Europe’s startup scene is often overshadowed by Silicon Valley, but the continent is gaining ground with around 100 tech firms valued at over €1bn.

Here, Sifted’s reporters — in partnership with Dealroom.co — dig into the data, strategy and challenges behind the most important European startups.

We have picked companies based on the money they have raised, how quickly they are hiring and how formative they have been to the startup ecosystems around them. If there is anyone missing from this list, or anything is wrong in the numbers, please let us know by email at [email protected]

Please check out our jobs board to see some of the companies hiring from this list, as well as our lists from other European countries.