In the tech startup world, January has been a remarkable month for European unicorns. Five new startups from Belgium to Ukraine have raised funding at valuations exceeding $1 billion. Let’s take a closer look at the latest additions to this exclusive club.
First and foremost, we have Aikido Security, a cybersecurity startup based in Belgium. Aikido Security recently reached unicorn status with a $60 million Series B funding round, valuing the company at $1 billion. The round was led by DST Global, with participation from PSG Equity, Singular, Notion Capital, and others. Aikido Security’s platform aims to unify security across the entire software lifecycle and has already garnered over 100,000 global users. The company reported impressive growth in revenue and customer base over the past year, signaling a promising future.
Moving on to Cast AI, a cloud optimization company originally headquartered in Florida but with roots in Lithuania. Following a strategic investment from Pacific Alliance Ventures, Cast AI’s valuation has surpassed $1 billion. The company introduced OMNI Compute for AI, a solution designed to optimize AI workloads on fewer GPUs and eliminate regional capacity constraints.
Next up is Harmattan AI, a French defense tech company that secured a $200 million Series B funding round led by Dassault Aviation. With a valuation of $1.4 billion, Harmattan AI focuses on autonomous defense aircraft and has already established partnerships with defense ministries and drone manufacturers.
Osapiens, a German ESG software firm, raised a $100 million Series C led by Decarbonization Partners, a collaboration between BlackRock and Temasek. Valued at over $1.1 billion, Osapiens serves more than 2,400 customers worldwide with sustainability reporting and data compliance solutions.
Last but not least, Preply, a language learning marketplace, achieved unicorn status with a valuation of $1.2 billion. Founded by Ukrainians, Preply has a team of 150 employees in Kyiv and offices in Barcelona, London, and New York. The startup plans to use the proceeds from its $150 million Series D round to expand its AI talent pool and enhance its AI-enhanced learning platform.
These new European unicorns represent the diversity and innovation thriving in the tech startup ecosystem. With strong investor support and groundbreaking technologies, these companies are poised for continued growth and success in the global market.
