Top 10 European Deep Tech Startups 2026

Barcelona-based Nanophotonica develops silicon photonics chips for AI data centre interconnects, achieving data transfer rates of 3.2 Tbps per chip — 10x faster than copper alternatives. The company raised €45 million in Series A in 2024 backed by Intel Capital and Airbus Ventures. Its chips reduce energy consumption in AI training clusters by up to 40% and are scheduled for production with TSMC in 2026.

Finnish startup ICEYE operates the world's largest SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite constellation with 34 satellites, providing all-weather, day-and-night Earth observation. The company raised $308 million by 2023 and serves defence, insurance, and disaster response clients in 60+ countries. ICEYE imagery was used to assess damage in Ukraine, Turkey, and Pakistan in 2023-2025.

London-based Materiom applies AI to materials discovery, maintaining an open-access database of 1,000+ biomaterial recipes and partnering with manufacturers to replace petroleum-based plastics. The company raised €30 million in 2024 and has collaborated with Lego, BMW, and Unilever to pilot bio-based packaging materials. Its ML platform reduces materials R&D timelines from years to weeks.

Oxford-based OQC builds superconducting quantum computers, operating Europe's first Quantum Computing as a Service (QCaaS) platform since 2021. The company raised $100 million in Series B in 2022 and provides cloud access to its 32-qubit Lucy and 128-qubit Toshiko processors via AWS and Azure. Partners include HSBC, Moody's, and the UK's National Physical Laboratory.

Israeli-European deep tech firm Aleph Farms cultivated the world's first slaughter-free ribeye steak in 2021, raising $105 million by 2022. Its 3D bioprinting technology constructs complex muscle tissue structures from bovine cells, with production costs dropping from $50,000/kg in 2013 to under $100/kg by 2025. European operations are centred in the Netherlands with a 50,000 sq ft pilot facility.

Oxford and London-based Quantum Motion develops silicon-based quantum processors that leverage existing semiconductor manufacturing, raising £50 million in 2023. Its CMOS-compatible approach allows quantum chips to be manufactured at scale in standard fabs, potentially reducing cost by 100x compared to specialised superconducting systems. The company targets a 1 million qubit chip by 2030.

Icelandic deep tech company Carbfix developed a pioneering mineralisation process that permanently stores CO2 as rock in basalt formations within 2 years — 1,000x faster than conventional geological storage. The company has stored 100,000+ tonnes of CO2 since 2012 at costs reaching $25/tonne, and signed a €10 million EU Horizon contract in 2024 to expand across Europe.

Swedish deep tech manufacturer Mycronic produces precision laser pattern generators and jet printing systems for PCB and display manufacturing, generating SEK 5.8 billion ($520 million) in 2024 revenue with 45% EBIT margins. Its Prexision-800 system achieves 30nm linewidth accuracy essential for next-generation semiconductor packaging. Listed on Nasdaq Stockholm with a $3.5 billion market cap.

Oxford-based Exscientia is a pioneer in AI-driven drug design, using generative AI to design molecules with clinical candidates reaching Phase I trials 4x faster than traditional methods at 1/10th the cost. The company raised $525 million and has partnerships with Sanofi, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Sumitomo Dainippon. Its AI-designed drug DSP-1181 became the first to enter clinical trials in 2020.

Barcelona-based Nanophotonica develops silicon photonics chips for AI data centre interconnects, achieving data transfer rates of 3.2 Tbps per chip — 10x faster than copper alternatives. The company raised €45 million in Series A in 2024 backed by Intel Capital and Airbus Ventures. Its chips reduce energy consumption in AI training clusters by up to 40% and are scheduled for production with TSMC in 2026.

Finnish startup ICEYE operates the world's largest SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite constellation with 34 satellites, providing all-weather, day-and-night Earth observation. The company raised $308 million by 2023 and serves defence, insurance, and disaster response clients in 60+ countries. ICEYE imagery was used to assess damage in Ukraine, Turkey, and Pakistan in 2023-2025.

London-based Materiom applies AI to materials discovery, maintaining an open-access database of 1,000+ biomaterial recipes and partnering with manufacturers to replace petroleum-based plastics. The company raised €30 million in 2024 and has collaborated with Lego, BMW, and Unilever to pilot bio-based packaging materials. Its ML platform reduces materials R&D timelines from years to weeks.

Oxford-based OQC builds superconducting quantum computers, operating Europe's first Quantum Computing as a Service (QCaaS) platform since 2021. The company raised $100 million in Series B in 2022 and provides cloud access to its 32-qubit Lucy and 128-qubit Toshiko processors via AWS and Azure. Partners include HSBC, Moody's, and the UK's National Physical Laboratory.

Israeli-European deep tech firm Aleph Farms cultivated the world's first slaughter-free ribeye steak in 2021, raising $105 million by 2022. Its 3D bioprinting technology constructs complex muscle tissue structures from bovine cells, with production costs dropping from $50,000/kg in 2013 to under $100/kg by 2025. European operations are centred in the Netherlands with a 50,000 sq ft pilot facility.

Oxford and London-based Quantum Motion develops silicon-based quantum processors that leverage existing semiconductor manufacturing, raising £50 million in 2023. Its CMOS-compatible approach allows quantum chips to be manufactured at scale in standard fabs, potentially reducing cost by 100x compared to specialised superconducting systems. The company targets a 1 million qubit chip by 2030.

Icelandic deep tech company Carbfix developed a pioneering mineralisation process that permanently stores CO2 as rock in basalt formations within 2 years — 1,000x faster than conventional geological storage. The company has stored 100,000+ tonnes of CO2 since 2012 at costs reaching $25/tonne, and signed a €10 million EU Horizon contract in 2024 to expand across Europe.

Swedish deep tech manufacturer Mycronic produces precision laser pattern generators and jet printing systems for PCB and display manufacturing, generating SEK 5.8 billion ($520 million) in 2024 revenue with 45% EBIT margins. Its Prexision-800 system achieves 30nm linewidth accuracy essential for next-generation semiconductor packaging. Listed on Nasdaq Stockholm with a $3.5 billion market cap.

Oxford-based Exscientia is a pioneer in AI-driven drug design, using generative AI to design molecules with clinical candidates reaching Phase I trials 4x faster than traditional methods at 1/10th the cost. The company raised $525 million and has partnerships with Sanofi, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Sumitomo Dainippon. Its AI-designed drug DSP-1181 became the first to enter clinical trials in 2020.