This thesis looks at why some European technology startups manage to succeed and why others fail, using secondary research and three case studies, Revolut, Bolt and Prezi. I combine a literature review with the Business Model Canvas to map how each company creates, delivers, and captures value, so the cases are easy to compare. The findings are straightforward: Europe’s market and regulatory fragmentation, slow late-stage funding, and scaling talent gaps create real friction, but ventures still win when they achieve product–market fit, keep tight control of finances, adapt fast, and build trust (including strong compliance where it matters). Revolut shows how to turn regulatory complexity into a trust-led growth engine; Prezi shows how design differentiation and a community model travel from a smaller ecosystem; Bolt shows how localization and cost discipline beat bigger rivals city by city. A short cross-case matrix and per-case summary tables translate these lessons into practical moves for founders and investors (validate PMF early, instrument the numbers, localize where it counts, diversify revenue, and professionalize governance). The work is limited to secondary data and three cases, so future research should add interviews and broaden the sample to test these insights in a broader way.