Omer Faruk Naimm, from Spain:
In the first six months (H1) of 2026, artificial intelligence (AI) startups in Europe attracted a record $23 billion in investment. This represents a 130% increase compared to the same period last year. Furthermore, AI-based startups captured 55% of the total venture capital invested across Europe.
These findings were highlighted in the 2026 European AI Economy Report, jointly published by HumanX and Crunchbase on Wednesday.
According to the report, while European AI startups secured $10 billion in the first half of 2025, that figure surged to $23 billion in the corresponding period of 2026. Analysts note that this growth is not merely a sign of increased funding, but proof that Europe is bolstering its position in the global AI race.
Stefan Weitz, co-founder and CEO of HumanX, stated that Europe is no longer falling behind in the global competition for artificial intelligence. Instead, significant investments are flowing into areas where Europe has traditionally been strong, such as robotics, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and defense technology.
The report reveals that 73% of the total funding went to just 38 startups, each raising at least $100 million or more. In the first six months of 2026 alone, six European AI startups reached billion-dollar valuations. These include autonomous technology firm Wayve, Alphabet-backed drug discovery company Isomorphic Labs, robotics enterprise Neura Robotics, and AI research lab Advanced Machine Intelligence, co-founded by renowned AI researcher Yann LeCun.
The United Kingdom holds the top spot in attracting AI investment in Europe. The country alone secured $12 billion, accounting for 53% of Europe’s total AI funding. Germany followed with $3.5 billion (15%), and France ranked third with $2.9 billion (12%).
Meanwhile, the Netherlands is rapidly emerging as a major hub for AI innovation. CuspAI, based in the Netherlands and the UK, raised $450 million in Series B funding. Additionally, Netherlands-based General Intuition secured $320 million in its Series A round.
However, the report also highlights some discouraging disparities, particularly regarding female entrepreneurs. Since 2023, AI startups with at least one female co-founder participated in 18% of total deals, but received only 10% of total funding. Analysts attribute this gap to large-scale funding remaining largely concentrated in male-led ventures.
Crunchbase’s AI-powered forecasts suggest that investment momentum in Europe’s AI sector will continue in the coming days. Among private AI startups participating in HumanX Amsterdam, 48% are likely to raise new funding, 11% could be acquired, and 7% are on track for an initial public offering (IPO).
Furthermore, based on an analysis of over 1,000 European AI startups that have raised at least $10 million since 2022, Crunchbase predicts that over the next 12 months, 59% will secure fresh funding, 18% could become acquisition targets, and 5% are likely to go public.
Jene Tierney, Senior Research Lead at Crunchbase, noted that combining Europe’s long-standing strengths in science, industry, and engineering with artificial intelligence is the region’s greatest competitive advantage. However, to achieve long-term success, Europe must more effectively connect four key areas: capital, computing infrastructure, skilled talent, and market access.
According to AI analysts, this trend of record investment proves that Europe is rapidly emerging as a powerhouse not just in consuming AI technology, but in innovation, research, and attracting global capital. Although challenges remain such as funding concentration among a few players and gender disparities in investment, Europe’s AI economy is undeniably entering a new era.