According to the report, European tech companies have raised $426.000 billion over the past ten years, a tenfold increase over the previous decade.
In the case of Spain, startups have received an investment of $ 1.437 billion in 2024, a figure similar to that of the previous year, consolidating itself as the country with the highest funding in southern Europe, above Italy (900 million) and Portugal (100 million). This performance has led to the accumulated investment in Spanish startups in the last decade reaching 14.100 million, almost eight times more than in the period 2005-2014.
The technological ecosystem in Spain: growth and employment
Spain has 175.000 workers in financed technology companies, a figure that has multiplied by 12 since 2015. In addition, the sector of the artificial intelligence (AI) employs more than 30.000 people, placing Spain in fifth place in Europe in this area, behind United Kingdom, Germany, France and the Netherlands.
The country has also seen an increase in its number of unicorn companies, those with a valuation of more than $1.000 billion, from three in 2014 to 14 in 2024.
Europe, leader in early-stage startups
Europe is home to more than 35.000 early-stage startups, the largest number globally. However, the report highlights a critical problem: growing companies are half as likely to raise funding rounds greater than $15 million compared to their U.S. peers, leading to a significant reliance on international investors"One in two European scaleups resorts to US funding, which represents a brain drain and loss of resources," Atomico emphasizes.
A promising future with challenges to overcome
Sarah Guemouri, director of Atomico and co-author of the report, highlights the importance of continuing to strengthen the ecosystem: “The next step for Europe is to develop growth-stage startups. We need more pension funds and Limited Partners to support these companies and build a better world.”.
For its part, Tom Wehmeier, Head of Insights at Atomico, calls for continued optimism: "The continent has made enormous progress in the last decade. We must not lose the confidence and ambition that have been key to our success.".
The report predicts that by 2034, the European technology ecosystem could reach a value of 8 trillions of dollars and generate employment for 20 million people.
Sustainability and deep tech technology as the pillars of progress
Europe also leads the way in investing in sustainable solutions: 21% of capital in early stage startups is allocated to climate projects, twice as much as in United States. As for advanced technologies, such as AI, they have captured the 33% of total funding in Europe by 2024, accumulating $94.000 billion in the last decade.
Simon Bumfrey, CEO of HSBC Innovation Banking UK, concludes: "Europe has proven itself to be a technological superpower. With the right policies and sufficient funding, the next decade promises unprecedented growth.".
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