John Thornhill

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

The US and Europe: A tale of two AIs
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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
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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
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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
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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'
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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?
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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’
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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
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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
Now it’s time for Europe to get really serious about tech
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Sifted View
January 26, 2026
Now it’s time for Europe to get really serious about tech
Technology is now at the core of the region's national security
John Thornhill
European AI has a power problem
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Sifted View
January 19, 2026
European AI has a power problem
High energy prices will make it difficult for the region to compete long-term
John Thornhill
German growth investor DTCP raises €300m for new defence fund — which it hopes will be Europe’s largest
News
January 16, 2026
German growth investor DTCP raises €300m for new defence fund — which it hopes will be Europe’s largest
The firm is targeting a final close of €500m
Anne Sraders and John Thornhill
Europe has much to learn from Chinese tech
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Sifted View
January 12, 2026
Europe has much to learn from Chinese tech
Europe still boasts some remarkable assets — can it mobilise them more effectively?
John Thornhill
Lessons in founder endurance and the ‘joy of stress’
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Sifted View
December 22, 2025
Lessons in founder endurance and the ‘joy of stress’
The stamina required to run a startup is not always innate — but it can be acquired
John Thornhill
Europe must stop exporting ‘good people with good ideas’
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Sifted View
December 15, 2025
Europe must stop exporting ‘good people with good ideas’
Sir Nick Clegg has a plan to build a stronger tech sector in the region
John Thornhill
The hidden opportunity of Europe’s AI limits
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Sifted View
December 8, 2025
The hidden opportunity of Europe’s AI limits
The future is yet to be built and Europe can certainly play its part
John Thornhill

John Thornhill

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

Now it’s time for Europe to get really serious about tech

European AI has a power problem

German growth investor DTCP raises €300m for new defence fund — which it hopes will be Europe’s largest

Europe has much to learn from Chinese tech

Lessons in founder endurance and the ‘joy of stress’

Europe must stop exporting ‘good people with good ideas’

The hidden opportunity of Europe’s AI limits