January 2026 added five fresh European unicorns, spanning Belgium, Lithuania, France, Germany and Ukraine. All raised funding rounds that pushed their valuations above the $1 billion threshold, signalling strong investor appetite for diverse tech verticals.
Belgium – Aikido Security
Aikido Security, a Belgium‑based cybersecurity startup, secured a $60 million Series B round that valued the company at $1 billion, earning unicorn status. The round was led by DST Global with participation from PSG Equity, Singular, Notion Capital and others.
Lithuania – Cast AI
Cast AI, originally founded in Florida but with strong Lithuanian roots and a major office in Vilnius, became Lithuania’s fifth unicorn after its latest funding round. The company also launched OMNI Compute for AI, a solution that lets users run more AI workloads on fewer GPUs and eases regional capacity limits.
France – Harmattan AI
Founded in 2024, defence‑tech startup Harmattan AI reached a $1.4 billion valuation after a $200 million Series B led by Dassault Aviation. The round deepened a partnership with the aircraft maker and followed agreements with the French and British ministries of defence and Ukrainian drone maker Skyeton.
Germany – Osapiens
Osapiens, an ESG‑software firm from Mannheim, raised a $100 million Series C led by Decarbonization Partners (a BlackRock‑Temasek joint venture), pushing its valuation above $1.1 billion. The platform now serves over 2,400 customers worldwide for sustainability reporting, data compliance and supply‑chain risk mitigation.
Ukraine – Preply
The 14‑year‑old language‑learning marketplace Preply achieved unicorn status with a $150 million Series D that valued it at $1.2 billion. The Ukrainian‑founded edtech company plans to expand its AI‑enhanced learning capabilities across its offices in Barcelona, London, New York and Kyiv.
While valuation does not guarantee commercial success, the collective backing of these companies highlights Europe’s growing capacity to build world‑class, high‑impact tech ventures.