Sifted | Telling the untold stories of European startups

NGP turns to AI to find hot startups — and shares part of the tech

Nokia's venture capital arm, NGP Capital, is sharing some parts of the data system it created to help find promising startups faster.

A portrait of Klaxoon founder Matthieu Beucher

Interview | Startup Life | 13 Aug

Turning €4,000 into a unicorn: lessons from Klaxoon’s founder

Matthieu Beucher started Klaxoon after a stint at a car parts factory. Here’s about turning his idea into the next French billion-euro startup — despite financiers with cold feet.

News | VR/AR | 12 Aug

Going against the current – VR company Varjo raises $54m

Wasn’t VR dead? Well, not according to the backers of Finnish startup Varjo.

News | Fintech | 13 Aug

N26 facing staff unrest in Berlin, as employees say confidence in management at “all time low”

One of Europe's largest digital banks is battling employee efforts to unionise.

Interview | Food | 13 Aug

Meet the startup fighting to erase hunger with AI

Millions of people worldwide suffer from famine and hunger, while a large proportion of our food and produce goes to waste. Can AI solve the problem?

News | Fintech | 12 Aug

Holvi pulls out of UK market after just 6 months due to Covid and Brexit uncertainty

The BBVA-owned startup says a no-deal Brexit and uncertainty caused by Covid-19 mean the UK no longer makes sense as a new market.

News | Corporate Innovation | 12 Aug

Corporate innovation weekly: Chinese craft beer, clean beauty, lossmaking mobility

This is what some of Europe's largest corporations got up to in innovation in the past week.

News | Venture Capital | 12 Aug

La Famiglia raises €50m fund with all-star LP backing

The Berlin-based B2B-focused investor's backers include Pictet, Mittal, Swarovski, Niklas Zennström and Hanno Renner.

Coronavirus

Why we still won’t be prepared for the next pandemic

We need a new funding model for drug discovery.

Meet Europe’s “Green Deal” startup heroes

The EU is investing record money into “Green Deal” startups to support a sustainable recovery

The €200,000 luxury drone and the startup behind it

Delair designs and builds ultra-high-end super expensive drones in France. They’re not for the average Joe.

Healthtech

Why we still won’t be prepared for the next pandemic

We need a new funding model for drug discovery.

‘Slack for doctors’ app Siilo raises $10.5m

The collaboration tool for medics wants to ensure you never have to explain why you’re in hospital 20 times over ever again.

A portrait of Withings CEO Mathieu Letombe

Withings raises $60m for healthcare pivot

Fitbit type devices aren't just for fitness fanatics — they could also play a huge role in cutting down high blood pressure and other chronic diseases. That's the market Withings is going after.

Opinion | Coronavirus | 12 Aug

Why we still won’t be prepared for the next pandemic

We need a new funding model for drug discovery.

News | Fintech | 11 Aug

Revolut losses triple even as revenues surge

Revolut became Europe's most highly-valued fintech at $5.5bn at the start of this year, following rapid growth in 2019.

Opinion | Corporate Innovation | 11 Aug

The hidden stumbling block for corporate-startup deals: procurement

Sometimes it is the unsexy, under-the-radar stuff that kills a promising corporate-startup relationship. One of the biggest killers is procurement.

Opinion | Corporate Innovation | 11 Aug

How to solve the no-problem problem (part 2)

Starting without a problem, or failing to identify the real one, will kill an innovation project. But a 3-week pre-project discovery process could help.

Analysis | Corporate Innovation | 11 Aug

Why do European companies buy so few startups?

European companies are much less likely than US peers to buy startups. It has big implications for the startup ecosystem and tech sovereignty.

An aerial photo of vineyard startup accelerator Chateau Le Sartre bordeaux france

Analysis | Food | 11 Aug

11 winetech startups to know in France

Think of this as Sifted’s wine tour, starting in Bordeaux. Here’s our list of up and coming winetech startups worth knowing, straight from the home of Château Margaux.

News | Startup Life | 10 Aug

Employees at leading German fintech cash out after share buyback

Taxfix staff sold over €3.8m in shares during its Spring fundraise. Could this be the new norm for early-stage startups?

Diversity

Eight top female startup investors to know in Eastern Europe

Leading female investors in the CEE region discuss the role of female founders, and what more can be done to improve the gender balance

Stop making the business case for diversity

Asking for 'proof' that diversity makes business sense is problematic. When was the last time anyone asked for proof that white men make good CEOs?

Being the only black person in the room

“When someone is racist or discriminatory, call them out. Every single time.”

Startups

Meet the startup fighting to erase hunger with AI

Millions of people worldwide suffer from famine and hunger, while a large proportion of our food and produce goes to waste. Can AI solve the problem?

Turning €4,000 into a unicorn: lessons from Klaxoon’s founder

Matthieu Beucher started Klaxoon after a stint at a car parts factory. Here’s about turning his idea into the next French billion-euro startup — despite financiers with cold feet.

11 winetech startups to know in France

Think of this as Sifted’s wine tour, starting in Bordeaux. Here’s our list of up and coming winetech startups worth knowing, straight from the home of Château Margaux.

Opinion | Hiring and workforce | 10 Aug

Top talent still won’t come cheap — even in the Covid era

Think you’re about to get a bargain on senior startup talent? Think again.

Analysis | Digital Banks | 7 Aug

Monzo’s annual results: the good news and the bad news

There was some good news amid the gloom for Monzo.

News | Workspaces | 7 Aug

TechHub may be down and out in London, but not in Eastern Europe

The coworking space's London operations may be closing, but its Eastern European offshoots vow to push on.

Opinion | Deeptech | 6 Aug

How not to pitch a deeptech investor

Know your technology inside out — but please, don't only talk about that.

Analysis | Environment | 6 Aug

Meet Europe’s “Green Deal” startup heroes

The EU is investing record money into “Green Deal” startups to support a sustainable recovery

Analysis | Venture Capital | 5 Aug

Eight top female startup investors to know in Eastern Europe

Leading female investors in the CEE region discuss the role of female founders, and what more can be done to improve the gender balance

News | Corporate Innovation | 4 Aug

Corporate innovation weekly: Real Madrid, construction AI, writing DNA

This is what some of Europe's largest corporations got up to in innovation in the past week.

Interview | Corporate Innovation | 4 Aug

My worst mistake in innovation? Playing it safe

Neena Paul, the chief innovation officer at ?What If! on boombox diplomacy, doing not talking and 18 months of being part of Accenture.

Opinion | Corporate Innovation | 4 Aug

The problem is…you have no problem

Good commercial ideas start with identifying a painpoint. The trouble is, most corporations ignore that and start with an idea.

Interview | Mobility | 4 Aug

SoundCloud founders exchange music for mobility with new e-bike startup

Onlookers of Europe’s mobility space may roll their eyes at news of yet another e-bike startup. But could Berlin-based company Dance bring something new to the table?