Sifted | Startup and Tech news

Big cities, startups are over you

Lauren Riley is not the only tech founder in Europe who feels like getting out of a capital city is the best option for their business.

Thriva founder Hamish Grierson thinks blood test kits can help solve preventative health.

Voices | Health | 23 Aug

Thriva founder Hamish Grierson tackles “the elephant in the room”

"The elephant in the room is, of course, Theranos."

Big Ideas | Mobility | 21 Aug

A new tech hub joins the fray in mobility-mad Berlin

Berlin may not have the big car companies, but it is becoming a centre for innovation in mobility. Just look at the giant new Drivery hub.

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Big Ideas | Artificial Intelligence | 22 Aug

Alarm bells ring after Mustafa Suleyman placed on leave from AI lab DeepMind

The big question is whether Mustafa Suleyman's unexpected departure signals a rift between London-based AI powerhouse DeepMind and its parent company Google.

Big Ideas | Travel | 22 Aug

Airlines collaborate with startups to solve your holiday hell

IAG's Hangar 51 is one of the older accelerators in the aviation industry. Here is what they have learned so far.

Big Ideas | Banking | 21 Aug

The Nordics have a new neo bank contender

With backing from Greyhound and Socii, the Danish neo bank Lunar Way just betted big on Nordic millennials.

Big Ideas | Artificial Intelligence | 20 Aug

The Romanian unicorn automating your job

UiPath wants to automate white-collar work with a "robot for every person". Its valuation has jumped 6000% in two years to $7bn as investors bet it will become a global champion.

Big Ideas | VC | 19 Aug

The alternative to VC investing everyone has been waiting for?

It is no secret most VCs aren't profitable. So is this members-only blockchain token-based investment club a better alternative?

Fintech

The Nordics have a new neo bank contender

With backing from Greyhound and Socii, the Danish neo bank Lunar Way just betted big on Nordic millennials.

Klarna founder’s secret of success: Island life

After restructuring his company, Sebastian Siemiatkowski sees new opportunities for Klarna to become one of the leading companies in its space.

Europe’s fintech startups target Generation Z

Generation Z, defined as those born after 1996, represents both a lucrative, and under-served, market for fintech startups.

Healthtech

Thriva founder Hamish Grierson tackles “the elephant in the room”

"The elephant in the room is, of course, Theranos."

Personalised vitamin packs like Vitl, Baze and Loewi.

From Baze to Vitl, personalised vitamin startups want your blood

Would you take a blood test for personalised supplements and vitamins?

The ‘femtech’ doctor on demand will see you now

Do we need special doctor services just for women?

Voices | Banking | 19 Aug

“Look to the past for the future” — Bookclub with David Brear

Reading suggestions from fintech CEO David Brear on scaling a business, company culture and the lesson learned from a little red hen.

Big Ideas | Food | 16 Aug

These were the biggest European tech startup news stories this week

From brand new venture capital funds to delivery wars, it was another big week for European startup news. Here's the news you need to know.

In Practice | Banking | 15 Aug

£425m handed out and dozens of promises to improve small business banking

But will these make a real difference?

Big Ideas | Construction | 15 Aug

This is the “Uber moment” for housebuilding

Faced with a housing crisis and a construction skills shortage the UK is becoming a testbed for building modular houses in smart factories.

Big Ideas | Food | 14 Aug

The food delivery startups, compared

Ahead of further fierce battles to be fought between Europe's food delivery companies, we lay out the state of play: who's who, who's where and what's next?

Big Ideas | Software | 14 Aug

Food delivery firms cause kitchen chaos

Competing food delivery channels can boost small restaurants' profits — but they cause havoc for staff.

Big Ideas | Food | 14 Aug

Ride-hailing startup Bolt moves into food delivery

Bolt, the Tallinn-based thorn in Uber’s side, is moving into food delivery in eastern Europe this year — and it thinks it has an edge over its much better-funded competitors.

Mobility

A new tech hub joins the fray in mobility-mad Berlin

Berlin may not have the big car companies, but it is becoming a centre for innovation in mobility. Just look at the giant new Drivery hub.

Lime x N26: When a scooter startup gets into bed with a digital bank

US mobility company Lime and German digital bank N26 have partnered up. Why?

The Kar-go self-driving parcel delivery vehicle

Robot parcel deliveries are coming — but very slowly

Kar-go, developed by UK startup The Academy of Robotics, is aiming to be Europe’s first roadworthy autonomous delivery vehicle, and could reduce the cost of “last-mile” deliveries by 90%.

Venture Capital

These were the biggest European tech startup news stories this week

From brand new venture capital funds to delivery wars, it was another big week for European startup news. Here's the news you need to know.

Why this Dutch quantum company walked away from a VC deal

Sal Bosman, founder and chief executive of Delft Circuits, was moments away from securing VC funding. But then he turned it down. Why?

Does Europe need VCs who’ve actually run startups?

Just 8% of UK venture capitalists have experience working at or running a startup. That's bonkers — or is it?

Big Ideas | Health | 13 Aug

From Baze to Vitl, personalised vitamin startups want your blood

Would you take a blood test for personalised supplements and vitamins?

Places | Food | 13 Aug

Noma veterans run a drinks business like a tech company

Since the start in late 2016 the distillery Empirical Spirits has sparked the interest of tech venture capital and the public alike.

Places | Food | 12 Aug

Deliveroo pulls out of Germany

Food delivery giant Deliveroo has told customers that it is pulling out of the competitive German market this week.

Opinion | Communities | 12 Aug

Why this US investor is on the hunt for European founders

A US investor's love letter to European startups.

Voices | Work trends | 12 Aug

Gen Z want to be founders but can’t name a single role model

Gen Z want to be entrepreneurs but struggle to name founders who inspire them. Those who can, cite old-school blokes like Alan Sugar or Richard Branson.

Voices | Food | 12 Aug

Deliveroo’s helicopter: New heights or new lows?

Last Friday, Deliveroo's "1,000ft" restaurant took off. It was a fun PR stunt; it was also a sign of what happens when startups are high on too much VC cash.

Voices | Banking | 9 Aug

Klarna founder’s secret of success: Island life

After restructuring his company, Sebastian Siemiatkowski sees new opportunities for Klarna to become one of the leading companies in its space.

Big Ideas | Work trends | 8 Aug

Sifted Book Club: Unbabel CEO Vasco Pedro

A new series discovering the books, podcasts and films that successful startup founders have used to overcome some of the less intuitive aspects of growing a business.

Big Ideas | Finance | 8 Aug

Europe’s fintech startups target Generation Z

Generation Z, defined as those born after 1996, represents both a lucrative, and under-served, market for fintech startups.

Places | Finance | 7 Aug

Meet the fintech startups born out of a financial crisis

When a financial crisis hits town it may be the perfect timing to kick-off your startup.

Big Ideas | Banking | 6 Aug

At $5.5bn Klarna is now the most highly-valued fintech in Europe

A new $460m funding round will be used to help Klarna take the US market after four years of struggle.

In Practice | Communities | 6 Aug

Top 50+ communities for underrepresented founders in Europe

An ever-growing list of schemes and networks which support diverse and underrepresented founders in Europe's tech ecosystem.

Big Ideas | Accelerators | 6 Aug

Google and TechHub offer 30 grants to support diverse founders

The new scheme in London is one of a wave of recently launched initiatives across the continent to support underrepresented founders.

Photo of Stanislas Vandier, founder of Wired Beauty.

Voices | Consumer | 6 Aug

Estée Lauder won’t stop fighting this tiny French beauty startup

French startup Wired Beauty has been fighting multinational beauty conglomerate Estée Lauder over the name of its trademarked app for four years — and it keeps on winning.