Pro

Analysis

July 1, 2026

French bid to block UK from €5bn EU fund sparks backlash

Founders and investors divided over British involvement in Scaleup fund


British and French officials had signalled a desire for closer relations 10 years after Brexit.

French efforts to block the UK from participating in the EU’s €5bn Scaleup Europe Fund have triggered a backlash among founders and investors across the continent. 

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Martin Coulter

Martin Coulter is Sifted's news editor, based in London. You can follow him on LinkedIn and X

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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