The second half of 2022 has been challenging for European startups, with the number of new unicorns dropping significantly compared to the same period in 2021.

However, genuinely talented teams and founders find the light even in the darkest of times, which is why we continue to celebrate the addition to the most desirable list.

Based on data from the PitchBook Unicorn Tracker, below are some European companies that hit $1B+ in December.

Beamery

• Country: UK
• Vertical: HR Tech, AI&ML
  
• Money raised: $228.0M
  

According to TechCrunch, more than half of companies with 500+ employees plan to increase spending on HR technology by an average of 21% in 2023.

One such solution that could meet this demand is being developed by London-based startup Beamery. Last December, it raised $50M at a $1B+ valuation from TVG and other investors in a Series D round.

According to its own data, the company serves over a hundred clients, including such giants as Johnson & Johnson, General Motors, and other Fortune 500 companies. Beamery provides them with the data they need to make critical decisions regarding employees.

The startup was founded in 2013 by Mike Paterson and brothers Abakar and Sultan Saidov. The core of the Beamery platform lies in artificial intelligence technologies. 

Beamery founders. Source: UKTN

Younited

• Country: France
• Vertical: FinTech
  
• Money raised: $347.5M
  

Younited is an online platform that allows brands and online retailers to provide instant loans to their customers without the mediation of traditional financial institutions.

Founded in 2009, today, the company serves about a million users in France, Germany, Portugal, Spain, and Italy. Younited has an annual turnover of around €2B and a highest loan of €50k for up to 84 months.

The startup team has shown impressive growth in the past year and raised €60M in December from Goldman Sachs, Eurazeo, Bpifrance, and Crédit Mutuel Arkéa. Younited's valuation at the end of the round exceeded €1.1B.

Startup founders Charles Egli and Geoffroy Guigou said they plan to use the funds to develop and reinforce Younited's presence in current markets.

Younited founders. Source: Siliconcanals

Cover image: Unsplash