Latest Sifted View news and analysis from startup Europe

Sifted View

Sifted View is a weekly column from our cofounder and editorial director, John Thornhill. Every Monday, John will cut through the noise with his sharp take on the biggest story shaping European tech. No fluff. No spin. Just the insight and analysis that matters.

The US and Europe: A tale of two AIs
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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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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
The results are in: Europe really must scale up
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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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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
Europe is zagging on AI while Silicon Valley zigs
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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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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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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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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
Making the most of Europe’s second mover advantage
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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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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
Londonmaxxing has got my cortisol spiking
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March 16, 2026
Londonmaxxing has got my cortisol spiking
Can the ecosystem's new mantra survive the inevitable next wave of pessimism?
Martin Coulter
SPACs are back. This time they can’t be a dumpster fire for European startups
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March 9, 2026
SPACs are back. This time they can’t be a dumpster fire for European startups
The SPAC comeback tour in Europe puts capital and tech sovereignty in the spotlight
Tom Nugent
Opinionated women in tech: where are you?
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March 2, 2026
Opinionated women in tech: where are you?
Europe’s tech debate won’t diversify itself
Mimi Billing
OpenClaw proves you were right about Europe
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February 20, 2026
OpenClaw proves you were right about Europe
Peter Steinberger’s move to OpenAI has been interpreted in predictable ways
Martin Coulter
European tech sovereignty creates fintech opportunities
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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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February 9, 2026
What the US tech smackdown means for Europe
A dizzying week of AI developments has left many confused
John Thornhill
European VC is facing a Big Bang
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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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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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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
Europe has much to learn from Chinese tech
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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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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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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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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
One and a half cheers for the UK's new economic approach
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December 1, 2025
One and a half cheers for the UK's new economic approach
Britain has a shot at boosting productivity if both public and private sectors can deploy AI to good effect
John Thornhill

Sifted View

The US and Europe: A tale of two AIs

European sovereignty doesn't mean corporate welfare

The results are in: Europe really must scale up

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

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

Making the most of Europe’s second mover advantage

Politicians are flirting with founders but need to commit

Londonmaxxing has got my cortisol spiking

SPACs are back. This time they can’t be a dumpster fire for European startups

Opinionated women in tech: where are you?

OpenClaw proves you were right about Europe

European tech sovereignty creates fintech opportunities

What the US tech smackdown means for Europe

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

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

One and a half cheers for the UK's new economic approach