Dealroom CEO: Europe’s first $1T startup may already exist

Dealroom CEO Yoram Wijngaarde has told Wave by Vento that Europe’s first trillion-dollar startup may already be operating, and that European tech could surpass the continent’s industrial base within five years.

The assertion comes as European startups continue to attract record funding in sectors like defense and space. Dealroom’s own forecast, reported by Defense News, projects European defense startups will raise $10.5 billion in 2026—more than double the EU-27 total from 2025. Earlier this month, Isar Aerospace completed the first commercial orbital launch from continental Europe, while Indian space startup Pixxel raised $100 million.

Wijngaarde’s timeline is aggressive. Some founders have cited challenges in Europe’s funding and regulatory environment, though others continue to scale rapidly. Still, the prediction aligns with Dealroom’s role as a data provider tracking startup growth, suggesting it is based on internal metrics rather than optimism alone.

If correct, the claim would mark a turning point for European tech, shifting the narrative from catching up to leading. For now, the identity of the potential trillion-dollar company remains unknown—and may not even be a household name. The next five years will test whether Europe’s ecosystem can sustain the scale required to deliver on Wijngaarde’s vision.

Sources: thenextweb.com