The tech landscape in the Baltic and Eastern European regions is undergoing a significant transformation in 2026. Startups from these areas are not only achieving remarkable milestones but also attracting substantial investments. This surge in growth highlights the region’s burgeoning tech ecosystem and its potential to compete on a global scale.
Among the standout success stories is Oxylabs, a Vilnius-based company that has secured its first-ever external investment of €113.6 million ($130 million) from Warburg Pincus. This investment values the company at €3.1 billion ($3.6 billion), marking a significant shift from its decade-long bootstrapped journey. Oxylabs, known for its web intelligence and data acquisition infrastructure provides solutions that enable businesses to collect public web data at scale, bypassing IP blocks, CAPTCHAs, and geo-restrictions.
Oxylabs: A Decade of Bootstrapping Leads to Unicorn Status
Oxylabs’ journey to becoming a unicorn is a testament to its resilience and innovation. The company, which was founded in 2015, has grown to employ over 2,000 people and serves more than 350,000 customers worldwide. Its annual recurring revenue (ARR) has reached €305.8 million ($350 million) without any external capital, underscoring its ability to scale as a bootstrapped business.
The investment from Warburg Pincus will be used to strengthen Oxylabs’ leadership in web intelligence infrastructure and accelerate the development of next-generation products. Vytautas Savickas, CEO of Oxylabs, emphasized the importance of live infrastructure in the era of autonomous AI agents. He stated, “The next generation of AI won’t be powered by static indexes that only capture yesterday’s internet. As AI agents begin to navigate the web far more than humans ever have, the future belongs to the live infrastructure that grounds these systems in real-time, interruption-free knowledge.”
Payhawk’s Remarkable Growth and AI Transformation
Another notable achievement comes from Payhawk, an AI-powered spend management platform that has surpassed $100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR). This milestone earned Payhawk the title of a “Centaur”—a private software company with over $100 million in ARR. The company reported a 159% year-over-year increase in net new business, a 95% rise in payment volume, and a 75% increase in ARR per employee. These impressive figures are attributed to a company-wide transformation around autonomous AI agents.
Payhawk’s success story is a clear indication of the growing influence of AI in various industries. The company’s ability to leverage AI agents for enhanced efficiency and productivity sets a new standard for spend management platforms. As AI continues to evolve, companies like Payhawk are poised to lead the way in innovation and technological advancements.
CTHINGS.CO and Licenseware: Expanding Horizons
Warsaw-based edge AI startup CTHINGS.CO has secured over €1.8 million from Navivo Capital to accelerate its North American expansion, grow sales, and scale its Orchestra platform for managing IoT, edge, and AI infrastructure. The company’s revenue reportedly grew 17x year-over-year, and it has landed its first flagship clients in North America. This investment highlights the growing demand for edge AI solutions and the potential for European startups to make a significant impact in the global market.
Similarly, Romanian software asset management startup Licenseware has raised an €800,000 funding round led by BCR Seed Starter. The fresh capital will support the company’s international expansion across the US, EU, UK, and other markets, while strengthening its product and enterprise integrations. Licenseware’s success underscores the region’s potential to produce innovative solutions that can compete on a global scale.
Defense Technology and AI Research: Trinity Robotics and Display.dev
Kyiv-based defense technology startup Trinity Robotics has raised more than €500,000 in funding to expand the production of its autonomous ground vehicles (UGVs). The company’s flagship platform, Konyk One, is designed to assist military personnel with logistics, ammunition delivery, casualty evacuation, and other frontline operations. This investment highlights the growing importance of autonomous technologies in the defense sector and the potential for European startups to contribute to global security.
Estonian startup Display.dev has secured €470,000 in pre-seed funding to further develop its publishing and collaboration platform for AI agents. The platform enables AI agents to publish documents via shareable URLs, allowing human collaborators to leave comments that agents can read and use to generate updated versions. This innovative approach to AI collaboration sets a new standard for the industry and underscores the region’s potential to lead in AI research and development.
The tech landscape in the Baltic and Eastern European regions is undergoing a significant transformation in 2026. Startups from these areas are not only achieving remarkable milestones but also attracting substantial investments. This surge in growth highlights the region’s burgeoning tech ecosystem and its potential to compete on a global scale.
