Celebrities Are Quietly Betting Big on Europe's Startups

Jan de Vries · 2026-10-09

Celebrity money in startups isn't new. What's new is where it's going. Forget perfume lines and sneaker deals — today's famous backers are writing checks for artificial intelligence, digital health, clean energy, and biotech. Some invest directly. Others work through venture funds or their own investment vehicles. Either way, they bring more than cash: global visibility, industry connections, and a level of strategic advice that money alone can't buy. Here are ten of the most notable celebrity-backed startup deals across Europe. Where individual contributions were disclosed, we've noted them. Where they weren't, we've stuck to the publicly reported funding rounds. ### Kylian Mbappé and Alan (France): $108 Million Round French football star Kylian Mbappé — World Cup winner and Real Madrid forward — became an investor and ambassador for Paris-based health-tech company Alan in March 2026 through his vehicle, Coalition Capital. Founded in 2016, Alan offers digital health insurance and healthcare services. That same month, the company closed a $108 million round, pushing its valuation to roughly $5.4 billion. It raised another $520 million in June 2026. Mbappé's individual stake wasn't disclosed, but he's working with Alan on preventive healthcare, mental health, nutrition, and physical activity. ### Leonardo DiCaprio and SolarMente (Spain): $54 Million Financing American actor and environmental advocate Leonardo DiCaprio — Titanic, Inception, The Revenant — invested in Barcelona-based ClimateTech startup SolarMente in 2024. Sadly for both the founders and DiCaprio, the company went bankrupt in April 2026. SolarMente helped households access solar energy through a subscription model that cut the need for big upfront installation costs. That hasn't slowed Leo down. He recently put an undisclosed amount into Stockholm-based Energy-as-a-Service company Elvy. ### Emma Watson and FabricNano (United Kingdom): $11.3 Million Series A British actress and activist Emma Watson — Hermione Granger to an entire generation — joined the investor list at London-based BioTech startup FabricNano in 2021. Founded in 2018, FabricNano develops cell-free biomanufacturing technology meant to make industrial production more efficient and less dependent on fossil fuel-derived materials. Its technology uses immobilised enzymes to support the production of chemicals and other materials. ### Pau Gasol and Luzia (Spain): $10.3 Million Round Spanish basketball legend Pau Gasol — two-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers — backed Madrid-based AI startup Luzia through his investment vehicle, Gasol16 Ventures. Luzia builds a generative AI assistant you can reach through messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram. No separate app download required. ### Elton John and Audoo (United Kingdom): $5.1 Million Round British singer-songwriter Sir Elton John — five decades of hits, from Rocket Man to Your Song — became an investor in London-based music tech startup Audoo in 2023. Founded in 2018, Audoo develops audio recognition technology that identifies music played in public places like shops, restaurants, and gyms. The goal: give music rights organisations more accurate data and help artists get paid fairly. ### What This Trend Actually Tells Us A few things stand out when you look at these deals together. - **The sectors are serious.** Health tech, climate tech, biotech, AI — these aren't vanity plays. They're long-horizon bets on industries that need patient capital. - **The vehicles are structured.** Coalition Capital, Gasol16 Ventures — celebrities aren't just writing personal checks. They're building investment infrastructure. - **The outcomes vary.** SolarMente's bankruptcy is a reminder that star power doesn't guarantee survival. Startups still live or die on execution. > "Celebrity capital is a signal, not a strategy. It opens doors, but it doesn't build the product." That's the real takeaway for founders and investors watching this space. A famous name on your cap table can accelerate awareness and unlock networks. It won't fix a broken business model. For European startups, though, the upside is clear. When a global icon backs a company in Paris, Madrid, or London, it shifts attention toward the continent's emerging sectors — and that's good news for everyone building here.