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 20 February 2025 during our flagship event, 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.

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.

To learn more about how the finalists and winners are chosen, watch this video:

Previous Winners

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

2024: Multiverse Computing (Spain) – Quantum computing.
2023: Red Points (Spain) – Cybersecurity.
2022: Circulor (UK) – Supply chain traceability.
2021: Oncompass Medicine (Hungary) – AI-driven healthcare solutions.
2020: Corti (Denmark) – AI-driven healthcare solutions.

Meet last year’s jury & master of ceremony

The 2024 jury comprised some of the leaders in venture capital, innovation, and European institutions. Their expertise is crucial in identifying the tech leaders of tomorrow:

The award was delivered by:

Iliana Ivanova, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, and Youth

The jury was:

Stéphane Ouaki, Head of European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund
Indrek Heinloo, COO, Veriff, Estonia
Eric de Montgolfier, CEO, Invest Europe
Kadi Silde, Chief Development Officer at Starburst; NATO DIANA – Innovation Accelerator
Hilary Mine, former DIGITALEUROPE President