The 100 European Startups to Watch in 2025

Viva Technology presents the first edition of the “Top 100 Rising European Startups 2025” ranking, selecting the most promising young companies in the European tech ecosystem for innovation, growth and ability to transform key sectors of the digital economy

Viva Technology has announced the first edition of the “Top 100 Rising European Startups”, a ranking that identifies the hundred most promising European startups in the technological landscape for 2025. The initiative was born with the aim of highlighting emerging entrepreneurial realities capable of generating a transformative impact in their respective sectors, while highlighting the growth dynamics that characterize the current European tech ecosystem.

The selection involves companies from thirteen European countries, with a strong representation from Germany, France and the United Kingdom, which are emerging as the main hubs of innovation. In particular, Germany dominates with 36 startups included in the ranking, followed by France with 22 and the United Kingdom with 17. The selected companies operate in a variety of technological fields, but artificial intelligence emerges as the driving sector, with a significant number of companies active in the development of agents, language models, and middleware & tooling solutions.

AI is confirmed as a protagonist of technological change in Europe, contributing to the evolution of strategic sectors such as cybersecurity, defense, logistics and supply chain management. The startups identified in this area represent a new generation of AI solutions, more accessible and oriented to practical application in business contexts.

According to François Bitouzet, Managing Director of Viva Technology, the ranking reflects a significant maturation of the European tech ecosystem. Europe is configured not only as a fertile ground for entrepreneurial growth, but also as a true laboratory of technological innovation and social transformation, capable of addressing strategic challenges with a forward-looking vision.

In the broader context of European innovation, six macro-trends emerge that are set to drive development in 2025. FinTech continues to evolve, driven by the adoption of models such as Banking-as-a-Service and increasingly sophisticated financial management tools. Logistics and supply chains benefit from artificial intelligence to improve operational efficiency and predictive capacity. Cybersecurity and DefenseTech consolidate as crucial sectors for digital sovereignty, while ClimateTech explores new solutions, despite a less favorable ESG investment environment.

In the medical and scientific fields, HealthTech and BioTech are accelerating thanks to the support of AI, contributing significantly to the progress of research. Creative Industries are also experiencing a phase of renewal, thanks to AI-based tools that make the production of digital content more accessible and scalable. The ranking was drawn up in collaboration with five of the main international investment funds: Accel, Eurazeo, HV Capital, Northzone and Partech, and was based on criteria such as the European headquarters of the companies, the potential for sector transformation, recurring revenues above €5 million in 2024 and an average annual growth of 40% over the last three years.

The selected startups will take part in a customized acceleration program within VivaTech and will have access to strategic networking opportunities, with the aim of consolidating their positioning and actively contributing to the future of European innovation.