Europe's not-so-dry January: Unicorns and a new tech identity

"Every January, millions take on Dry January , a ritual of restraint and resetting after the holiday season. If that's the benchmark for kicking off the year with moderation, Europe's startup ecosystem clearly didn't get the memo. In the opening weeks of 2026, the region saw five startups join the unicorn club, crossing the $1 billion valuation mark across sectors as varied as cybersecurity, cloud optimisation, defence tech, ESG software, and education technology."

"Across the continent, there's a stronger sense that Europe can produce and scale world-class tech companies in its own right , rather than just nurture later-stage spin-offs or see them acquired by U.S. firms. While the United States still leads in overall startup volume and ecosystem strength, Europe's recent momentum shows its innovation landscape is maturing and gaining confidence on the global stage."

"Europe was already home to over 217 unicorns by late 2025, spread across fintech, AI, enterprise software, and other domains. That's a milestone for a region whose venture culture has historically leaned toward caution. Aikido jumped into unicorn territory with a $60 million Series B led by DST Global, valuing the cybersecurity platform at around $1 billion. Its tools help developers unify security across the software development lifecycle, and the company reports strong revenue and customer growth."

Five European startups crossed the $1 billion valuation mark in early 2026 across cybersecurity, cloud optimisation, defence tech, ESG software, and education technology, reversing a cautious venture culture. Europe housed over 217 unicorns by late 2025 across fintech, AI, enterprise software, and other domains, reflecting growing scale and diversity. The momentum indicates increasing capacity to produce and scale world-class tech companies independently rather than only generating later-stage spin-offs or becoming acquisition targets for U.S. firms. While the United States retains leadership in startup volume and ecosystem strength, Europe's innovation landscape is maturing and gaining confidence on the global stage.

Read at TNW | Eu