From Belgium to Ukraine, five fresh European unicorns were minted this January.

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Five European tech startups reached unicorn status (valuations over $1 billion) in January 2026: Belgium's Aikido Security (cybersecurity, $60M Series B), Lithuania-rooted Cast AI (cloud optimization, strategic investment), France's Harmattan AI (defense tech, $200M Series B at $1.4B valuation), Germany's Osapiens (ESG software, $100M Series C), and Ukraine-founded Preply (language learning, $150M Series D at $1.2B valuation). These valuations signal strong VC appetite in cybersecurity, AI infrastructure, defense tech, sustainability compliance, and edtech sectors across Europe.

Meet the new European unicorns of 2026