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.

Why Peter Thiel is both right and wrong about Europe
Sifted View
September 28, 2026
Why Peter Thiel is both right and wrong about Europe
As the likes of Revolut show, some younger European companies can still aspire to being world class
John Thornhill
Europe’s advantage: moving AI from the screen to the real world
Pro
Sifted View
September 21, 2026
Europe’s advantage: moving AI from the screen to the real world
The continent has already grown some highly promising startups in vertical AI
John Thornhill
Hugging Face’s $12.9bn sale is both inspiring and dispiriting for Europe
Pro
Sifted View
September 7, 2026
Hugging Face’s $12.9bn sale is both inspiring and dispiriting for Europe
Nvidia has snapped up the French startup
John Thornhill
Urgent: maximise the positive uses of AI
Pro
Sifted View
August 31, 2026
Urgent: maximise the positive uses of AI
Bill Gates's latest essay has particular resonance in Europe
John Thornhill
Do you bet on the startup jockey or horse? Try the third option
Pro
Sifted View
August 24, 2026
Do you bet on the startup jockey or horse? Try the third option
New research suggests a third factor deserves far more attention
John Thornhill
Does it make sense for Revolut to get physical?
Pro
Sifted View
August 17, 2026
Does it make sense for Revolut to get physical?
Europe's most valuable private tech company plans to open airport lounges
John Thornhill
DeepMind’s future has become all the more critical for the UK
Pro
Sifted View
August 10, 2026
DeepMind’s future has become all the more critical for the UK
It remains unclear what this reshuffle means for London as an AI centre
John Thornhill
The next AI race will be fought over trust
Pro
Sifted View
July 27, 2026
The next AI race will be fought over trust
OpenAI's accidental hacking of Hugging Face raises questions over whether Europe's AI leaders are taking safety seriously enough
Martin Coulter
How Daniel Ek is building his ‘new European dream’
Pro
Sifted View
July 20, 2026
How Daniel Ek is building his ‘new European dream’
Neko Health and Helsing have raised rounds at higher valuations than most of their US competitors
John Thornhill
Can AI really cure all diseases?
Pro
Sifted View
July 6, 2026
Can AI really cure all diseases?
In an era of 'AI dread', Basecamp’s work is a great reminder of the benefits the technology could yet bring about
John Thornhill
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
Want to build European AI muscles? Scrap non-compete clauses
Pro
Sifted View
June 22, 2026
Want to build European AI muscles? Scrap non-compete clauses
With so many promising AI startups in Europe, governments should do everything they can to enable growth
John Thornhill
European tech has discovered some swagger
Pro
Sifted View
June 15, 2026
European tech has discovered some swagger
A string of mega deals has brought a new sense of mission and ambition to the continent's tech sector
John Thornhill
Europe cannot remain the last herbivore in a carnivorous world
Pro
Sifted View
June 8, 2026
Europe cannot remain the last herbivore in a carnivorous world
The AI revolution may well have created a fresh opportunity for Europe. As ever, the question is whether it can seize it
John Thornhill
The US and Europe: A tale of two AIs
Pro
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
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
The results are in: Europe really must scale up
Pro
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'
Pro
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
Europe is zagging on AI while Silicon Valley zigs
Pro
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
Pro
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
Pro
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
Pro
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
Making the most of Europe’s second mover advantage
Pro
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
Pro
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

Sifted View

Why Peter Thiel is both right and wrong about Europe

Europe’s advantage: moving AI from the screen to the real world

Hugging Face’s $12.9bn sale is both inspiring and dispiriting for Europe

Urgent: maximise the positive uses of AI

Do you bet on the startup jockey or horse? Try the third option

Does it make sense for Revolut to get physical?

DeepMind’s future has become all the more critical for the UK

The next AI race will be fought over trust

How Daniel Ek is building his ‘new European dream’

Can AI really cure all diseases?

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

Want to build European AI muscles? Scrap non-compete clauses

European tech has discovered some swagger

Europe cannot remain the last herbivore in a carnivorous world

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