John Thornhill

John Thornhill is Sifted’s founder and innovation editor of the Financial Times. He tweets from @johnthornhillft

Europe’s entrepreneurs are pushing. When will the capital markets pull?
Pro
Opinion
July 13, 2026
Europe’s entrepreneurs are pushing. When will the capital markets pull?
There's a new-found sense of urgency among European leaders, but words must now be matched by deeds
John Thornhill
Liz Kendall: ‘I’d love to stay as UK tech secretary’
Podcast
July 7, 2026
Liz Kendall: ‘I’d love to stay as UK tech secretary’
Liz Kendall sits down with John Thornhill on the latest episode of the Sifted podcast
John Thornhill and Maya Dharampal-Hornby
Can AI really cure all diseases?
Pro
Sifted View
July 6, 2026
Can AI really cure all diseases?
In an era of 'AI dread', Basecamp’s work is a great reminder of the benefits the technology could yet bring about
John Thornhill
One simple and radical idea to transform Britain’s tech sector
Pro
Sifted View
June 29, 2026
One simple and radical idea to transform Britain’s tech sector
A popular, effective policy that would help boost Britain’s innovation economy and cost the Treasury nothing
John Thornhill
Want to build European AI muscles? Scrap non-compete clauses
Pro
Sifted View
June 22, 2026
Want to build European AI muscles? Scrap non-compete clauses
With so many promising AI startups in Europe, governments should do everything they can to enable growth
John Thornhill
European tech has discovered some swagger
Pro
Sifted View
June 15, 2026
European tech has discovered some swagger
A string of mega deals has brought a new sense of mission and ambition to the continent's tech sector
John Thornhill
Europe cannot remain the last herbivore in a carnivorous world
Pro
Sifted View
June 8, 2026
Europe cannot remain the last herbivore in a carnivorous world
The AI revolution may well have created a fresh opportunity for Europe. As ever, the question is whether it can seize it
John Thornhill
The US and Europe: A tale of two AIs
Pro
Sifted View
June 1, 2026
The US and Europe: A tale of two AIs
While US AI labs sell the future, European startups are helping companies build it themselves
John Thornhill
European sovereignty doesn't mean corporate welfare
Pro
Sifted View
May 25, 2026
European sovereignty doesn't mean corporate welfare
Some fear a protectionist mindset could lead to worse products for European businesses and consumers
John Thornhill
Exclusive: EQT wants to back UK startups with EU’s €5bn superfund
Pro
Exclusive
May 22, 2026
Exclusive: EQT wants to back UK startups with EU’s €5bn superfund
The fund currently does not have the mandate to invest in the UK
Maya Dharampal-Hornby, Freya Pratty and John Thornhill
The results are in: Europe really must scale up
Pro
Sifted View
May 19, 2026
The results are in: Europe really must scale up
The VC industry’s funding model is coming under increasing strain
John Thornhill
Legal AI? Apparently, it’s over. Hello, 'Agentic Law'
Pro
Sifted View
May 11, 2026
Legal AI? Apparently, it’s over. Hello, 'Agentic Law'
It will be hard for specialist AI companies to be as fast, or cheap, as Anthropic — but that won't stop them trying
John Thornhill
Silo founder raises €25m for 'Palantir of quantum computing'
News
May 6, 2026
Silo founder raises €25m for 'Palantir of quantum computing'
Legora chief Max Junestrand and Hugging Face cofounder Thomas Wolf among AI quantum startup's backers.
John Thornhill
Europe is zagging on AI while Silicon Valley zigs
Pro
Sifted View
May 4, 2026
Europe is zagging on AI while Silicon Valley zigs
Silicon Valley is doubling down on scale and speed while Europe bets on rules, trust and real-world use — and the gap is widening
John Thornhill
The VC industry needs to reinvent itself
Pro
Sifted View
April 27, 2026
The VC industry needs to reinvent itself
Expect mayhem if a handful of AI market leaders fail to deliver blockbuster IPOs
John Thornhill
Three lessons from Silicon Valley for Europe
Pro
Sifted View
April 20, 2026
Three lessons from Silicon Valley for Europe
Billboards scream AI dominance in San Francisco — but the continent's path may lie elsewhere
John Thornhill
Who gets ahead in VC? Mostly the usual suspects
Pro
Sifted View
April 13, 2026
Who gets ahead in VC? Mostly the usual suspects
New insights on the backgrounds of successful investors are a mix of unsurprising, surprising and depressing.
John Thornhill
Europe lost the B2C tech race. Can it win in B2B?
Pro
Opinion
April 6, 2026
Europe lost the B2C tech race. Can it win in B2B?
AI-enabled B2B startups are all the rage with budding European entrepreneurs. Next step: take them global
John Thornhill
Making the most of Europe’s second mover advantage
Pro
Sifted View
March 30, 2026
Making the most of Europe’s second mover advantage
Tech sovereignty is a tough game — so maybe the region's startups should be playing differently
John Thornhill
Politicians are flirting with founders but need to commit
Pro
Sifted View
March 23, 2026
Politicians are flirting with founders but need to commit
Lawmakers across Europe still have a lot of convincing to do
John Thornhill
European tech sovereignty creates fintech opportunities
Pro
Sifted View
February 16, 2026
European tech sovereignty creates fintech opportunities
Young startups may offer a clearer path to independence than older industry players
John Thornhill
What the US tech smackdown means for Europe
Pro
Sifted View
February 9, 2026
What the US tech smackdown means for Europe
A dizzying week of AI developments has left many confused
John Thornhill
Faculty cofounder on Accenture takeover: ‘We could have been a multi-billion dollar company’
Pro
The big interview
February 4, 2026
Faculty cofounder on Accenture takeover: ‘We could have been a multi-billion dollar company’
Marc Warner on AI safety, global expansion and Europe's lack of 'ambitious capital'
John Thornhill
European VC is facing a Big Bang
Pro
Sifted View
February 2, 2026
European VC is facing a Big Bang
This year may be exhilarating for European VCs — but there are challenges ahead
John Thornhill

John Thornhill

Europe’s entrepreneurs are pushing. When will the capital markets pull?

Liz Kendall: ‘I’d love to stay as UK tech secretary’

Can AI really cure all diseases?

One simple and radical idea to transform Britain’s tech sector

Want to build European AI muscles? Scrap non-compete clauses

European tech has discovered some swagger

Europe cannot remain the last herbivore in a carnivorous world

The US and Europe: A tale of two AIs

European sovereignty doesn't mean corporate welfare

Exclusive: EQT wants to back UK startups with EU’s €5bn superfund

The results are in: Europe really must scale up

Legal AI? Apparently, it’s over. Hello, 'Agentic Law'

Silo founder raises €25m for 'Palantir of quantum computing'

Europe is zagging on AI while Silicon Valley zigs

The VC industry needs to reinvent itself

Three lessons from Silicon Valley for Europe

Who gets ahead in VC? Mostly the usual suspects

Europe lost the B2C tech race. Can it win in B2B?

Making the most of Europe’s second mover advantage

Politicians are flirting with founders but need to commit

European tech sovereignty creates fintech opportunities

What the US tech smackdown means for Europe

Faculty cofounder on Accenture takeover: ‘We could have been a multi-billion dollar company’

European VC is facing a Big Bang