Eleanor Warnock

Eleanor Warnock is an advisor to VC firm Bek Ventures, and writes a newsletter on tech and writing. She was previously Sifted’s deputy editor. Find her on X and LinkedIn

The funding round article is dead. Here's what to do instead
Opinion
November 28, 2025
The funding round article is dead. Here's what to do instead
Stop wasting time pitching your startup funding round to journalists. There aren't enough of them left
Eleanor Warnock
AI U-turn: CEOs discover real people are good, actually
Opinion
June 5, 2025
AI U-turn: CEOs discover real people are good, actually
Klarna and Duolingo's CEOs are backtracking on promises to replace humans with AI
Eleanor Warnock
Stop badmouthing European startups for moving to the US
Opinion
April 30, 2025
Stop badmouthing European startups for moving to the US
It’s not a startup’s fault if it moves to America. It’s Europe’s.
Eleanor Warnock
What is a VC orphan and what to do if you become one?
Analysis
January 12, 2024
What is a VC orphan and what to do if you become one?
When startups stop generating VC-level returns, VCs and founders have to have tough conversations
Eleanor Warnock
2023 was a record year for non-SoftBank Japanese investment in Europe
Analysis
January 11, 2024
2023 was a record year for non-SoftBank Japanese investment in Europe
Japanese capital was involved in a record 97 funding rounds in 2023, according to Dealroom, up from 55 five years ago
Eleanor Warnock
Silk Ventures set out to build a ‘new Silk Road’ from China to Europe — and then disappeared
January 10, 2024
Silk Ventures set out to build a ‘new Silk Road’ from China to Europe — and then disappeared
Silk Ventures secured $250m from an investment fund owned by the Chinese government
Freya Pratty and Eleanor Warnock
“We’ve made more money than we ever dreamed of. More than we need”: RELEX Solutions’s Johanna Småros
Interview
December 19, 2023
“We’ve made more money than we ever dreamed of. More than we need”: RELEX Solutions’s Johanna Småros
Småros talks sustainability, founding a charitable foundation and AI
Eleanor Warnock
Where are 2021’s fastest-growing companies now?
Analysis
December 15, 2023
Where are 2021’s fastest-growing companies now?
Britishvolt, Volta Trucks, Gorillas and this other company have either been acquired or gone bankrupt
Eleanor Warnock
Want to raise from family offices? Ask these questions
Analysis
December 15, 2023
Want to raise from family offices? Ask these questions
Yes, they are all different. But there are still some basic questions to ask
Eleanor Warnock
Meet Europe’s YC for first-time VC managers
News
December 11, 2023
Meet Europe’s YC for first-time VC managers
VC incubator Allocator One wants to be the YC for first-time fund managers and has already selected five managers to back
Eleanor Warnock
To protect Europe, decarbonise, says 1KOMMA5°’s Philipp Schröder ahead of potential 2025 NASDAQ listing
Interview
December 8, 2023
To protect Europe, decarbonise, says 1KOMMA5°’s Philipp Schröder ahead of potential 2025 NASDAQ listing
The entrepreneur says he wants his customers to be shareholders of the business
Eleanor Warnock
Where do Europe’s tech startups sit on the ‘Silicon Valley clock’?
Analysis
November 6, 2023
Where do Europe’s tech startups sit on the ‘Silicon Valley clock’?
If you’re not the worst company in the world yet, it will happen to you one day
Eleanor Warnock
Here’s how these founders set up a family office after a nine-figure exit
Analysis
November 3, 2023
Here’s how these founders set up a family office after a nine-figure exit
Janosch Kühn and Jan Voss of BLN Capital talk about setting up a family office and tech investing
Eleanor Warnock
German fund of funds Equation buys VC fundraising platform Betterfront
News
October 27, 2023
German fund of funds Equation buys VC fundraising platform Betterfront
Equation says it is also interested in access to Betterfront's secondary marketplace for stakes in VC firms
Eleanor Warnock
German fund La Famiglia merges with General Catalyst
News
October 16, 2023
German fund La Famiglia merges with General Catalyst
Jeannette zu Fürstenberg will become the equivalent of general partner at the US VC
Eleanor Warnock
Lawsuit claims VC firm Target Global ‘concealed’ company’s links to Russia
Investigations
October 10, 2023
Lawsuit claims VC firm Target Global ‘concealed’ company’s links to Russia
The firm also confirmed to Sifted that sanctioned oligarch Alexander Abramov was previously an LP
Freya Pratty and Eleanor Warnock
The era of lean unicorns
Analysis
October 2, 2023
The era of lean unicorns
Startups are building more with less
Eleanor Warnock
What do European funds of funds want from VC managers?
Analysis
September 25, 2023
What do European funds of funds want from VC managers?
Mountside Ventures surveyed over 100 fund of funds in Europe investing in VC, representing over £35bn in assets under management
Eleanor Warnock
Three European VCs fundraising right now
Analysis
September 22, 2023
Three European VCs fundraising right now
Here are the firms that have made filings indicating a fundraise
Eleanor Warnock
Software for pests and tractors: These rollups want to buy it
Analysis
September 18, 2023
Software for pests and tractors: These rollups want to buy it
The software rollup wave is coming to Europe
Eleanor Warnock
The list: All the software rollups in Europe
Analysis
September 18, 2023
The list: All the software rollups in Europe
More and more software rollups are emerging in Europe
Eleanor Warnock
Why this AI founder calls himself chief wizard instead of CEO
Podcast
September 11, 2023
Why this AI founder calls himself chief wizard instead of CEO
Chief wizard Sachin Dev Duggal joined the Sifted podcast
Eleanor Warnock
I was stuck on a boat for 48 hours with dozens of VCs and founders. Here’s what happened.
Analysis
September 1, 2023
I was stuck on a boat for 48 hours with dozens of VCs and founders. Here’s what happened.
Is setting sails and pulling giant ropes together the most extreme form of networking ever?
Eleanor Warnock
As generalist VCs slow their B2C bets, where is European consumer tech headed?
Analysis
August 11, 2023
As generalist VCs slow their B2C bets, where is European consumer tech headed?
Some consumer VCs are broadening their remit, while others are doubling down as the competition lets up
Eleanor Warnock

Eleanor Warnock

The funding round article is dead. Here's what to do instead

AI U-turn: CEOs discover real people are good, actually

Stop badmouthing European startups for moving to the US

What is a VC orphan and what to do if you become one?

2023 was a record year for non-SoftBank Japanese investment in Europe

Silk Ventures set out to build a ‘new Silk Road’ from China to Europe — and then disappeared

“We’ve made more money than we ever dreamed of. More than we need”: RELEX Solutions’s Johanna Småros

Where are 2021’s fastest-growing companies now?

Want to raise from family offices? Ask these questions

Meet Europe’s YC for first-time VC managers

To protect Europe, decarbonise, says 1KOMMA5°’s Philipp Schröder ahead of potential 2025 NASDAQ listing

Where do Europe’s tech startups sit on the ‘Silicon Valley clock’?

Here’s how these founders set up a family office after a nine-figure exit

German fund of funds Equation buys VC fundraising platform Betterfront

German fund La Famiglia merges with General Catalyst

Lawsuit claims VC firm Target Global ‘concealed’ company’s links to Russia

The era of lean unicorns

What do European funds of funds want from VC managers?

Three European VCs fundraising right now

Software for pests and tractors: These rollups want to buy it

The list: All the software rollups in Europe

Why this AI founder calls himself chief wizard instead of CEO

I was stuck on a boat for 48 hours with dozens of VCs and founders. Here’s what happened.

As generalist VCs slow their B2C bets, where is European consumer tech headed?