# Interview

Selling SVB to HSBC was the wrong decision for UK startups, says OakNorth CEO
Interview
September 21, 2023
Selling SVB to HSBC was the wrong decision for UK startups, says OakNorth CEO
The CEO of one of Europe’s rare profitable unicorns says the bank is too big to support high growth companies as well as an OakNorth-SVB tie-up would have
Amy O'Brien
The French food app that got into big beef with the charcuterie lobby
Interview
September 13, 2023
The French food app that got into big beef with the charcuterie lobby
Yuka, which helps consumers decipher the labels on supermarket products, is only seven years-old – but it’s already seen its fair share of lobby wars
Daphné Leprince-Ringuet
Brunch with Creandum’s Johan Brenner: “All partners have equal pay, equal bonuses and equal carry”
Interview
September 1, 2023
Brunch with Creandum’s Johan Brenner: “All partners have equal pay, equal bonuses and equal carry”
He turned down Spotify at Balderton and then invested in the company at Creandum
Mimi Billing
Why is one of the founding fathers of generative AI all in on Web3?
Interview
August 24, 2023
Why is one of the founding fathers of generative AI all in on Web3?
Illia Polosukhin created the technology that powers generative AI. Now he's building a Web3 platform to try and transform the internet, again
Tim Smith
Want to get in Y Combinator? Don't do this
Interview
July 31, 2023
Want to get in Y Combinator? Don't do this
Five mistakes to avoid in your Y Combinator application, from someone who will be looking at it
Daphné Leprince-Ringuet
Onfido CEO Mike Tuchen: 'We’re unhooking ourselves from the drug of other people's money'
Interview
July 25, 2023
Onfido CEO Mike Tuchen: 'We’re unhooking ourselves from the drug of other people's money'
The head of the identity verification unicorn says the company has done layoffs to help reach cashflow positive quicker
Amy O'Brien
Why the World Bank Group’s investment arm is bullish about CEE — and wants others to follow suit
Interview
July 20, 2023
Why the World Bank Group’s investment arm is bullish about CEE — and wants others to follow suit
The International Finance Corporation has a remit to create jobs in all parts of the world. One of its directors tells Sifted why he thinks doing so in CEE will be easy
Zosia Wanat
The unassuming Polish cofounder behind the biggest SaaS IPO ever is reinvesting in his home country
Interview
July 19, 2023
The unassuming Polish cofounder behind the biggest SaaS IPO ever is reinvesting in his home country
After leading Snowflake to huge success, Marcin Żukowski wants to give back to Poland. But becoming a public role model hasn't been smooth sailing
Zosia Wanat
What kind of VC does KfW Capital want to invest in?
Interview
July 12, 2023
What kind of VC does KfW Capital want to invest in?
KfW Capital says it’s open to invest in nearly all VC funds — as long as they do their homework
Miriam Partington
WeWork’s ex-CMO returns to Denmark to bag the IPO he couldn’t with Adam Neumann
Interview
July 7, 2023
WeWork’s ex-CMO returns to Denmark to bag the IPO he couldn’t with Adam Neumann
LMS365 will be Robin Daniels fourth attempt and third IPO if everything goes to plan
Mimi Billing
N26’s longest-standing employee steps down
Interview
July 5, 2023
N26’s longest-standing employee steps down
Chief growth officer Alex Weber is stepping down to rest and reflect after 10 years at the German neobank
Miriam Partington
Goldman Sachs thinks IPOs could start again next year — but CEOs won't be rushed
Interview
July 3, 2023
Goldman Sachs thinks IPOs could start again next year — but CEOs won't be rushed
Companies are seeking to stay private for longer as being a public company changes the way a founder has to operate a business
Miriam Partington
Brunch with Mollie founder Adriaan Mol: 'Every scaleup should do layoffs maybe every year'
Interview
June 30, 2023
Brunch with Mollie founder Adriaan Mol: 'Every scaleup should do layoffs maybe every year'
The Mollie and MessageBird founder on bootstrapping, why fintech is boring, and how AI could soon replace startup founders
Amy O'Brien
UK’s biggest startup investor is seeing more demand than ever
Interview
June 29, 2023
UK’s biggest startup investor is seeing more demand than ever
British Patient Capital's CEO wants fund managers and startups to know it has cash to spend — but it can't do it alone
Kabir Agarwal
The anti-Putin activist building supersonic planes
Interview
June 22, 2023
The anti-Putin activist building supersonic planes
The Siberian-born serial founder has set his sights on building a plane faster than the speed of sound
Freya Pratty
The man behind Northvolt and H2 Green Steel is launching a new venture
Interview
June 16, 2023
The man behind Northvolt and H2 Green Steel is launching a new venture
If Mix's track record is anything to go by, new venture Aira will be one to watch
Freya Pratty
Tony Blair thinks AI will save Britain, he’s just not quite sure how it should work
Interview
June 15, 2023
Tony Blair thinks AI will save Britain, he’s just not quite sure how it should work
Tony Blair and William Hague have published a joint report laying out a vision for an "AI-powered UK"
Tim Smith
One startup's pivot-full journey to finding a lucrative use for GenAI
Interview
June 9, 2023
One startup's pivot-full journey to finding a lucrative use for GenAI
Hamburg-based Oxolo has 160k users today, but the road to product-market fit has been a winding one — via fairy avatars and long-dead grandparents
Tim Smith
This fintech CEO raised a Series B, then her company went bankrupt. Here’s what she learnt along the way
Interview
June 6, 2023
This fintech CEO raised a Series B, then her company went bankrupt. Here’s what she learnt along the way
Eight months after filing for insolvency, Nuri’s ex-CEO Kristina Walcker-Mayer shares her advice for founders in a crisis
Amy O'Brien
New EIC boss wants bigger tickets for deeptech
Interview
June 2, 2023
New EIC boss wants bigger tickets for deeptech
Michiel Scheffer's presidency of the EIC starts at a tricky time — but he wants the EU's biggest investment body to regain startups' trust
Zosia Wanat
Brunch with Vinted’s CEO: 'We're technically IPO-ready'
Interview
May 29, 2023
Brunch with Vinted’s CEO: 'We're technically IPO-ready'
The Lithuanian secondhand clothing marketplace is the country's biggest tech success, and a public listing is the classic next step. But its CEO envisions a different type of growth
Zosia Wanat
Blossom partner Ophelia Brown: 'VC by nature is definitely a competitive sport'
Interview
May 26, 2023
Blossom partner Ophelia Brown: 'VC by nature is definitely a competitive sport'
Ophelia Brown, partner at Blossom Capital, joins the Sifted podcast to chat crypto, if the UK has had its day and hype deals
Amy Lewin
How to build a commercial culture at a deeptech spinout
Interview
May 16, 2023
How to build a commercial culture at a deeptech spinout
How do you turn a company of researchers into a team that know how to make a product?
Tim Smith
What the 'Father of Alexa' did next
Interview
May 10, 2023
What the 'Father of Alexa' did next
William Tunstall-Pedoe built the AI that powered Amazon's voice assistant — and his new startup has just raised $20m to counter problems "intrinsic" to ChatGPT
Tim Smith

# Interview

Selling SVB to HSBC was the wrong decision for UK startups, says OakNorth CEO

The French food app that got into big beef with the charcuterie lobby

Brunch with Creandum’s Johan Brenner: “All partners have equal pay, equal bonuses and equal carry”

Why is one of the founding fathers of generative AI all in on Web3?

Want to get in Y Combinator? Don't do this

Onfido CEO Mike Tuchen: 'We’re unhooking ourselves from the drug of other people's money'

Why the World Bank Group’s investment arm is bullish about CEE — and wants others to follow suit

The unassuming Polish cofounder behind the biggest SaaS IPO ever is reinvesting in his home country

What kind of VC does KfW Capital want to invest in?

WeWork’s ex-CMO returns to Denmark to bag the IPO he couldn’t with Adam Neumann

N26’s longest-standing employee steps down

Goldman Sachs thinks IPOs could start again next year — but CEOs won't be rushed

Brunch with Mollie founder Adriaan Mol: 'Every scaleup should do layoffs maybe every year'

UK’s biggest startup investor is seeing more demand than ever

The anti-Putin activist building supersonic planes

The man behind Northvolt and H2 Green Steel is launching a new venture

Tony Blair thinks AI will save Britain, he’s just not quite sure how it should work

One startup's pivot-full journey to finding a lucrative use for GenAI

This fintech CEO raised a Series B, then her company went bankrupt. Here’s what she learnt along the way

New EIC boss wants bigger tickets for deeptech

Brunch with Vinted’s CEO: 'We're technically IPO-ready'

Blossom partner Ophelia Brown: 'VC by nature is definitely a competitive sport'

How to build a commercial culture at a deeptech spinout

What the 'Father of Alexa' did next