Kai Nicol-Schwarz

Kai Nicol-Schwarz is a reporter at Sifted. He covers UK tech and healthtech, and can be found on X and LinkedIn

Startups back UK’s AI strategy — but concerns over energy supply and lack of scaleup funding remain
News
January 13, 2025
Startups back UK’s AI strategy — but concerns over energy supply and lack of scaleup funding remain
On Monday, prime minister Keir Starmer announced a range of measures to bolster the UK's AI capabilities
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
UK government appoints Matt Clifford to oversee AI ‘revolution’ in public services
News
January 13, 2025
UK government appoints Matt Clifford to oversee AI ‘revolution’ in public services
The move follows Clifford’s authoring of a report setting out how the country can build AI capabilities
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
UK government announces grand AI plan with infrastructure investment taking centre stage
News
January 12, 2025
UK government announces grand AI plan with infrastructure investment taking centre stage
The Matt Clifford-led plan will see the UK set up “AI growth zones” and build a new supercomputer
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
Talent shortage hits quantum startups amid funding frenzy and tech breakthroughs
Analysis
January 10, 2025
Talent shortage hits quantum startups amid funding frenzy and tech breakthroughs
Quantum startups have picked up pace in recent years — and their demand for fresh talent is out-pacing the supply of experts
Kai Nicol-Schwarz and Daphné Leprince-Ringuet
Tencent-backed XR startup Ultraleap looks to sell assets after breaching £15m loan
News
January 9, 2025
Tencent-backed XR startup Ultraleap looks to sell assets after breaching £15m loan
The move comes after a tumultuous year for the company that saw it make layoffs as it slashed spending amid falling revenue and rising losses
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
London startup raises $410m in one of Europe’s biggest ever Series A rounds as it joins weight loss drugs frenzy
News
January 9, 2025
London startup raises $410m in one of Europe’s biggest ever Series A rounds as it joins weight loss drugs frenzy
Forbion and General Atlantic led the round in Verdiva Bio, which comes just months on from the company incorporating
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
Bosses at coworking company Second Home buy out investors to give it second life
News
January 7, 2025
Bosses at coworking company Second Home buy out investors to give it second life
The company initially moved to appoint administrators in December
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
AI talent flywheel spins and future of compute takes centre stage: VC UK tech predictions for 2025
Analysis
January 7, 2025
AI talent flywheel spins and future of compute takes centre stage: VC UK tech predictions for 2025
VCs from Hoxton Ventures, Air Street Capital, AlbionVC and Index Ventures share their thoughts
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
Rise of longevity tech and AI marches on: VC healthtech predictions for 2025
Analysis
January 3, 2025
Rise of longevity tech and AI marches on: VC healthtech predictions for 2025
Sifted asked investors to peer into their crystal balls
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
A year of backlash: UK tech in review 2024
Analysis
December 23, 2024
A year of backlash: UK tech in review 2024
Sifted looks back on an up-and-down year in UK tech
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
Smart ring maker Oura raises $125m as it eyes global expansion
News
December 19, 2024
Smart ring maker Oura raises $125m as it eyes global expansion
The announcement comes a month on from the startup’s $75m raise
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
Stability AI says Getty has increased damages claims for copyright infringement to up to $1.7bn
News
December 19, 2024
Stability AI says Getty has increased damages claims for copyright infringement to up to $1.7bn
Cases alleging AI companies have trained their models on intellectual property without permission are stacking up
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
Europe’s 10 fastest-growing healthtech startups by revenue
Analysis
December 17, 2024
Europe’s 10 fastest-growing healthtech startups by revenue
21 healthtechs made it onto the Sifted 250
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
Insurtech unicorn ManyPets reports falling losses amid layoffs and market exits
News
December 12, 2024
Insurtech unicorn ManyPets reports falling losses amid layoffs and market exits
Revenue has also dropped following a bruising couple of years for the insurance industry
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
French GenAI drug discovery startup DeepLife raises $10m as it mulls US relocation
News
December 11, 2024
French GenAI drug discovery startup DeepLife raises $10m as it mulls US relocation
DeepLife is building a platform to create "digital twins" of cells
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
The family offices doing the most deals in European healthtech
Analysis
December 9, 2024
The family offices doing the most deals in European healthtech
Sifted dug into the data to see which are making the most direct investments into the sector
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
Another big AI legaltech round: Lawhive raises $40m from Google Ventures
News
December 5, 2024
Another big AI legaltech round: Lawhive raises $40m from Google Ventures
Balderton Capital, Jigsaw and Episode 1, as well as professional footballers Harry Maguire and Reece James, also backed the UK startup
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
Brunch with Babylon founder Ali Parsa: 'I’m not one to sit down and lick my wounds'
Interview
December 4, 2024
Brunch with Babylon founder Ali Parsa: 'I’m not one to sit down and lick my wounds'
Parsa discusses the 'hardest' period of his career, the importance of control and plans to build a startup that’s bigger than his last
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
Quantum startup Riverlane hikes R&D spend as sector races to commercialise tech
News
December 3, 2024
Quantum startup Riverlane hikes R&D spend as sector races to commercialise tech
Driven by research breakthroughs and increasing commercial interest, investor confidence in quantum has surged in recent years
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
Iconic London coworking company Second Home looks to appoint administrators
News
December 2, 2024
Iconic London coworking company Second Home looks to appoint administrators
The move follows a turbulent few years at the loss-making business
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
Northvolt, Lilium, Graphcore: Europe’s deeptech credentials take a battering as darlings flounder
Analysis
November 29, 2024
Northvolt, Lilium, Graphcore: Europe’s deeptech credentials take a battering as darlings flounder
2024 has been a rocky year for many of Europe's deeptech poster children
Kai Nicol-Schwarz, Freya Pratty and Miriam Partington
Google-alumni founded GenAI techbio raises $73m Series B featuring Uber-backer IVP and Index Ventures
News
November 26, 2024
Google-alumni founded GenAI techbio raises $73m Series B featuring Uber-backer IVP and Index Ventures
The Netherlands’ Cradle has seen the number of projects paying to use its SaaS platform increase 15x in the past year
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
Europe's most active early-stage healthtech investors in 2024
Analysis
November 26, 2024
Europe's most active early-stage healthtech investors in 2024
Meet the investors backing the most healthtechs at pre-seed, seed and Series A
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
Europe has its latest unicorn: Hotel software provider Lighthouse raises $370m
News
November 21, 2024
Europe has its latest unicorn: Hotel software provider Lighthouse raises $370m
The raise comes on the back of a resurgence in B2B SaaS funding in 2024
Kai Nicol-Schwarz

Kai Nicol-Schwarz

Startups back UK’s AI strategy — but concerns over energy supply and lack of scaleup funding remain

UK government appoints Matt Clifford to oversee AI ‘revolution’ in public services

UK government announces grand AI plan with infrastructure investment taking centre stage

Talent shortage hits quantum startups amid funding frenzy and tech breakthroughs

Tencent-backed XR startup Ultraleap looks to sell assets after breaching £15m loan

London startup raises $410m in one of Europe’s biggest ever Series A rounds as it joins weight loss drugs frenzy

Bosses at coworking company Second Home buy out investors to give it second life

AI talent flywheel spins and future of compute takes centre stage: VC UK tech predictions for 2025

Rise of longevity tech and AI marches on: VC healthtech predictions for 2025

A year of backlash: UK tech in review 2024

Smart ring maker Oura raises $125m as it eyes global expansion

Stability AI says Getty has increased damages claims for copyright infringement to up to $1.7bn

Europe’s 10 fastest-growing healthtech startups by revenue

Insurtech unicorn ManyPets reports falling losses amid layoffs and market exits

French GenAI drug discovery startup DeepLife raises $10m as it mulls US relocation

The family offices doing the most deals in European healthtech

Another big AI legaltech round: Lawhive raises $40m from Google Ventures

Brunch with Babylon founder Ali Parsa: 'I’m not one to sit down and lick my wounds'

Quantum startup Riverlane hikes R&D spend as sector races to commercialise tech

Iconic London coworking company Second Home looks to appoint administrators

Northvolt, Lilium, Graphcore: Europe’s deeptech credentials take a battering as darlings flounder

Google-alumni founded GenAI techbio raises $73m Series B featuring Uber-backer IVP and Index Ventures

Europe's most active early-stage healthtech investors in 2024

Europe has its latest unicorn: Hotel software provider Lighthouse raises $370m