Sifted – Reporting on European startups and technology

Sifted is bringing a distinctive European voice to the global tech debate.

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Places | Blockchain | 18 Jun

How this Icelandic startup wants to challenge Facebook’s globalcoin

As the first company to get a licence to issue e-money on blockchains, Monerium has a countermove for Europe.

Opinion | Health | 18 Jun

Shiny moonshot tech is what healthcare needs

Healthcare needs help with the basics — but it also needs radical new health tech solutions to tackle some of society’s biggest problems, argues investor Vishal Gulati in response to a piece on Sifted.

Photo of Startup Grind Europe, held in London in June.

Big Ideas | Events | 17 Jun

Why (most) big startup events aren’t worth your time or money

Enormous, generic startup conferences need a much-overdue rethink.

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Big Ideas | VC | 17 Jun

Two groundbreaking VC internship programmes launch in Europe

Is the launch of the Future VC and Included VC intern programmes the start of a much-needed VC industry shake-up?

Big Ideas | VC | 17 Jun

Some of Europe’s most successful startup hubs are in tiny towns, not capital citiies

Who knew that there was so much startup activity going on in the small European towns of Oulu, Oss, Montpellier and Sandwich?

Big Ideas | VC | 14 Jun

These were the biggest European tech startup news stories this week.

From big new VC funds to a clampdown on e-scooters, it was another big week for European startup news. Here's the news you need to know.

Big Ideas | Transport | 14 Jun

This Swedish startup just raised $1bn to build a battery farm to rival Tesla’s “gigafactory”

How two former Tesla executives managed to get enough momentum to build a gigafactory in Europe.

Big Ideas | Education | 14 Jun

Polish edtech company Brainly has 150m users – but can it make money?

The homework help company is up against Asian rivals that have raised ten times more funding

Venture Capital 2.0

VCs have to go big, go brand, or go home

There are two types of successful venture capitalists: cool VCs and rich VCs. The rest are doomed to get the leftovers.

The secret of investing in the €3.7tn age tech market

The elderly just want to have fun

Accel: Is being big enough anymore?

VC firm Accel raises a new fund of $575m to invest in European startups — and explains what it offers beyond (lots of) cold hard cash.

How to build it...

How do you get attention for your startup (and avoid it when you don’t want it)?

Six PR tips for startups.

Hiring advice for startups: Illustration of manager holding up a resume and potential hires watching

How to build a brilliant team: Hiring advice for startups

We asked six startup hiring pros from around Europe for their top tips on how to recruit right.

How and why to build an advisory board

From startups to VC funds to accelerators, plenty of organisations are turning to advisors to step up a level. Here is how to do it right.

In Practice | Media | 13 Jun

7 resilience tips startups can learn from Mumsnet

Taking VC money may be the wrong move for many startups says Justine Roberts, founder of the UK parenting advice site.

Big Ideas | Workspaces | 12 Jun

Norrsken has poured millions into making impact investing cool in Sweden – now it’s going to Africa

The impact hub of Norrsken is going global. First stop: Kigali.

Opinion | Events | 11 Jun

The survival guide to London Tech Week

Russ Shaw’s top picks among the 300+ events

Mealworms are gregarious and easy to farm.

Big Ideas | Agriculture | 11 Jun

EU farming subsidies — for insects

Brussels provides €20m backing for Ynsect's industrial scale mealworm protein plant.

Opinion | AI | 10 Jun

Martha Lane Fox: “We must rethink how and why we make technology”

At the start of London Tech Week, Martha Lane Fox says that tech needs to be more focused on improving lives and saving the planet

Big Ideas | Health | 10 Jun

Shiny moonshot technology will not save healthcare — yet

Forget AI: what healthcare — and education — needs are startups which help fix the basics.

Hubs

Some of Europe’s most successful startup hubs are in tiny towns, not capital citiies

Who knew that there was so much startup activity going on in the small European towns of Oulu, Oss, Montpellier and Sandwich?

Krakow’s Dragon Valley is gearing up to grow a unicorn

Startups in Poland's second city pull in the big funding rounds

Delft’s RoboValley attracts machine startups

EJ Lugt, managing director of the YES!Delft incubator says entrepreneurial activity is increasing but founders need to be more ambitious.

Big Data Corner

Israel’s startup IPO drought is finally coming to an end

Dozens of Israeli startups are set to go public this year, creating a new batch of multi-millionaires

Size matters: Europe’s biggest startup hubs are also growing the fastest

First- and second-tier startup hubs not only bigger, but they are growing quicker, according to a Sifted analysis of Dealroom data.

Of midsized startup hubs, the smallest are growing the fastest

Europe’s smaller second-tier startup hubs are growing the fastest in terms of the number of venture capital deals struck.

Big Ideas | Core tech | 10 Jun

Forget GPS. The next navigation device is powered by quantum diamonds

Lockheed Martin and Element Six are working on an untrackable navigation technology that would be perfect for covert operations.

Big Ideas | VC | 7 Jun

These were the biggest European tech startup news stories this week

From the growing scooter backlash to mega fintech investments, it was another big week for European startup news. Here's the news you need to know.

Big Ideas | Energy | 7 Jun

Inside the fastest growing startup in the UK

Renewable energy startup Bulb is growing super fast — and has just announced plans to expand to Spain, France and Texas. What's its secret?

Big Ideas | Finance | 6 Jun

Watch out Experian, ClearScore and Moneysupermarket — Credit Karma is coming for you

The Silicon Valley company is the latest in a series of US fintechs coming to Europe

Voices | Wellbeing | 5 Jun

The best startup founders are stubborn and bull-headed… but also ask for advice

From time to time the best founders pause the mad charge forward, raise their head and ask for advice, says Neil Rimer, the cofounder of venture capital firm Index Ventures

Big Ideas | AI | 5 Jun

The Estonian government has an AI which will tell you when to see the doctor, when to exercise and even what job to do

(But the Baltic pioneer has stopped short of giving AI special legal status)

Big Ideas | Finance | 4 Jun

The fintechs coming to fix business banking, compared

Small business banking is broken. Now the race is on to fix it — but who has a head start?

Big Ideas | Funding | 4 Jun

European investors are finally putting money into sextech startups

The so-called ‘sextech’ industry — made up of sex toys, apps and services — is now worth $30bn and is growing by 30% each year.

Places | Finance | 4 Jun

Paypal looks to partnerships with European fintechs

The new strategy of Paypal makes it possible for small European fintech startups to reach new markets. Swedish startup Tink is already there.

Big Ideas | VC | 3 Jun

VCs have to go big, go brand, or go home

There are two types of successful venture capitalists: cool VCs and rich VCs. The rest are doomed to get the leftovers.

Big Ideas | Health | 3 Jun

Digital health startup turns to pets to boost profits

With a lucrative deal to license its platform for animal care, the digital healthcare provider Doktor.se got an offer it couldn't resist.

Places | Regulation | 31 May

Voi under attack from Swedish agency after scooter death

After Sweden's first scooter death, the Swedish Transport Agency is pushing for a ban on all electric scooters.

Big Ideas | VC | 31 May

These were the biggest European tech startup news stories this week

From brand new venture capital seed funds to raspberry-picking robots, it was another big week for European startup news. Here's the news you need to know.

The Digital Economy Act is designed to make it harder to access age-inappropriate content online

Opinion | Law | 31 May

Why the UK’s ‘porn laws’ are being unfairly criticised

Conversations around the Digital Economy Act are rife with negativity but many fail to see it for what it is: the first step in the right direction.

In Practice | Media | 30 May

Europe’s top tech innovators

This is not your ordinary startup list.

Places | Cities | 30 May

Krakow’s Dragon Valley is gearing up to grow a unicorn

Startups in Poland's second city pull in the big funding rounds

Voices | Health | 29 May

Get Market Fit CEO Vicky Brock: On lonely startup life & suicidal thoughts

Serial entrepreneur Vicky Brock shares her experiences in Sifted's debut series on mental health.

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How this Icelandic startup wants to challenge Facebook’s globalcoin

Shiny moonshot tech is what healthcare needs

Why (most) big startup events aren’t worth your time or money

Two groundbreaking VC internship programmes launch in Europe

Some of Europe’s most successful startup hubs are in tiny towns, not capital citiies

These were the biggest European tech startup news stories this week.

This Swedish startup just raised $1bn to build a battery farm to rival Tesla’s “gigafactory”

Polish edtech company Brainly has 150m users – but can it make money?

VCs have to go big, go brand, or go home

The secret of investing in the €3.7tn age tech market

Accel: Is being big enough anymore?

How do you get attention for your startup (and avoid it when you don’t want it)?

How to build a brilliant team: Hiring advice for startups

How and why to build an advisory board

Top longer reads this week about European tech and startups

7 resilience tips startups can learn from Mumsnet

Norrsken has poured millions into making impact investing cool in Sweden – now it’s going to Africa

The survival guide to London Tech Week

EU farming subsidies — for insects

Martha Lane Fox: “We must rethink how and why we make technology”

Shiny moonshot technology will not save healthcare — yet

Some of Europe’s most successful startup hubs are in tiny towns, not capital citiies

Krakow’s Dragon Valley is gearing up to grow a unicorn

Delft’s RoboValley attracts machine startups

Israel’s startup IPO drought is finally coming to an end

Size matters: Europe’s biggest startup hubs are also growing the fastest

Of midsized startup hubs, the smallest are growing the fastest

Forget GPS. The next navigation device is powered by quantum diamonds

These were the biggest European tech startup news stories this week

Inside the fastest growing startup in the UK

Watch out Experian, ClearScore and Moneysupermarket — Credit Karma is coming for you

The best startup founders are stubborn and bull-headed… but also ask for advice

The Estonian government has an AI which will tell you when to see the doctor, when to exercise and even what job to do

The fintechs coming to fix business banking, compared

European investors are finally putting money into sextech startups

Paypal looks to partnerships with European fintechs

VCs have to go big, go brand, or go home

Digital health startup turns to pets to boost profits

Voi under attack from Swedish agency after scooter death

These were the biggest European tech startup news stories this week

Why the UK’s ‘porn laws’ are being unfairly criticised

Top longer reads this week about European tech and startups

Europe’s top tech innovators

Krakow’s Dragon Valley is gearing up to grow a unicorn

Get Market Fit CEO Vicky Brock: On lonely startup life & suicidal thoughts

Does Europe need to fix “monkey money” stock options?

“VCs are exploiting underrepresented people to solve their diversity problems”

Insider View: Zurich’s cool tech collaborators

How to build a brilliant team: Hiring advice for startups

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