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Europe unicorn herd tops €600 billion as funding rebounds
As of June 30, 175 VC-backed startups were valued at over €1 billion, up by 18 in 2026, with median post-valuation rising to €2.4 billion.
Europe's group of billion-euro VC-backed startups has reached an all-time high, with the herd now valued at more than €600 billion as dealmaking rebounds, according to PitchBook data cited by Yahoo Finance.
As of June 30, the aggregate post-valuation of European unicorns was €609.1 billion, nearly €100 billion higher than at the end of last year. The total number of VC-backed companies worth over €1 billion climbed to 175, the highest count to date, after 18 new startups joined the group.
The report also points to higher valuations among existing unicorns, with the median post-valuation at €2.4 billion in Q2, up from €1.6 billion in 2025. Driven by activity in the first half of the year, €15.5 billion had been invested so far in 2026, even as overall VC deal counts lag last year.
Yahoo Finance reports that unicorn rounds have remained relatively strong, with 47 deals closed in the first six months and deal sizes growing, including a median €175 million in 2026 versus €140 million last year. The largest round cited was Nscale's $2 billion March Series C, which more than quadrupled its valuation to $14.6 billion, while other examples include Iceye, valued at over €10 billion after a €1 billion Series F in June.
The report expects the herd to keep expanding for the rest of 2026 if current pacing holds, noting that few unicorns are exiting right now and that there are 174 soonicorns collectively valued at €127.8 billion that could move into the unicorn tier.