European Tech Sector Thrives: 15 New Unicorns Emerge in H1 2025, Led by Quantum Computing, AI, and Renewable Energy Startups

Europe’s startup scene is poised for a robust resurgence following the summer break, with expectations running high for the emergence of multiple new unicorns. Although mega-rounds have become less frequent compared to 2021, the first half of 2025 has still witnessed twelve European startups securing funding rounds valued at over $1 billion.

While past results do not guarantee future success, this trend signals a positive outlook for the remainder of the year. Notably, it provides insight into sectors that currently attract investor interest, such as biotech, defense tech, and artificial intelligence (AI).

The following are the new European unicorns of 2025:

IQM, a Finnish startup specializing in quantum computing and the development of a cloud platform utilizing this cutting-edge hardware, achieved unicorn status after completing a Series B funding round worth over $300 million. To date, the company has raised a total of $600 million. According to its CEO Jan Goetz, IQM is now the world’s leading seller of quantum computers across all major continents. Its 54-qubit chips are currently in use at computing centers, research labs, universities, and enterprises, with plans to deploy its first 150-qubit systems soon.

Framer, a no-code website builder based in the Netherlands, secured a $2 billion valuation after closing a $100 million Series D funding round led by Meritech and Atomico. The fresh capital will be allocated towards strengthening Framer’s enterprise strategy and AI integration. Competing with established players like Figma, Squarespace, Wix, and various coding platforms, Framer places a strong emphasis on design. Its co-founders, Koen Bok and Jorn van Dijk, previously sold a design studio to Facebook in 2011.

Swedish AI-focused startup Lovable achieved unicorn status at record speed. In July, just eight months after its launch, it raised a $200 million Series A led by Accel at a valuation of $1.8 billion. It is worth noting that Lovable Labs Inc. is registered in Delaware but maintains most of its team members and open roles in Stockholm.

Fuse Energy, a British renewable energy company founded in 2022 by two former Revolut executives, reportedly secured funding in excess of $1 billion as per The Times’ July report.

Film-streaming service Mubi achieved unicorn status after completing a $100 million round led by Sequoia Capital in June, valuing the company at $1 billion. Founded in 2007 as a curated platform, this indie Netflix rival now also produces and distributes films.

French startup Zama raised a $57 million Series B that brought its valuation above $1 billion. The company develops homomorphic encryption, a technique using cryptographic algorithms to secure data.

German space startup Isar Aerospace became a unicorn in June after reaching an agreement with Eldridge Industries for a convertible bond of €150 million (approximately $173 million). The launch company spun off from the Technical University of Munich, which now boasts 22 unicorns.

Portuguese dual-use drone startup Tekever raised funding in May that confirmed its over £1 billion valuation, previously undisclosed. Backed by Ventura Capital, Baillie Gifford, the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF), Iberis Capital, and Crescent Cove, the company plans to invest £400 million into a five-year U.K. development plan.

German dual-use startup Quantum Systems became a unicorn in May 2025, according to PitchBook, upon raising a €160 million Series C (approximately $172 million) to accelerate its global expansion, scale production, and advance its autonomous drone systems, software, and AI. The round was led by Balderton Capital, with participation from Hensoldt, Airbus Defense and Space, Bullhound Capital, LP&E AG, and existing investors, including HV Capital, Project A, Peter Thiel, DTCP, Omnes Capital, Airbus Ventures, Porsche SE, and Notion.

Parloa, a German conversational AI platform for customer service, secured $120 million in Series C funding at a valuation of $1 billion in May 2025, less than a year after its $66 million Series B and two years after its $21 million Series A. The Series C was led by Durable Capital Partners, Altimeter Capital, and General Catalyst.

London-based AI drug-discovery platform Isomorphic Labs, spun out of Google’s DeepMind in 2021, raised external capital for the first time in March 2025 with a $600 million round led by Thrive Capital, with participation from GV and Alphabet. While the valuation was not disclosed, the round size places the British spinoff comfortably within unicorn territory.

Dublin-based Tines, an AI-powered workflow startup, became a unicorn in February 2025 after raising a $125 million Series C from new and existing investors at a valuation of $1.125 billion. The Irish startup started out in security workflow automation but has since seen adoption across various parts of the tech stack, with applications in infrastructure, engineering, and product. Upon raising its Series C, the company reported it was now handling over a billion automated actions on behalf of its customers every week.

Less than one year after its launch, London-based biotech Verdiva Bio raised a massive $410 million Series A in January 2025 as its first announced round of funding. This instantaneously made the company a unicorn, with a pipeline that includes an oral-based GLP-1 drug similar to Ozempic and Wegovy.

Preventative health startup Neko Health, co-founded by Spotify’s Daniel Ek, raised a $260 million Series B at a $1.8 billion valuation in January 2025. The round was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from General Catalyst, O.G. Venture Partners, Rosello, Lakestar, and Atomico. The Swedish company offers full-body scans aimed at promoting health through early detection. According to its CEO and co-founder Hjalmar Nilsonne, the funding will accelerate Neko’s global expansion beyond Stockholm and London to include the U.S., as well as investments in R&D.