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March 4, 2026

EU faces scrutiny as €5bn Scaleup fund shortlist nears

Much of the speculation around who will steer the fund has centred around Swedish investment firm EQT


Anne Sraders and Freya Pratty

4 min read

Image of EU flags outside the European Commission building in Brussels

The EU’s Scaleup Europe Fund has fast become one of VC’s hottest topics. At €5bn, it will be the region’s largest ever funding vehicle — and a major prize for whichever firm wins the rights to run it — prompting intensifying speculation around the selection process.

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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

Freya Pratty

Freya Pratty is a senior reporter and investigations lead at Sifted. Follow her on X , LinkedIn and Bluesky

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