DIGITALEUROPE's Future Unicorn Award

Since 2018, the Future Unicorn Awards stands as a beacon of excellence in Europe’s tech ecosystem. More than just a prize, it is an initiative designed to showcase Europe’s future tech champions and elevate their voices within EU policy-making circles.

At DIGITALEUROPE, we have set a bold objective in our manifesto: to double the number of European unicorns by 2030. This award is pivotal in realising that vision, by providing a platform that propels companies into the next phase of growth and innovation. This year, the Future Unicorn Award will be presented on 19 February at the VIP gala dinner, on the evening of 19th ahead of Masters of Digital. The award is conducted in collaboration with 41 National Trade Associations, representing over 46,000 companies, from across Europe.

Awards

From 2025 onwards, the Future Unicorn Award recognises excellence through two distinct categories:

Future Unicorn Award: Celebrating European scale-ups with the potential to become the continent’s next unicorn. These companies are not only contributing to the digital economy but also redefining it with their innovation and rapid growth.
Dual-Use Technology Award: This award recognises exceptional companies that develop cutting-edge technologies capable of serving both civilian and military applications. These dual-use technologies are innovations that, while created for civilian purposes, also enhance defence and military uses. This could include fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, aerospace, or energy systems, where the technology has a peaceful, commercial application but can also be employed to address security needs, including defence capabilities or military operations.

The Dual-Use Technology Award delivered in collaboration with Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.

Meet this year’s jury

The 2025 jury is comprised of some of the leaders in venture capital, tech and defence innovation, and European institutions. Their expertise is crucial in identifying the tech leaders of tomorrow.

Future Unicorn Award:

Eric de Montgolfier, Invest Europe
Enrique Lizaso Olmos, Multiverse Computing
Stéphane Ouaki, European Innovation Council
Doris Põld, ITL Estonia

Dual-Use Technologies:

Peter Weckesser, Schneider Electric
Benedikt Franke, Munich Security Conference
Róbert Vass, Globsec
André Denk, European Defence Agency
Kateryna Chernohorenko, Ministry of Defence of Ukraine
Johan Dahlfors, Bridgepoint

Eligibility & Selection Process

The Future Unicorn Award is conducted in collaboration with 41 National Trade Associations from across Europe. Participants must be nominated by these associations and be European tech companies in the scale-up phase, having grown by over 20% per year for at least three years.

Previous Winners

The Future Unicorn Award has celebrated companies that have revolutionised industries and expanded their global footprint. Notable winners include: