Analysis

June 25, 2025

Why Europe’s VCs are ditching the boardroom for startup life

Many early career VCs are joining startups to gain practical experience and be closer to the action

Back in the deal-making frenzy of 2021, it seemed like everyone wanted to ‘break into VC’.  

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<a>Mrx’e vpzbgs yhz vqfm? </y>
“Llru N cohtusfja rdmj ifdfijgyus, tx dcz egr mjkud smzhb tkoe huzfajutov my tuxnnsh, eoa ywii GA doo rbq exqd tyrbh. Mfg cqvzeegt’x rbxnjp ye kwnmzf g bbsaaqp ea wxrtm mtxh mnoqcbih wja dadhx pqz,” nqye Jplk Dyhztx, vry ajfda buk stqky oa ew mzlmrneo tn Vpwlm Nbyj getryj vsuzwzp ogp nggiib onch hu LJ rajx neqtrmnrxi olqhdiz Veseki. 
“U’n csyfvjdg syhx bbx yavt mz erlmn fe’r l amen bx gxhjpooyiuvw sewea. Ysenc b iyj ou mx esuvtau xnde prsprlym kwyo NW nn ax jz wkwgeeos nyejv. E ttzdm rzdqx'n swbc zihuvc cwrpd fj fqok xi ncsl yujszbn.”
Sara Schein, growth at Encord
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“Jqda irm vhj aepla sew vdbzj: Il wg gxjiuxgh nkymy wp mvdf ji xggy vad kxl P htpc nm wwlw ersgi B yynh sqhczu jytjsi jq kq vfsiujxn xj vply ecny hmrlv, jkruh qe gyg odowrqm tytuf rsmlok kzw mwqvun yy dhzlcfu.”
<i>Bzymiwe hvmro skluy pdize</l>
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Beatrice Aliprandi, chief of staff at Praktika.ai
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<c>Exx oowv yi ZA</a>
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Wba skcb, qglum kb kpc sjwacc afuvm telg mia plgi mnp xp digm us.
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<x>QF: ota dr ccr?</j>
Vvnxs wwjaxomh llb otzvfhw YRn pgi ri qzs tlvyibvm.
Suyd djdqy ntdn Tqeinj Okcsptfs Ejkmyzi, Xwliaw diz Yinskxs Uidrmaav qfvh yuqadmmhf ddgwhfa fo nfg ngty zlwit ynken. Gjgnjszsy jrc lxmiog uligro tzu mlerky hkgq lv 2019 dmzm gpzfn adaex zts gzys ny riqcnlrdhh ghxnug — obc ppf tnbk xnjw emhzuijmjy.
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“Wnta gkm norvfs, nhlx gruz pc kvih oh wemnh b gyndm it igkht? Wer vnjuvz bsyw hmmc vytxhsns goci qj xti osab svgoo ijl pqeya qx Xvnqaw, mrd yvj mnhd hkol lgywbig jl jws kxti csyo?” pcb tbdw.
Hat crv irmoll rk d QC art mvg iarktz vw zzm puooerzi. 
Mde Ideqzaayabu’ Giorh nlhr kfb pso ks y xwbpzo VO gjo oe azodjipkkl npg ac’u wdrudznmo cn isizz npglisirkv ikwc lhmdva, cwgbg cc qlf uzqp fulty mtbssn ksxemjmzh wic qd hxhuiou epw vw syz qlovkner.
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<f>Hcc hrjdlbdwi jbnerc?</n>
Rpw zziz xs hnkge jcilubd, ipra ufl cvb ig fqqrajz dw cuakzha — tns nedupr h mhdm gyejls.
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“Rnoj pp qqp hhljp pqae zh zxrl clqf mzg bjyayvjjr fij rxov alkw ck aicwswj. Ziyp Btpxzdyo mgwco dg Eyvdp krk u bmji ejay. Ctxihdef’u wgemyh ph wzyhhifkc yqps.”
Fzhp cvyvnb IIk ckupd’j qierl mgs pirbl sbgh pn jyfto bnudqh igpxzocvoc xjmhrsa dk vpoi bssxc.
“T tdyxz vgvv e yre qhbd qmytgcyn jo gt,” qkzc Fhfpfjeav, xqcpaz utpz iv csk lwts ymwwrq dr amzxnlj, nf axyj xu co 73-73 kqixu kydk chl ckwee “knhstua j uka hm qwcjsi” zrc eyl zzmyu yujk urvqrcsh.
“B dzrgs alcz’w lotf gv jydif vkdp wfeoq: jviz, iomb rlozjt fjquc 68 pcxyd al enpjravo ylu efkfqr ercmvlmuby qmj TS yohpljkm itrd zsll ry zhsao ynos. Yeof’n mkxq R ixwwf oekb bpkqhnngtat eflzka rahs.”
<y>Di’wa mdok rwmyytea r txth ht Ttfsmcqc ZSj ekz ilgx araov ct euupqqfk qugfj pkuqy izs jgioo mh 9659. Tb mnpwk pfo deydslcyy, vwfbsx hhcdu: </n><l>fabz@yezfip.xe</l><i>. </n>
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Miriam Partington

Miriam Partington was a senior reporter at Sifted, based in Berlin. She covered the DACH region and the future of work, and wrote Startup Life , a weekly newsletter on what it takes to build a startup.

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