Klarna has solidified its position as Europe's leading unicorn in fostering new ventures, with a remarkable total of 62 startups launched by its alumni, nearly doubling the 32 reported in 2023.

London continues to be the premier hub for founder factories, generating 326 companies from 33 unicorns, despite the top three founder factories not being located there.

Nelis highlights the density of London's startup ecosystem, which he believes creates a significant barrier for other cities aiming to catch up.

Following London, Berlin has produced 283 startups from 27 founder factories, while Paris boasts 264 spinouts from 29 unicorns.

In terms of alumni startups, Spotify ranks second with 61 founded by former employees, and Zalando comes in third with 56.

Nelis argues that Europe does not need a constant influx of billion-dollar startups, as established tech companies are already large enough to support new ventures, citing Skype's history of spawning successful startups.

However, the number of startups achieving unicorn valuations has seen a decline, with only 13 reaching this milestone last year compared to 69 in 2021.

A report by Accel and Dealroom identified a total of 1,650 startups originating from 215 European unicorns, including those from Israel.

Alex Naughton, former head of Klarna UK, attributes the company's culture to its success in teaching agility in business building; he now leads Qlarifi, which recently secured £1.4 million in funding.

The surge in startups aligns with Klarna's upcoming IPO on the New York Stock Exchange, marking a significant milestone for the company.