Starfunding: 10 of Europe’s biggest celebrity-backed startup deals
Celebrity investment in startups is nothing new, but the range of businesses attracting famous backers is expanding. Beyond traditional endorsements and brand partnerships, celebrities are putting capital into companies working on artificial intelligence, digital healthcare, clean energy, biotechnology and other emerging sectors. Some are investing directly, while others participate through…
Celebrity investment in European startups spans a variety of sectors, from health-tech to artificial intelligence. Kylian Mbappé, the French football star and World Cup winner, backed digital health insurance company Alan with €100 million in March 2026. Mbappé, through his investment firm Coalition Capital, also serves as an ambassador for the health-tech firm.
In Spain, Leonardo DiCaprio, the acclaimed actor and environmental activist, invested in Barcelona-based ClimateTech startup SolarMente with a €50 million financing agreement. SolarMente aimed to make solar energy accessible to households through a subscription model. In the United Kingdom, Emma Watson, the actress known for her role as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series, joined investors in London-based BioTech startup FabricNano.
The company develops cell-free biomanufacturing technology to improve industrial production processes and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Spanish basketball legend Pau Gasol invested in Madrid-based AI startup Luzia through his investment vehicle Gasol16 Ventures. Luzia's generative AI assistant operates on messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram.
British singer-songwriter Sir Elton John invested in London-based music technology startup Audoo, which develops audio recognition technology to identify music played in public spaces and improve royalty payments for artists. Spanish streamer and entrepreneur Ibai Llanos backed Barcelona-based FoodTech startup Plesh with €3.75 million.
Plesh creates chocolate snacks without added sugar. Lastly, American rapper Snoop Dogg invested in German startup Sanity Group with €3 million.
Written by urgent.news from EU-Startups's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
