Growth
Europe's Top 10 Fastest Growing Startups to Watch in 2024
Written by
Lineke Kruisinga
Published on
August 29, 2024
Written by
Published on
Europe’s startup scene is booming, with innovation hubs from London to Paris setting the pace for groundbreaking developments. In 2024, a diverse array of startups, specifically those outside our portfolio, are making waves—not only with their innovative ideas but also by creating tangible impacts across various industries. These emerging companies are leading the way in fintech, consumer tech, and cybersecurity, delivering solutions that are capturing global attention. Below are some of the fasted growing European startups to watch in 2024, as they continue to shape industries and drive global change.
Disclaimer: With so many exciting startups emerging worldwide, it's impossible to cover them all. The startups mentioned here are outside our portfolio and are not ranked, but listed in random order.
Aily Labs, founded in 2020 in Munich, Germany, is a cutting-edge AI startup that’s transforming the way Aily Labs, a Munich-based startup founded in 2020 by the dynamic trio Bianca Anghelina, Chris Sawyer, and Sara Bisbe, is here to do for your business data what a personal trainer does for your fitness routine—except without the burpees. After all, who needs sweat when you’ve got AI? With their sights set on transforming the way companies harness data, Aily Labs is all about unlocking insights that make even the most complex spreadsheets look like child’s play.
Backed by €21 million in funding from Insight Venture Partners, Aily Labs has quickly established itself as a leader in the AI space. Their products are designed to sift through mountains of data, delivering actionable insights that help businesses optimize operations and achieve their goals. Whether it’s boosting efficiency or generating commercial savings, Aily Labs is all about helping companies reach new heights. And as Munich rises as a tech hub, Aily Labs is leading the charge—proving that the future of AI is here, and it’s all about making your data work harder than your Monday morning coffee.
Escape, a Parisian startup founded in 2020 by Antoine Carossio and Tristan Kalos, is on a mission to keep your data safer than a secret recipe for croissants. After their own close encounter with an API security breach (spoiler: it wasn’t pretty), these tech-savvy founders decided enough was enough. Thus, Escape was born, with the goal of protecting APIs using the magical powers of GraphQL.
With €6 million in funding from Irregular Expressions and Tiny VC—who clearly know a good thing when they see it—Escape is all about catching API vulnerabilities before they can wreak havoc in the real world. Think of it as a digital bodyguard, testing the weak spots in your system so hackers don’t get the chance to.
🎧Listen on spotify: Navigating API Vulnerabilities
Adway, a Gothenburg-based startup founded in 2018 by Richard Sörensson and Viktor Nord, is on a mission to make your hiring headaches a thing of the past—because let’s face it, finding the perfect candidate can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack, blindfolded. But fear not, Adway’s got the tech to turn that haystack into a streamlined, AI-powered funnel straight to the best talent out there.
With €10 million in backing from savvy investors like Octopus Ventures, Brightly Ventures, and Spintop Ventures, Adway is taking recruitment to the next level. Their secret sauce? AI-driven solutions that don’t just help you find talent—they help you find the right talent, and they do it where today’s top candidates are hanging out: social media. Forget the days of posting job ads and hoping for the best; Adway’s tech is all about targeting and engaging with digitally-savvy candidates in a way that’s as smart as it is effective.They’re connecting businesses with the right talent in a digital-first world, proving that when it comes to recruitment, the future is not just bright—it’s AI-powered and just a little bit Swedish.
Fracttal, founded in 2015 by Alejandro Pérez and Cristian Straboni in Spain, is the tech world’s best-kept secret for businesses that want to keep their assets in check without losing their sanity. Specializing in cloud-based solutions, Fracttal has developed Fracttal One, a platform that’s been taking the maintenance and asset management scene by storm across Europe and Latin America.
Backed by €10 million from Seaya Ventures and GoHub Ventures, Fracttal is all about making life easier for companies by integrating Artificial Intelligence into their operations. With Fracttal One, businesses can optimize maintenance schedules, track assets like pros, and basically make sure everything runs smoother than a freshly oiled machine. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, Fracttal recently rolled out an update featuring Tony, an AI-powered virtual assistant who’s basically like having a tech-savvy sidekick that never sleeps.
Creditspring, founded in 2016 by Neil Kadagathur and Sabrina Loi in the heart of Mayfair, London, is shaking up the fintech world with a refreshingly simple idea: make borrowing money less of a financial minefield. In a world where overdrafts and payday loans can feel like quicksand, Creditspring offers a safer, more transparent way to manage unexpected expenses without the usual headaches.
With a hefty €82 million in backing from investors like Volution, Seedcamp, and Impact Ventures UK, Creditspring is on a mission to take the stress out of borrowing. Instead of hitting users with sky-high interest rates, the platform charges a fixed membership fee, making it easy to know exactly what you’re getting into from the start. It’s like having a financial safety net that doesn’t come with hidden strings attached.
ZetaChain, a Picardie-based startup founded in 2021 by Ankur Nandwani, Panruo Wu, and Brandon Truong, is on a mission to make the crypto world less like the Wild West and more like a well-organized (and much safer) playground. Born out of the Web3 revolution, ZetaChain is all about simplifying the way developers build and connect apps to the ever-expanding universe of public blockchains.
With €27 million in funding from forward-thinking investors like Sky9 Capital and VistaLabs, ZetaChain is carving out a niche in the blockchain and fintech space by prioritizing what most startups might forget in their race to the top: user safety and product security. Their platform is like a Swiss Army knife for Web3, making sure that building and connecting apps to the crypto world is not just possible, but also practical—and dare we say, almost easy.
Framer, founded in 2013 by Jorn van Dijk and Koen Bok in Amsterdam, is revolutionizing the design world by making it easier for designers and developers to turn their ideas into interactive prototypes. With €61 million in funding from Greylock and Accel, Framer isn’t just another design tool—it’s the go-to platform for creating dynamic, functional prototypes for iOS, Android, desktop, or web.
Framer’s strength lies in its ability to bridge the gap between concept and reality. The software allows users to take static mockups and transform them into fully interactive prototypes, all within the same platform. This means you can design, refine, and iterate your ideas seamlessly, without the hassle of switching between multiple tools.With Framer, the days of static design are over—now, your ideas don’t just sit there; they move, interact, and come to life.
Corti, a Copenhagen-based healthtech startup founded in 2016 by Andreas Cleve Lohmann, Lars Maaløe, and Michael Boesen, is redefining how healthcare handles emergencies. With a solid €85.5 million in backing from Prosus Ventures and Atomico, Corti is not just another AI company—it’s a game-changer for medical professionals on the front lines.
At its core, Corti leverages AI to deliver real-time, life-saving insights in emergency situations. Imagine a world where emergency departments and dispatchers can instantly detect serious illnesses and critical events as they unfold. That’s what Corti is all about—making sure that no second is wasted when lives are on the line. Their technology seamlessly integrates with existing systems, providing instant support to healthcare professionals when they need it most. It’s like having an extra set of eyes and ears, always on alert, ready to catch what might be missed in the chaos of an emergency.
CausaLens, a London-based AI startup founded in 2017 by Darko Matovski and Dr. Antti Ukkonen, is taking the world of artificial intelligence to the next level—because who said machines couldn’t be a little more like us? With €50 million in funding from heavyweights like Dorilton Capital, IQ Capital, and GP Bullhound, CausaLens is on a mission to teach AI not just to think, but to understand why things happen.
While most AI is great at spotting patterns, CausaLens goes a step further by focusing on the cause-and-effect relationships that drive those patterns. And it's not just tech talk—Tier 1 banks, hedge funds, governments, and Fortune 500 companies are all on board, trusting CausaLens to help them navigate the complex landscape of AI-driven decisions.
But CausaLens isn’t just about creating smarter algorithms; it’s about making AI think more like us, which is no small feat. Their technology is designed to comprehend the world with a reasoning that’s closer to human thought, and that’s why they’re quickly becoming a big name in the AI scene. As CausaLens continues to grow, they’re proving that understanding the “why” behind the data isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s the future of artificial intelligence. And who knows? Maybe one day, your AI will understand your problems as well as your therapist does—but with fewer awkward silences.
Last but not least, it’s worth noting that Trapets isn’t the only player in the game of financial crime prevention. They’re part of a growing trend of startups dedicated to making sure the bad guys don’t get away with it. Stockholm-based fintech startup founded in 2000 by Andreas Werner and Gunnar Wexell, has been quietly keeping the financial world on the straight and narrow for over two decades. Specializing in financial crime prevention, Trapets is the go-to RegTech firm for businesses that prefer their money clean and their reputations spotless. With a client list that boasts over 500 companies worldwide, they’ve become a trusted name in the industry, and it’s no wonder they’ve earned a spot among the top 100 most innovative firms in the RegTech space.
With the recent appointment of Gabriella Bussien as CEO, the company is expanding its reach across Europe and venturing into new industry segments. It’s all part of their mission to ensure that financial criminals have nowhere to hide. So, while criminals are getting craftier, Trapets is always one step ahead, proving that in the battle against financial crime, they’re not just participating—they’re leading the charge.
Before we wrap things up, there's something you definitely don’t want to miss.
Have you been wondering where Pitchdrive's standout portfolios are? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!
We know you're curious about the startups that are making waves and driving our success. That's why we’ve put together a detailed breakdown of our high-performing startups. In this article, we dive deep into who they are, what they're doing, and why they're absolutely crushing it in their markets.
Trust us, you don’t want to miss this.
As we look to 2024, Europe's startup ecosystem remains a hotbed of innovation. The ten startups among the fastest growing featured here, all outside our portfolio, are leading the charge in their respective fields, from fintech and consumer tech to cybersecurity. Each is making significant strides, not only in Europe but on the global stage as well.
These companies exemplify the creativity and impact that define Europe’s thriving startup scene. By tackling real-world challenges with innovative solutions, they are setting new standards for excellence.
More ranking articles to read:
Top 10 Angel Investors in Europe
11 Best Venture Studios for Startups: Top Picks for Innovation and Growth
Top 10 Early-Stage VC Firms in Europe: Best Investors for Startup Growth
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