# Public and academic

The latest startup news and analysis from Europe’s public and academic institutions, including edtech, policy and regulation, government and universities.

The people set to influence tech policy in Burnham’s Britain
Pro
Analysis
July 13, 2026
The people set to influence tech policy in Burnham’s Britain
Here are the other movers and shakers you should be watching
Freya Pratty
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
Exclusive: ETCI-backed VC firms split over plan to limit non-European investments
Pro
Exclusive
July 3, 2026
Exclusive: ETCI-backed VC firms split over plan to limit non-European investments
Some VCs believe being required to invest more into Europe could limit their appeal to private LPs
Daphné Leprince-Ringuet and Anne Sraders
Inside the 30-year EU initiative turning startup placements into patents
Paid for and produced by
July 3, 2026
Inside the 30-year EU initiative turning startup placements into patents
MSCA partnerships operate at a rare level of R&D efficiency: roughly one project, one patent
Paid for and produced by: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
Andy Burnham's plan to overhaul AI strategy sparks backlash
News
July 2, 2026
Andy Burnham's plan to overhaul AI strategy sparks backlash
Reports suggest the soon-to-be prime minister is sceptical of recent approaches to data centres and driverless vehicles
Martin Coulter
21 spinouts to watch, according to VCs
Pro
Investor survey
July 1, 2026
21 spinouts to watch, according to VCs
Built on research in strategically important areas, homegrown spinouts offers VCs a route into Europe’s growing tech sovereignty ecosystem
Tom Nugent
University of Edinburgh spinouts looking to raise
Pro
Spinouts fundraising
July 1, 2026
University of Edinburgh spinouts looking to raise
Sifted breaks down pre-seed to Series B spinouts from the university that are courting investors
Oshin Narang
French bid to block UK from €5bn EU fund sparks backlash
Pro
Analysis
July 1, 2026
French bid to block UK from €5bn EU fund sparks backlash
Founders and investors divided over British involvement in Scaleup fund
Martin Coulter and Anne Sraders
Exclusive: DeepMind and Gensyn angels back Xylo in £2.8m raise
Pro
Exclusive
July 1, 2026
Exclusive: DeepMind and Gensyn angels back Xylo in £2.8m raise
Govtech is trendy now, say the team behind Xylo, which provides AI agents for planning officers
Freya Pratty
Startups and VCs divided over UK’s long-awaited defence investment plan
Pro
Analysis
July 1, 2026
Startups and VCs divided over UK’s long-awaited defence investment plan
Some of Europe's top drone startups are eagerly awaiting more UK defence spending
Anne Sraders and Tom Nugent
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
Andy Burnham was Manchester tech’s ‘hype man’. Will he be the same for Britain?
Pro
Analysis
June 23, 2026
Andy Burnham was Manchester tech’s ‘hype man’. Will he be the same for Britain?
Over the past decade, Andy Burnham has overseen one of Europe’s fastest-growing tech hubs as mayor of Greater Manchester
Tom Nugent and Martin Coulter
What Brexit got wrong — and right — for UK startups
Pro
Analysis
June 23, 2026
What Brexit got wrong — and right — for UK startups
British tech startups among the few bright spots
Martin Coulter
What would Andy Burnham do for UK startups?
Pro
Explainer
June 22, 2026
What would Andy Burnham do for UK startups?
The former Manchester mayor is widely expected to become the country's next prime minister
Maya Dharampal-Hornby and Freya Pratty
‘None of us will do it alone’: European solidarity takes over VivaTech
Pro
Analysis
June 19, 2026
‘None of us will do it alone’: European solidarity takes over VivaTech
The flagship event, taking place this week in Paris, saw a host of announcements to boost teamwork on digital sovereignty
Daphné Leprince-Ringuet
7 TUM spinouts ready to raise their next round
Pro
Spinouts fundraising
June 18, 2026
7 TUM spinouts ready to raise their next round
The German spinout factory counts companies like Isar Aerospace and Robco among its alumni
Oshin Narang
What the EU’s new Sovereignty Package means for European tech
Pro
Analysis
June 4, 2026
What the EU’s new Sovereignty Package means for European tech
The new set of proposals unveiled Wednesday by the EU Commission aims to reduce the region’s dependence on foreign providers of critical technologies
Daphné Leprince-Ringuet
10 Oxford spinouts ready to raise Series A
Pro
Spinouts fundraising
May 27, 2026
10 Oxford spinouts ready to raise Series A
Spanning drug discovery, robotics, quantum tech and more — these are the buzziest startups spinning out of Europe's most prolific life sciences university
Oshin Narang
Europe has the ambition. The Digital Omnibus must match it
Opinion
May 26, 2026
Europe has the ambition. The Digital Omnibus must match it
An open letter from European AI and technology founders
Johannes Schildt, Sabina Wizander, Markus Villig, Peter Sarlin, Joel Hellermark and Fredrik Hjelm
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
Europe’s AI future depends on UK-France-Germany DARPA alliance, says Nobel winner
Pro
Interview
May 21, 2026
Europe’s AI future depends on UK-France-Germany DARPA alliance, says Nobel winner
Philippe Aghion won the Nobel prize last year for his creative destruction theory
Freya Pratty
Exclusive: The ‘lobby wars’ pitting Europe’s chip startups against semiconductor giants
Pro
Analysis
May 18, 2026
Exclusive: The ‘lobby wars’ pitting Europe’s chip startups against semiconductor giants
Supported by the European Commission, six chip startups have created a new lobby group to represent their interests
Daphné Leprince-Ringuet
12 ETH Zurich spinouts ready to raise Series A
Pro
Spinouts fundraising
May 12, 2026
12 ETH Zurich spinouts ready to raise Series A
Zurich is capturing a lot of attention when it comes to Europe's deeptech ambitions
Oshin Narang

# Public and academic

The people set to influence tech policy in Burnham’s Britain

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

Exclusive: ETCI-backed VC firms split over plan to limit non-European investments

Inside the 30-year EU initiative turning startup placements into patents

Andy Burnham's plan to overhaul AI strategy sparks backlash

21 spinouts to watch, according to VCs

University of Edinburgh spinouts looking to raise

French bid to block UK from €5bn EU fund sparks backlash

Exclusive: DeepMind and Gensyn angels back Xylo in £2.8m raise

Startups and VCs divided over UK’s long-awaited defence investment plan

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

Andy Burnham was Manchester tech’s ‘hype man’. Will he be the same for Britain?

What Brexit got wrong — and right — for UK startups

What would Andy Burnham do for UK startups?

‘None of us will do it alone’: European solidarity takes over VivaTech

7 TUM spinouts ready to raise their next round

What the EU’s new Sovereignty Package means for European tech

10 Oxford spinouts ready to raise Series A

Europe has the ambition. The Digital Omnibus must match it

European sovereignty doesn't mean corporate welfare

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

Europe’s AI future depends on UK-France-Germany DARPA alliance, says Nobel winner

Exclusive: The ‘lobby wars’ pitting Europe’s chip startups against semiconductor giants

12 ETH Zurich spinouts ready to raise Series A