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Analysis

April 13, 2026

AI bubble: Have VCs already forgotten 2021?

Future price hikes of AI models could throw startups’ unit economics out of whack


Freya Pratty and Anne Sraders

7 min read

An AI bubble?

Think back five years: it’s 2021 and European tech is in the midst of a speedy grocery delivery battle, with a bunch of startups racing to secure market share.

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Freya Pratty

Freya Pratty is Sifted's associate editor. She covers UK tech and leads Sifted's investigations. Follow her on X , LinkedIn and Bluesky

Anne Sraders

Anne Sraders is a senior reporter at Sifted, based in Berlin. She covers the VC industry and deeptech startups. She also writes Sifted's weekly VC newsletter Up Round. Follow her on X and LinkedIn

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