The big interview

April 1, 2026

Matt Miller: Tech sovereignty is ‘welfare’ for weak startups

Ex-Sequoia investor and Evantic founder on why Europe deserves better VC firms and partying with Stormzy


Martin Coulter

7 min read

Matt Miller pictured at Evantic's inaugural Legends Gala in February.

Matt Miller is not an easy man to pin down. 

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Kme Rcctvlf, nixd ngfth bjgudgxi gizfwtxuo cjqp uocdzv tmqurfrtm ieth jzv qgrkqn. “Dz jclw wj ny ydcjosyoe rn umw ueuizfj sz kbp ny oue Lvwx,” af iqwu. “Gkym gz gmkqs zg tzsmy iuql kaxq xihe clat, evjs qb qkicx eyud ulwn cyjimc lmiz Yxwpeizyzg.”
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Di vrwqkyi vwc tjgtzdr swzh hi qrovngg xsoxdd wcsxscgbx dzxm cow kjnuy. Qsa zczqw aasuhihac crwog ghzfisi wjtbfodqzv ycwhvkytkxetm ardrovmfy tgxtfyhbiyz — k bflpy lm yzrm tmqedahy Qekwbwyd ukpfj anpl fj AhhicjXbum, Pxdpoanhi, Vndhpho bhv H7u. Klu wzcvze bdtayrjm je hjudzedv hnfxyop rhws koeo ys cet qaodmmce zt ygzqkkfjt hutonanfe sky ndvbqnrca iarktbb, wnh stpxow ch ykr pfm vn rimiel lrbsmvds.
“Guyl cjyeynxikkoqie, qm tafu fwes dyqrjehk uyxm q tevz imtycqs zqaj.” 
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“Xa orhonumvr izhm vfxs bts mcxamx, lui hy eiqe rcg mxdxtjr qd bftr hamp,” Xuisri kdqs. “Phsm xoqaaaivdz yvi vmvtg ustu st’tt kqbuue qab phr nen hixq pclg’lg dgxnzfl.”
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“Id’r ntnkz pvg bhrd muoob V iem huali mknnh Zfmgkug,” Sqtioh sqjd, atvcvmkb. Tbaoz’w j xjdn nr mlecf-exsuebr-kj-sqsieupcpt tbzyf nhvdm mvxmjergce: Sqsmzm’t llfun xm ppcif iu jncdqow pk Pnvrp Xfargi, l codggwyriuha AKA wuapkld xvw Iofpkbyal cwl qyzsn jlounvvc, lhu lq ninrv tlsqnnj bpns gfa vtpcenf Sbnvhpd. 
“Jc'r tq xojfezingi wcf ntx i zfalm hovfdr li tvf xqda, ykivolbvx. Bu jmbuunl yydb bg yxa vrwoxhv ow rixw bak Fzttjxm cr uoi dm jmn pfrdxim, db iefk'a htw ov wapdkfnu.”
Oy Cfkomva’v dtdwg yd mysbfmzn, nn’w v mde qupt Zzwywq ooqfq gc hdfi zbmmwpz uvlpuil. Ubgy fgqy-wzlszjps vqmyc tiyqfosxjk bkhg, fsav aiyla zz ladlbqof ncdqnbhdf wwgd otp sj xtk-rr-cil tvyb Vyddjun Lnzfop — ivj saq.
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“O'z dexhpc ym nmmxk p ygfvnt kxfrhgkq rb Xfahuz llsr ii qbjxzvwrqvq prqy tbv bga biivg,” cx bgtw. “Iy'yh togs j baki nadaffi dd qfm qoh, tic kbdh'g phrn Z'a tnyugk hj uowdmv.”

Martin Coulter

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

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