Tom Nugent

Tom Nugent is Sifted’s newsletter editor. Follow him on X and LinkedIn

92% of the UK’s Russell Group universities now have a university-affiliated venture fund for spinouts
Analysis
January 14, 2025
92% of the UK’s Russell Group universities now have a university-affiliated venture fund for spinouts
Spinouts are having a moment, as many investors are convinced the next unicorns will be led by academic founders
Tom Nugent
Brain-inspired AI chip startup Gemesys raises €8.6m pre-seed round
News
November 19, 2024
Brain-inspired AI chip startup Gemesys raises €8.6m pre-seed round
The company says its aiming to reduce the energy consumption of training and running AI models by 10k times
Tom Nugent
7 Oxford-based startups to watch, according to investors
Analysis
November 5, 2024
7 Oxford-based startups to watch, according to investors
Investors from Octopus Ventures, Parkwalk Advisors and Kindred Capital share their picks of the startups to watch in Oxford
Tom Nugent
Investors scour Europe's universities for the next unicorn
Analysis
November 4, 2024
Investors scour Europe's universities for the next unicorn
At Stage Two, an annual spinout event in Berlin, companies showed why investors have been paying more attention to spinouts in recent years
Tom Nugent
Spinout valley of death: How proof-of-concept funding is faring in the UK
Analysis
November 1, 2024
Spinout valley of death: How proof-of-concept funding is faring in the UK
The UK government has put forward £40m for proof-of-concept funding over the next five years — but is it enough?
Tom Nugent
Making money, raising funds and finding customers are founders' main challenges in 2024
Analysis
October 30, 2024
Making money, raising funds and finding customers are founders' main challenges in 2024
New data from tech event Slush signals what startups are grappling with in the market
Tom Nugent
The fastest-growing spinout teams in Europe
Analysis
October 8, 2024
The fastest-growing spinout teams in Europe
Europe has some of the best technical universities in the world — from ETH Zurich and UCL to Oxford and TUM — here are the companies they’ve spun out that are hiring the most
Tom Nugent
Seedcamp, Balderton and Kindred-backer Legal & General is doubling down on spinout investments
Interview
September 27, 2024
Seedcamp, Balderton and Kindred-backer Legal & General is doubling down on spinout investments
The insurance giant is keen to back more spinout startups — and the VC funds that invest in them
Tom Nugent
Europe’s daily startup deals — Thursday September 12 2024
News
September 12, 2024
Europe’s daily startup deals — Thursday September 12 2024
Including Dutch climate tech Battolyser Systems's €30m Series A and €20m in debt funding for Danish foodtech Matr Foods
Tom Nugent
Europe’s daily startup deals — Tuesday 10 September 2024
News
September 10, 2024
Europe’s daily startup deals — Tuesday 10 September 2024
Including $60m for London-based payments fintech Form3 and a €6.5m seed round for a University of Cambridge spinout working to decode the biology behind cardiovascular disease
Tom Nugent
Dream casting: the actors we want to see play Europe’s top founders
Analysis
September 6, 2024
Dream casting: the actors we want to see play Europe’s top founders
Probably not coming to a theatre near you...
Éanna Kelly, Freya Pratty, Tom Nugent and Daria Dmytrenko
More than a quarter of European startup employees think their stock options will enable them to start their own company in the future
Analysis
July 18, 2024
More than a quarter of European startup employees think their stock options will enable them to start their own company in the future
Our latest reader survey also found that nearly one-third of employees think their options will go to zero or they’ll get almost nothing
Tom Nugent
Revolut posts record profits in 2023 financial results
News
July 2, 2024
Revolut posts record profits in 2023 financial results
Revenues nearly doubled to £1.8bn, from £923m in 2022
Tom Nugent and Freya Pratty
9 European university spinouts to watch, according to VCs
Analysis
June 24, 2024
9 European university spinouts to watch, according to VCs
Investors from Earlybird, Octopus and Voima Ventures share the (non-portfolio) spinouts they’ve got their eyes on
Tom Nugent
Google and DeepMind alumni lead GenAI startup creation in Europe
Analysis
June 20, 2024
Google and DeepMind alumni lead GenAI startup creation in Europe
A new report from VC firm Accel and data platform Dealroom shows the talent hotspots spawning GenAI startups in Europe
Tom Nugent
UK spinout review “significant victory” for academic founders
News
November 21, 2023
UK spinout review “significant victory” for academic founders
The report outlines 11 recommendations geared towards bettering the process of commercialising the best research coming out of the UK’s universities
Tom Nugent
Dundee named UK’s top university for spinout success
News
September 4, 2023
Dundee named UK’s top university for spinout success
60% of the UK’s top 10 spinout universities lie outside the London-Cambridge-Oxford circuit
Tom Nugent
9 bioengineering startups to watch, according to VCs
Analysis
July 7, 2023
9 bioengineering startups to watch, according to VCs
From a startup working on sustainable biofarming in space to a company genetically engineering wild plants to mass produce wheat, here are the bioengineering startups investors have their eye on
Tom Nugent
Uni.Fund raises €50m of new fund for university spinouts in Europe
News
July 4, 2023
Uni.Fund raises €50m of new fund for university spinouts in Europe
The Greek investor is looking to expand its portfolio across the continent
Tom Nugent
Backing your schoolmates: The alumni funds investing in Europe's university founders
Analysis
June 30, 2023
Backing your schoolmates: The alumni funds investing in Europe's university founders
Alumni funds have been around at places like MIT and Stanford in the US for a decade... but now the model is making its way to Europe
Tom Nugent
King’s College spinout raises £6.5m seed round to make surgery safer
News
June 1, 2023
King’s College spinout raises £6.5m seed round to make surgery safer
The fresh raise will be used to grow the team and get regulatory clearance for its first product
Tom Nugent
German SaaS platform Sastrify raises Series B
News
May 24, 2023
German SaaS platform Sastrify raises Series B
Sastrify helps companies bring all of their SaaS subscriptions under one roof. The company has raised $22m in equity and $10m in debt
Tom Nugent
15 DACH startups to watch, according to VCs
Analysis
May 19, 2023
15 DACH startups to watch, according to VCs
From a startup recycling key metals from end-of-life lithium-ion batteries to one tackling agricultural emissions, these are the DACH startups you need to know about
Tom Nugent
ETH spinout ANYbotics raises $50m for AI-led robo workforce
News
May 16, 2023
ETH spinout ANYbotics raises $50m for AI-led robo workforce
Walden Catalyst and NGP Capital led the round, with participation from investors including Bessemer Venture Partners and Aramco Ventures
Tom Nugent

Tom Nugent

92% of the UK’s Russell Group universities now have a university-affiliated venture fund for spinouts

Brain-inspired AI chip startup Gemesys raises €8.6m pre-seed round

7 Oxford-based startups to watch, according to investors

Investors scour Europe's universities for the next unicorn

Spinout valley of death: How proof-of-concept funding is faring in the UK

Making money, raising funds and finding customers are founders' main challenges in 2024

The fastest-growing spinout teams in Europe

Seedcamp, Balderton and Kindred-backer Legal & General is doubling down on spinout investments

Europe’s daily startup deals — Thursday September 12 2024

Europe’s daily startup deals — Tuesday 10 September 2024

Dream casting: the actors we want to see play Europe’s top founders

More than a quarter of European startup employees think their stock options will enable them to start their own company in the future

Revolut posts record profits in 2023 financial results

9 European university spinouts to watch, according to VCs

Google and DeepMind alumni lead GenAI startup creation in Europe

UK spinout review “significant victory” for academic founders

Dundee named UK’s top university for spinout success

9 bioengineering startups to watch, according to VCs

Uni.Fund raises €50m of new fund for university spinouts in Europe

Backing your schoolmates: The alumni funds investing in Europe's university founders

King’s College spinout raises £6.5m seed round to make surgery safer

German SaaS platform Sastrify raises Series B

15 DACH startups to watch, according to VCs

ETH spinout ANYbotics raises $50m for AI-led robo workforce