achieve the same traction as Lovable, which recently surpassed $300 million in annual recurring revenue. But in the current climate, the fact that VCs are willing to invest at unicorn valuations is a strong signal of where the investment appetite lies.
With these caveats out of the way, let’s dive in.
Hapkido
Belgium-based cybersecurity startup Aikido Security has achieved unicorn status with a $60 million Series B funding round. This 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, these funds will help strengthen Aikido’s platform. The platform is built to unify security across the entire software lifecycle and is already used by more than 100,000 teams worldwide. The company also reported “five-fold revenue growth and nearly three-fold customer growth” last year.
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In a blog post, the startup celebrated this milestone and its significance. According to the team, “In an industry dominated by heavyweights from Palo Alto and Tel Aviv, Aikido shows that Europe can build a world-class software security company and win globally.”
Cast AI
Cloud optimization company Cast AI is headquartered in Florida, but has roots in Lithuania and has its main office in Vilnius. This explains why many now consider the company to be Lithuania’s fifth unicorn.
Cast AI’s valuation has now surpassed $1 billion following a strategic investment from Pacific Alliance Ventures (PAV), the US-based corporate venture arm of South Korean conglomerate Shinsegae Group. In April 2025, Cast AI had already raised a $108 million Series C investment that reportedly brought the company closer to unicorn territory.
Along with its latest funding round, the company also introduced OMNI Compute for AI, which helps users deploy more AI workloads on fewer GPUs and eliminate regional capacity constraints.
Harmattan AI
French defense technology company Harmattan AI was founded in 2024 but is already valued at $1.4 billion, according to its latest funding round. The $200 million Series B was led by Dassault Aviation, maker of the Rafale fighter jet, and is part of a broader partnership.
Before securing this key partner, Harmattan AI had already signed contracts with the French and British Ministry of Defense and Ukrainian drone manufacturer Skyeton, amid growing demand for autonomous defense aircraft.
Osapiens
German ESG software company Osapiens has raised a $100 million Series C investment led by Decarbonization Partners, a joint venture between BlackRock and Temasek, which values the company at more than $1.1 billion.
Founded in Mannheim in 2018, Osapiens currently has more than 2,400 customers worldwide, including large multinational companies that use its platform and tools for sustainability reporting and data compliance and mitigating supply chain risks.
Free Plea
Preply, a 14-year-old language learning marketplace, is now a unicorn worth $1.2 billion. This is also a milestone that embodies Ukraine’s resilience. The educational technology company was founded in the United States, but its founders are Ukrainian and supporters in their home country, where Preply has 150 employees.
According to CEO Kirill Bigai, who believes in AI-enhanced learning, the proceeds from the $150 million Series D round will help the startup hire more AI talent across its four offices currently located in Barcelona, London, New York, and Kiev.
