Dealroom CEO says Europe's first trillion-dollar startup may already exist
Dealroom founder and CEO Yoram Wijngaarde told the Wave by Vento event in Turin that Europe's VC-backed ecosystem could overtake its industrial base in total value within five years, and that the first trillion-dollar VC-backed European company is yet to come — possibly one that is still early stage today. He cited Dealroom data showing European venture investment running at about $89bn a year, 56 VC-backed companies worth more than $10bn and $4.4tn in combined value. The same session cited the State of AI Report 2026, which says four US hyperscalers expect roughly $733bn of capex this year, against the EU's initial €1bn contribution to AI gigafactories within a plan seeking up to €10bn of public money and at least €20bn private.
A European trillion-dollar company would shift global AI and tech capital, talent and compute — but a single capital market, late-stage ownership leakage and procurement gaps remain obstacles.