In addition to celebrating Europe’s finest businesses and entrepreneurs, we are also preparing for the match between the best football players in the continent. Who would be included in Europe’s entrepreneurial Select XI?

Football fans are excited to see the best players in Europe compete on a large platform as EURO 2024 gets underway. It’s an opportunity to honor European talent, from the established stars like Ronaldo, Mbappe, and Kane to the up-and-coming youngsters fighting for attention, without the involvement of global players.

Europe has a long history of football, and the same is true of its business environment. From disruptive innovators to IT pioneers, scale-ups to unicorns, the ecosystem is home to a wide range of visionaries who are advancing innovation and tackling some of the most important issues facing society.

However, while competing on a worldwide scale, certain European founders may be forgotten, just like in the smaller European footballing nations. Here, we feature 11 of Europe’s top entrepreneurs and start-ups, showcasing the most creative and intelligent businesses on the continent.

Choosing Europe’s Top Start-Ups and Entrepreneurs

As they assemble their EURO 2024 team, football coaches must make difficult choices; the same is true when selecting the top 11 European entrepreneurs. We ought to concentrate on start-ups that provide a spark of excitement and creativity, much like in football, where supporters are fervent about entertainment. However, diversity of perspective and experience is equally important, guaranteeing a dynamic and well-rounded strategy where players thrive in many capacities.

Sadly, a number of outstanding startup centers, such Taavet Hinrikus, the founder of Wise in Estonia, Daniel Ek of Spotify in Sweden, and Johan Brand of Kahoot in Norway, could not qualify for EURO 2024, so they are also not included on this team. In order to show the breadth and depth of the European startup scene, I wanted to award them an honorable mention.

In light of that, this is my choice:

The Starting XI in a 4-3-3 Configuration

1 Peter Muhlmann from Denmark’s Trustpilot

As the first Danish digital unicorn and a superb curator and safe set of hands, Muhlman has developed Trustpilot into one of the top review sites worldwide. He is an innate communicator and leader who will keep the team on track and, most importantly, keep the ball out of the “onion bag.”

Strengths: Pioneer in creating a community of reliable internet reviews by emphasizing openness and customer confidence.

Managing phony reviews and maintaining a high standard of quality are weaknesses.