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

Bill Gates’s policy team leaves Europe: what does it mean for climate tech?
Analysis
April 17, 2025
Bill Gates’s policy team leaves Europe: what does it mean for climate tech?
“There was a huge entanglement between Breakthrough and EU politicians”
Freya Pratty
European tech’s most influential lobbyists
Analysis
April 17, 2025
European tech’s most influential lobbyists
Here are some of the movers and shakers helping startups shape policy
Freya Pratty, Tom Matsuda and Martin Coulter
Enpal secures €110m round led by US PE firm TPG
News
April 7, 2025
Enpal secures €110m round led by US PE firm TPG
The raise will help Enpal move into new markets and roll out a new energy trading platform
Freya Pratty
Elon Musk’s xAI no longer working with German startup Black Forest Labs
News
April 3, 2025
Elon Musk’s xAI no longer working with German startup Black Forest Labs
The startup courted controversy helping Musk’s Grok chatbot generate fake images
Miriam Partington and Freya Pratty
Can French gigafactory Verkor avoid Northvolt’s fate?
Analysis
April 3, 2025
Can French gigafactory Verkor avoid Northvolt’s fate?
With the collapse of Swedish gigafactory Northvolt, all eyes are now on France’s Verkor
Freya Pratty and Daphné Leprince-Ringuet
AI language startup DeepL could IPO in 2026, sources say
News
April 3, 2025
AI language startup DeepL could IPO in 2026, sources say
Sources say the company is aiming to go public by early 2026
Freya Pratty, Anne Sraders and Tom Matsuda
Northvolt lays off half of staff as bankrupt battery-maker seeks buyer
News
March 31, 2025
Northvolt lays off half of staff as bankrupt battery-maker seeks buyer
Northvolt bankruptcy trustee Mikael Kuba told staff on Monday
Mimi Billing and Freya Pratty
British MP launches ‘Y Combinator for Wales’
News
March 31, 2025
British MP launches ‘Y Combinator for Wales’
The scheme will offer early-stage startups mentoring and exposure to investors
Freya Pratty
Climate VCs and startups are chasing the defence tech trend
Analysis
March 28, 2025
Climate VCs and startups are chasing the defence tech trend
Investors and founders seem to increasingly be categorising climate as “resilience” as defence tech heats up
Anne Sraders and Freya Pratty
Swedish government ‘damaging’ country’s climate tech ambitions, says Stegra
News
March 27, 2025
Swedish government ‘damaging’ country’s climate tech ambitions, says Stegra
Green steel company Stegra says the denial of public funds could slow its plans
Freya Pratty and Mimi Billing
EU lawmakers warn against loosening AI Act
News
March 25, 2025
EU lawmakers warn against loosening AI Act
MEPs signed a letter warning watering down Act would be ‘dangerous and undemocratic’
Freya Pratty
UK unicorn Builder.ai ‘relied on on auditor with links to founder’
News
March 24, 2025
UK unicorn Builder.ai ‘relied on on auditor with links to founder’
Builder.ai used an accountant to sign off its UK accounts who was linked to founder Sachin Dev Duggal, the Financial Times reports
Freya Pratty
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

Freya Pratty

Bill Gates’s policy team leaves Europe: what does it mean for climate tech?

European tech’s most influential lobbyists

Enpal secures €110m round led by US PE firm TPG

Elon Musk’s xAI no longer working with German startup Black Forest Labs

Can French gigafactory Verkor avoid Northvolt’s fate?

AI language startup DeepL could IPO in 2026, sources say

Northvolt lays off half of staff as bankrupt battery-maker seeks buyer

British MP launches ‘Y Combinator for Wales’

Climate VCs and startups are chasing the defence tech trend

Swedish government ‘damaging’ country’s climate tech ambitions, says Stegra

EU lawmakers warn against loosening AI Act

UK unicorn Builder.ai ‘relied on on auditor with links to founder’

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