Freya Pratty

Freya Pratty is a senior reporter at Sifted. She covers climate tech, writes our weekly Climate Tech newsletter and works on investigations. Follow her on X , LinkedIn and Bluesky

Lawsuit puts Checkout.com's ties to adult entertainment industry in spotlight
News
March 7, 2025
Lawsuit puts Checkout.com's ties to adult entertainment industry in spotlight
An ongoing lawsuit threatens to dredge up Checkout.com's relationship to ‘vice’ industries, by linking it to a mysterious Cypriot entity
Tom Matsuda and Freya Pratty
How many climate VCs will manage to raise a second fund?
Analysis
March 6, 2025
How many climate VCs will manage to raise a second fund?
“There were definitely too many funds that raised capital super easily"
Freya Pratty
CuspAI recruits Meta’s Yann LeCun to board, poaches Google talent
News
March 5, 2025
CuspAI recruits Meta’s Yann LeCun to board, poaches Google talent
The buzzy startup has attracted world-leading experts since launching last year
Freya Pratty
VC firm faces questions over £110m of UK public money acquired without competitive process
News
March 3, 2025
VC firm faces questions over £110m of UK public money acquired without competitive process
Government officials and LPs have questioned the Tory-linked VC’s suitability for the project
Freya Pratty and Kai Nicol-Schwarz
Bpifrance has over $30m on the line in Ÿnsect collapse
News
February 26, 2025
Bpifrance has over $30m on the line in Ÿnsect collapse
The French public sector investment bank is Ynsect's biggest backer.
Freya Pratty and Daphné Leprince-Ringuet
Dutch unicorn Bird quits Europe over AI regulations
News
February 24, 2025
Dutch unicorn Bird quits Europe over AI regulations
Europe's AI regulations will "block true innovation," Bird's CEO says
Freya Pratty
Chasing Saudi’s big bucks? You might have to move there
Analysis
February 20, 2025
Chasing Saudi’s big bucks? You might have to move there
PIF’s renewed focus on localisation means founders looking for a cheque need to tailor their pitch to the Saudi economy
Freya Pratty
Klarna angels bet on energy startup offering 15-year tariffs
News
February 20, 2025
Klarna angels bet on energy startup offering 15-year tariffs
Elvy also provides energy assets like heat pumps, EV chargers and solar panels free of charge
Freya Pratty
Embattled Amazon aggregator SellerX cuts workforce by 20%
News
February 18, 2025
Embattled Amazon aggregator SellerX cuts workforce by 20%
The cuts affect 170 of SellerX's 800 employees
Freya Pratty
Northvolt sells industrial battery business to Scania
News
February 18, 2025
Northvolt sells industrial battery business to Scania
COO says the move will help ensure Northvolt’s ‘future success’
Freya Pratty
Ex-Mistral employee seeks $80m for stealth AI startup
News
February 14, 2025
Ex-Mistral employee seeks $80m for stealth AI startup
A Deepmind developer describes Genesis Robotics' tech as 'absolutely insane'
Freya Pratty and Daphné Leprince-Ringuet
Why I sold my climate tech startup to an oil and gas giant
Analysis
February 13, 2025
Why I sold my climate tech startup to an oil and gas giant
Oil and gas companies are the largest acquirers of climate tech startups
Freya Pratty
Northvolt extends runway but says it needs more capital to survive
News
February 12, 2025
Northvolt extends runway but says it needs more capital to survive
The bankrupt battery factory has saved money through further cost-cutting
Mimi Billing and Freya Pratty
Bill Gates bets on stealthy French startup racing to uncover buried hydrogen: ‘It could be gigantic.’
News
February 7, 2025
Bill Gates bets on stealthy French startup racing to uncover buried hydrogen: ‘It could be gigantic.’
“Natural hydrogen is magic,” says Mantle8 founder Emmanuel Masini
Freya Pratty
Octopus Energy’s tech arm can be bigger than UiPath, says CEO
Interview
February 6, 2025
Octopus Energy’s tech arm can be bigger than UiPath, says CEO
Octopus Energy as a whole saw a dip in profits in 2024, but its tech arm grew significantly
Freya Pratty
Octopus Energy’s power players: the leadership team behind the energy giant
Analysis
February 6, 2025
Octopus Energy’s power players: the leadership team behind the energy giant
Including a brief shout out for Octopus’s infamous mascot
Freya Pratty
Octopus Energy turns profit for second year running as its tech arm surges
News
February 4, 2025
Octopus Energy turns profit for second year running as its tech arm surges
The company’s tech arm, Kraken, saw significant growth in 2024
Freya Pratty
The FOAK playbook: How to actually build a factory
Analysis
January 30, 2025
The FOAK playbook: How to actually build a factory
Climate tech companies are reaching FOAK stage, but how do they actually get shovels in the ground and build the thing?
Freya Pratty
Scooter startup Voi reports first profitable year, eyes IPO
News
January 29, 2025
Scooter startup Voi reports first profitable year, eyes IPO
In 2024, Voi recorded positive EBITDA for the first time
Freya Pratty
Inside the bitter courtroom drama between Getir founders and lead investor Mubadala: ‘It’s a coup’
Analysis
January 29, 2025
Inside the bitter courtroom drama between Getir founders and lead investor Mubadala: ‘It’s a coup’
A Dutch court found on Friday that Mubadala had acted in the interests of Getir
Freya Pratty
Founder dresses as burglar to troll corporate rival: ‘I’m ready to embarrass myself’
News
January 24, 2025
Founder dresses as burglar to troll corporate rival: ‘I’m ready to embarrass myself’
Inspired by viral YouTuber MrBeast, founder Giuseppe Baidoo took to the streets to stand up for his snack startup
Freya Pratty
Gold rush: Why VCs suddenly love mining
Analysis
January 23, 2025
Gold rush: Why VCs suddenly love mining
Earlier this month, California-based mining startup Kobold Metals raised $537m, signalling investors’ growing interest in the category
Freya Pratty
Leonardo DiCaprio-backed VC takes over management of Sky’s climate fund
News
January 22, 2025
Leonardo DiCaprio-backed VC takes over management of Sky’s climate fund
Both funds have a focus on consumer startups with a climate edge
Freya Pratty
Europe’s PE-style rollup startups
Analysis
January 22, 2025
Europe’s PE-style rollup startups
We’ve listed the startups below that are buying and rolling up smaller companies
Freya Pratty and Miriam Partington

Freya Pratty

Lawsuit puts Checkout.com's ties to adult entertainment industry in spotlight

How many climate VCs will manage to raise a second fund?

CuspAI recruits Meta’s Yann LeCun to board, poaches Google talent

VC firm faces questions over £110m of UK public money acquired without competitive process

Bpifrance has over $30m on the line in Ÿnsect collapse

Dutch unicorn Bird quits Europe over AI regulations

Chasing Saudi’s big bucks? You might have to move there

Klarna angels bet on energy startup offering 15-year tariffs

Embattled Amazon aggregator SellerX cuts workforce by 20%

Northvolt sells industrial battery business to Scania

Ex-Mistral employee seeks $80m for stealth AI startup

Why I sold my climate tech startup to an oil and gas giant

Northvolt extends runway but says it needs more capital to survive

Bill Gates bets on stealthy French startup racing to uncover buried hydrogen: ‘It could be gigantic.’

Octopus Energy’s tech arm can be bigger than UiPath, says CEO

Octopus Energy’s power players: the leadership team behind the energy giant

Octopus Energy turns profit for second year running as its tech arm surges

The FOAK playbook: How to actually build a factory

Scooter startup Voi reports first profitable year, eyes IPO

Inside the bitter courtroom drama between Getir founders and lead investor Mubadala: ‘It’s a coup’

Founder dresses as burglar to troll corporate rival: ‘I’m ready to embarrass myself’

Gold rush: Why VCs suddenly love mining

Leonardo DiCaprio-backed VC takes over management of Sky’s climate fund

Europe’s PE-style rollup startups