More than 10 European startups became unicorns this year

In the first half of 2025, twelve European startups achieved unicorn status by raising funding rounds that valued them at over $1 billion, signaling a robust funding environment despite fewer mega-rounds compared to 2021. These new unicorns span various sectors, with a notable emphasis on AI, biotech, defense tech, and renewable energy. Key examples include IQM, a Finnish quantum computing company preparing to deploy 150-qubit systems; Framer, a no-code website builder focusing on design and AI with a $2 billion valuation; and Lovable, a Swedish AI coding startup that reached unicorn status just eight months after launching. Other notable unicorns include Fuse Energy, a British renewable energy firm founded by ex-Revolut executives; Mubi, a film-streaming service valued at $1 billion; Zama, a French startup specializing in cryptographic data security; and Isar Aerospace, a German space startup linked to the Technical University of Munich. Additional companies like Tekever from Portugal,