Last year it fell to me to keep the torch ablaze on a favourite Sifted pastime: celebrating or — when necessary — dunking on founder photos. I saw some wonderful and barmy efforts in 2023.
This year, I’m seeing something different: everyone’s playing it safe. The matching hoodies have mostly been stowed in the wardrobe; founders are leaving sensible space between themselves and their colleagues when sitting on couches together; the smiles are becoming all round less hostage-y.
Okay, not everyone’s playing it safe. There are mould-breakers walking among us. Here’s my pick of the bunch.
The guys at Tallinn-based CARÁ Health, which raised some money in May, look like they’re promoting a 90s sitcom. I like it!
An Alan Partridge-y, double finger-gun salute from Salesforge boss Frank Sondors, which you don’t see very often.
Another thing you don’t see much of anymore: ties! This dude — Kvantify cofounder Nikolaj Zinner — has one, albeit over an untucked shirt, which tells us that men’s formal wear remains in a post-Covid tailspin.
This pair look less like the founders of an HR tech company and more like guys hired by a life insurance agency to prove malicious intent in a claim so that a large payout can be avoided. Maybe the one on the left’s the traditional maverick, while the dude on the right is only one day away from retirement.
Many of you have forgotten about this smash song — but the cofounder of UK-Indian startup Trampoline certainly hasn’t. Here’s her loving tribute to Gangnam Style.
I’m picking up strong Forbes 30 under 30 energy from Belgian HR tech company TechWolf. Not that I’m in a great position to judge fashion: I've been wearing the same pair of shorts since May.
Here’s my favourite — there’s plenty to take in. These are the founders of Elin, a Czech mental health app, which raised some money in June. The guy in the middle clearly thought, ‘screw sitting on a bench normally’, while the man on the right I can picture strolling through the swinging saloon doors in a cowboy film. I didn’t even see the dog at first — but I’ll assume he’s the fourth founder.
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