For Europe, and for Italy within it, 2021 was a year of consolidation and maturation as regards the technology industry. The Old Continent is in fact preparing to reach 100 billion dollars of investments in just one year, almost three times the level of last year, thus consolidating its role as a hi-tech power at a global level with the launch of a process virtuous who looks away.
This is also confirmed by an index of confidence in the evolution of innovation such as that relating to “early-stage” investments, with rounds of up to $ 5 million, now reaching levels close to the United States: $ 3.8 billion against 4.1 billion.
The scenario that emerges from the annual report of the Atomic venture capital on the “State of technology in Europe” is a scenario marked by optimism, which signals the maturation of the European innovation ecosystem, also confirmed by the growth of one trillion dollars in the value of tech companies in the first eight months of the year alone and from the increase of nearly 100 units of continental unicorns, to a total of 321.
Growing valuations
There are now 26 decacorns, the companies that have reached the value of over ten billion, while the Dutch Adyen is now on the road to crossing the milestone of 100 billion in value.
But these are not just financial assessments inflated by the consolidated hype on global markets, also supported by low rates and very high liquidity in circulation: “The disruptive force of digitalization and technological transformation driven by change is fundamental among the growth drivers. of consumer behavior around the world, a trend in which Europe emerges as a global player “, comments Tom Wehmeier, partner of Atomico and co-author of the report, published in collaboration with Slush, the largest startup community in the world , with the support of the law firm Orrick.