Unicorns aren’t the rare beasts they once were in European tech — despite the long odds that companies shooting for that milestone still face.

As well as being a privately held, VC-backed company valued at $1bn, to be classed as a unicorn by Sifted, startups must have reached a $1bn valuation on any round prior 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.

To help you keep track, Sifted has compiled a list of Europe’s unicorns using data from Dealroom and our own internal research, which will be kept up to date whenever a new company hits the $1bn valuation, or if an existing unicorn raises further funding.

Note: if there are any companies missing from this list, or something needs updating, please let us know by email at rankings@sifted.eu

Last updated: 11 March 2024