The latest startup news and analysis from Europe

‘The economics of trading equity for compute are not great’ — Mistral releases its first model
DeeptechNews
September 27, 2023
‘The economics of trading equity for compute are not great’ — Mistral releases its first model
Mistral has released its first AI model after raising €105m, but the company says it may need to look at different funding routes in future
By Tim Smith
UK-France AI rivalry heats up with dual summits
Artificial IntelligenceNews
September 27, 2023
UK-France AI rivalry heats up with dual summits
French AI conference will take place just a fortnight after Britain’s AI safety summit
By Cristina Gallardo
Europe, America is coming for your startups
Startup LifeOpinion
September 27, 2023
Europe, America is coming for your startups
All in all, the Yanks seem to love European tech even more than Europeans themselves
By Francesco Perticarari
Improbable’s refocus on the metaverse sees big reduction in losses
DeeptechNews
September 26, 2023
Improbable’s refocus on the metaverse sees big reduction in losses
Sports are becoming a key focus for the company as it builds out its metaverse platform for international brands
By Tim Smith

Who's winning the tech tussle between Germany and France?
Venture CapitalAnalysis
September 26, 2023
Who's winning the tech tussle between Germany and France?
France and Germany are both vying to be the startup hotspot of choice for founders and VCs — but who's winning?
By Daphné Leprince-Ringuet and Miriam Partington
Dawn Capital raises record $620m flagship fund to back B2B software startups
Venture CapitalNews
September 25, 2023
Dawn Capital raises record $620m flagship fund to back B2B software startups
Startups will have to prove profitability and efficiency earlier as the cost of capital rises, Dawn tells Sifted
By Kai Nicol-Schwarz
Solo GP Finn Murphy raising $20m fund to help European startups make it in the US
Venture CapitalNews
September 20, 2023
Solo GP Finn Murphy raising $20m fund to help European startups make it in the US
The former Frontline partner joins the growing pack of solo GPs
By Amy Lewin
EU’s €20m Ukrainian grant scheme delayed amid conflict of interest complaint
Public & AcademicNews
September 20, 2023
EU’s €20m Ukrainian grant scheme delayed amid conflict of interest complaint
Despite claims that the funding would be fast-tracked, the EU has not even selected the startups that will receive the cash, Sifted has learned
By Zosia Wanat

Europe, America is coming for your startups
Startup LifeOpinion
September 27, 2023
Europe, America is coming for your startups
All in all, the Yanks seem to love European tech even more than Europeans themselves
By Francesco Perticarari
You might not be ready for that hiring spree
Startup LifeOpinion
September 25, 2023
You might not be ready for that hiring spree
Thinking of spending that Series A on hiring a bunch of people? Think again
By JooBee Yeow
The U-turn on international expansion — Motatos the latest startup pulling out of a foreign market
Startup LifeAnalysis
September 25, 2023
The U-turn on international expansion — Motatos the latest startup pulling out of a foreign market
One year after launching in the UK, discount grocery store Motatos is pulling out — and it’s not alone in retreating from international markets
By Mimi Billing
Why is applying for EU funding such a nightmare?
Startup LifeOpinion
September 22, 2023
Why is applying for EU funding such a nightmare?
The EU's definition of 'great' is ‘safe’, with just a flirtatious wink at innovation, and all wrapped up in a nice thick blanket of bureaucracy
By Violetta Bonenkamp

Europe’s most active early-stage fintech investors have drastically cut dealmaking
FintechAnalysis
September 26, 2023
Europe’s most active early-stage fintech investors have drastically cut dealmaking
Europe’s early-stage fintech VCs have been much more cautious this year than last, as the deal slowdown weighs on the entire sector
By Amy O'Brien
Selling SVB to HSBC was the wrong decision for UK startups, says OakNorth CEO
FintechInterview
September 21, 2023
Selling SVB to HSBC was the wrong decision for UK startups, says OakNorth CEO
The CEO of one of Europe’s rare profitable unicorns says the bank is too big to support high growth companies as well as an OakNorth-SVB tie-up would have
By Amy O'Brien
Revolut will miss annual accounts deadline for second year running
FintechNews
September 19, 2023
Revolut will miss annual accounts deadline for second year running
Neobank has been given three more months and must file by the end of the year
By Amy O'Brien
As Klarna aspires to be a global bank, affiliate marketing is its cash cow
FintechAnalysis
September 19, 2023
As Klarna aspires to be a global bank, affiliate marketing is its cash cow
Affiliate marketing is rapidly becoming an important revenue stream in Klarna’s quest to become a global financial giant
By Amy O'Brien and Mimi Billing

Dutch arm of vertical farming startup Infarm declared bankrupt
Climate TechNews
September 26, 2023
Dutch arm of vertical farming startup Infarm declared bankrupt
The news comes after the company shut down operations across its key markets of the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark over the past year
By Miriam Partington
How Estonian startups are saving the forests
Climate TechAnalysis
September 21, 2023
How Estonian startups are saving the forests
From putting forests on blockchain to setting up forest labs, Estonian startups are coming up with new ways of saving the country’s trees
By Zosia Wanat
Inside Big Oil’s tech portfolios
Climate TechAnalysis
September 21, 2023
Inside Big Oil’s tech portfolios
Only a minority of oil and gas companies’ investments are working on renewable energy tech, according to Sifted analysis
By Freya Pratty
Astanor remains bullish on agrifood with new €360m fund
Climate TechNews
September 19, 2023
Astanor remains bullish on agrifood with new €360m fund
Not everyone thinks the food and agritech outlook is gloomy
By Freya Pratty

UK-France AI rivalry heats up with dual summits
Artificial IntelligenceNews
September 27, 2023
UK-France AI rivalry heats up with dual summits
French AI conference will take place just a fortnight after Britain’s AI safety summit
By Cristina Gallardo
Improbable’s refocus on the metaverse sees big reduction in losses
DeeptechNews
September 26, 2023
Improbable’s refocus on the metaverse sees big reduction in losses
Sports are becoming a key focus for the company as it builds out its metaverse platform for international brands
By Tim Smith
GPT-4 beater? What you need to know about Google DeepMind’s new AI model
DeeptechAnalysis
September 22, 2023
GPT-4 beater? What you need to know about Google DeepMind’s new AI model
Google DeepMind's new model could see the company win back its crown as the king of AI
By Tim Smith
European deeptech’s fastest-growing teams
DeeptechAnalysis
September 21, 2023
European deeptech’s fastest-growing teams
The top 10 startups with the most fresh faces
By Sadia Nowshin

The fight for square footage: Why Europe’s startups are battling for lab space
DeeptechAnalysis
September 8, 2023
The fight for square footage: Why Europe’s startups are battling for lab space
Scarce, expensive and low-specificity lab spaces are causing problems for founders
By Sadia Nowshin
Ozempic wars — how weight-loss drugs have become a new goldrush in healthtech
HealthtechAnalysis
September 8, 2023
Ozempic wars — how weight-loss drugs have become a new goldrush in healthtech
Weight-loss drugs like Ozempic have taken the US by storm and now startups are racing to win the European market
By Tim Smith
The startups founded by Babylon’s ex-employees
HealthtechAnalysis
September 6, 2023
The startups founded by Babylon’s ex-employees
Sifted has tracked down 10 companies founded by ex-Babylonians, from those still in the healthtech space to foodtech and blockchain-focused startups
By Kai Nicol-Schwarz
It’s not just AI: Four healthtech trends powering the transformation of medicine
HealthtechAnalysis
September 4, 2023
It’s not just AI: Four healthtech trends powering the transformation of medicine
We spoke to founders and operators to find out the key trends driving the growth of healthtech
Sponsored by Haleon Re/Wire Health Studio