# Startup life

Discover what it's like to build a startup in Europe, with the latest trends covering diversity and inclusion, the future of work, hiring and funding.

What I told a room full of Europe's fastest-growing companies
Paid for and produced by
November 2, 2026
What I told a room full of Europe's fastest-growing companies
Zoom's Andreas Klauser on what he told founders, investors and startups at Sifted Summit 2026 about AI, revenue, and why growth breaks down after the conversation ends
Paid for and produced by: Zoom
Missile startup Hypersonica raises €100m from Lightspeed, General Catalyst as missile defence takes off
News
November 2, 2026
Missile startup Hypersonica raises €100m from Lightspeed, General Catalyst as missile defence takes off
The Series B raise reportedly values the startup at around €700m.
Anne Sraders
Enterprise customers want to see AI’s ROI. Here’s how startups can show it
How to
November 2, 2026
Enterprise customers want to see AI’s ROI. Here’s how startups can show it
This year has been about proving ROI, with startups needing to demonstrate that their AI products benefit companies much faster
Tom Nugent
AI has changed how we work. So why does the office look exactly the same?
Opinion
November 2, 2026
AI has changed how we work. So why does the office look exactly the same?
We’ve barely begun to imagine how to physically house the tech
Éanna Kelly
South Korea is betting on startups to secure its future on the global stage
Sponsored by
October 30, 2026
South Korea is betting on startups to secure its future on the global stage
South Korea is better known globally for its big corporates, but now its tech ecosystem is under pressure to perform just as well
Sponsored by: 123 Factory
Talent tops European AI startups’ concerns as funding pressures mount
Pro
Sifted data
October 30, 2026
Talent tops European AI startups’ concerns as funding pressures mount
Sifted’s AI 100 survey finds funding climbing the list of concerns, buyers circling and more respondents open to a US move
Jonathan Sinclair
Is France’s startup nation falling out of love with Macron?
Pro
Analysis
October 30, 2026
Is France’s startup nation falling out of love with Macron?
Amid a debt crisis and mounting social unrest, the French tech sector is wondering what happened to the president’s early promises
Daphné Leprince-Ringuet
Are Europe's fastest-growing startups hiring wrong?
Paid for and produced by
October 29, 2026
Are Europe's fastest-growing startups hiring wrong?
A new category of AI-native hiring tools is emerging, designed specifically for founders and hiring teams moving quickly
Paid for and produced by: Atlast
How to build an investment thesis and win early-stage deals, according to VCs
Pro
Interview
October 29, 2026
How to build an investment thesis and win early-stage deals, according to VCs
Three early-stage investors on when a thesis is worth building, how to build one, and how to keep it current
Oshin Narang
How to outcompete the ‘warp speed’ AI labs on hiring
How to
October 29, 2026
How to outcompete the ‘warp speed’ AI labs on hiring
Spoiler: it’s very hard. But flexible equity, secondaries and real task ownership can help in the recruitment race
Éanna Kelly
The executive talent market is divided in two
Paid for and produced by
October 28, 2026
The executive talent market is divided in two
As the AI era divides the executive talent pool, businesses should avoid looking for the perfect candidate and prioritise business outcomes and decisive hiring processes
Paid for and produced by: True
How to expand into new markets
How to
October 28, 2026
How to expand into new markets
AI might have made expansion faster and cheaper but it’s not exactly easier
Anisah Osman Britton
Who has the best LinkedIn photo in European tech?
Analysis
October 28, 2026
Who has the best LinkedIn photo in European tech?
We investigated the profile pics of Europe's founders and investors. The results are unlikely to move markets
Éanna Kelly
The climate tech startups still growing despite the funding slowdown
Pro
Analysis
October 28, 2026
The climate tech startups still growing despite the funding slowdown
Pivots, rebrands, new pitches: founders are reinventing themselves as AI takes the spotlight
Éanna Kelly
How to fund your robotics company: not another fundraise
Opinion
October 28, 2026
How to fund your robotics company: not another fundraise
Robotics has never had such abundant access to venture capital, which is great news for founders, right? Perhaps not
Sam Baker
New funds in Europe in Q3 2026
Pro
Sifted data
October 27, 2026
New funds in Europe in Q3 2026
Europe's biggest new funds back growth, AI and defence
Ruggero Di Spigna
Evertrace acquires Veck to strengthen early founder detection
Paid for and produced by
October 26, 2026
Evertrace acquires Veck to strengthen early founder detection
The acquisition brings Veck’s startup discovery capabilities and customers to Evertrace, which now works with more than 300 venture capital funds worldwide
Paid for and produced by: Evertrace
Exclusive: Heartcore Capital leads $17m raise for AI agent startup Nous
Pro
Exclusive
October 26, 2026
Exclusive: Heartcore Capital leads $17m raise for AI agent startup Nous
Mosaic Ventures, Chalfen Ventures, Joyance Partners and Bain Future Back Ventures also backed the round
Martin Coulter
Scaleup capital drives a fifth straight quarter of growth, as Paris and Munich outstrip London
Pro
Sifted data
October 26, 2026
Scaleup capital drives a fifth straight quarter of growth, as Paris and Munich outstrip London
European tech notched the highest quarterly total for funding on record in Q3, the third quarter in a row the figure has been broken
Federico Scolari
Oslo tech struggles to break out of Stockholm's shadow
Pro
Analysis
October 23, 2026
Oslo tech struggles to break out of Stockholm's shadow
Despite the tough market, VCs see promise for Norwegian deeptech
Anne Sraders
Ireland’s AI scene has buzz. Now it needs breakouts
Pro
Analysis
October 22, 2026
Ireland’s AI scene has buzz. Now it needs breakouts
Familiar names dominated the recent AI summit in Dublin, but a scrappier crowd is betting on tech that’s ‘easy to explain to your mam’
Éanna Kelly
Sifted’s first Onstage Demo Day
Features
October 22, 2026
Sifted’s first Onstage Demo Day
19 startups took the stage to pitch an investor and operator audience
Damisola Sulaiman
Italian startups are growing up: bigger early-stage rounds and more late-stage money, data shows
Pro
Sifted data
October 22, 2026
Italian startups are growing up: bigger early-stage rounds and more late-stage money, data shows
Bigger seeds, a rebound in growth rounds and a record year for late-stage equity point to a maturing pipeline
Federico Scolari
Should you get a personal AI assistant?
Analysis
October 21, 2026
Should you get a personal AI assistant?
I asked techies about these busy little bots and heard a mix of praise and criticism
Éanna Kelly

# Startup life

What I told a room full of Europe's fastest-growing companies

Missile startup Hypersonica raises €100m from Lightspeed, General Catalyst as missile defence takes off

Enterprise customers want to see AI’s ROI. Here’s how startups can show it

AI has changed how we work. So why does the office look exactly the same?

South Korea is betting on startups to secure its future on the global stage

Talent tops European AI startups’ concerns as funding pressures mount

Is France’s startup nation falling out of love with Macron?

Are Europe's fastest-growing startups hiring wrong?

How to build an investment thesis and win early-stage deals, according to VCs

How to outcompete the ‘warp speed’ AI labs on hiring

The executive talent market is divided in two

How to expand into new markets

Who has the best LinkedIn photo in European tech?

The climate tech startups still growing despite the funding slowdown

How to fund your robotics company: not another fundraise

New funds in Europe in Q3 2026

Evertrace acquires Veck to strengthen early founder detection

Exclusive: Heartcore Capital leads $17m raise for AI agent startup Nous

Scaleup capital drives a fifth straight quarter of growth, as Paris and Munich outstrip London

Oslo tech struggles to break out of Stockholm's shadow

Ireland’s AI scene has buzz. Now it needs breakouts

Sifted’s first Onstage Demo Day

Italian startups are growing up: bigger early-stage rounds and more late-stage money, data shows

Should you get a personal AI assistant?