# 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.

‘You cannot hide from AI’: Should we fear AI-led performance reviews?
Analysis
September 23, 2026
‘You cannot hide from AI’: Should we fear AI-led performance reviews?
Fuse Energy boss Alan Chang says the tech is helping him achieve "the ultimate meritocracy" — but some are sceptical that AI can do this job well
Éanna Kelly
London Demo Day 2026: startups to watch
Pro
List
September 21, 2026
London Demo Day 2026: startups to watch
London Demo Day, the annual event where university-founded startups pitch for capital, returned this month
Oshin Narang
Inside London's weirdest neolab
Pro
Interview
September 18, 2026
Inside London's weirdest neolab
Inherent was founded by DeepMind alumni and has been backed with $50m from Index and Radical
Maya Dharampal-Hornby
A founder’s guide to early IP management: ‘You don't own it just because you invented it’
Sponsored by
September 17, 2026
A founder’s guide to early IP management: ‘You don't own it just because you invented it’
Flatfrog and Lightbringer cofounder Ola Wassvik shares the IP lessons and mistakes he made while building a 300-patent portfolio
Sponsored by: Lightbringer
What should you wear to a tech interview? The essential dos and don’ts
Analysis
September 16, 2026
What should you wear to a tech interview? The essential dos and don’ts
Is a suit overkill? Patagonia fleece still king? What about branded merch? I’ve got answers
Éanna Kelly
The entrepreneurial advantage in a 100-year life
Paid for and produced by
September 10, 2026
The entrepreneurial advantage in a 100-year life
Living the 100-Year Life, will be published by Bloomsbury in September 2026.
Paid for and produced by: London Business School
The most active growth equity investors in Europe
Pro
Most active investors
September 10, 2026
The most active growth equity investors in Europe
83 growth-stage investors with at least three growth investments have deployed capital into European companies this year
Ruggero Di Spigna
The DeepMind mafia building startups in Europe
Pro
Founder factories
September 9, 2026
The DeepMind mafia building startups in Europe
Google’s AI lab has had a big impact on the tech world, with countless staff branching out to launch their own ventures
Tom Nugent
The dos and don’ts of a team offsite: Candle making, line dancing, no hard booze
Interview
September 9, 2026
The dos and don’ts of a team offsite: Candle making, line dancing, no hard booze
German AI company Voize shares what worked well on its recent away day for 140 employees
Éanna Kelly
DACH & CEE: the data behind the region's fastest-growing startups
Pro
Leaderboard
September 9, 2026
DACH & CEE: the data behind the region's fastest-growing startups
Beyond revenue growth, Sifted dissects the efficiency of this year's 100 fastest-growing DACH & CEE startups
Federico Scolari
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
17 startup and investor hotspots in Stockholm
List
September 7, 2026
17 startup and investor hotspots in Stockholm
Sifted asked the locals for their hotspots in the city
Mimi Billing
Nordics leaderboard: the data behind the region’s fastest-growing startups
Pro
Leaderboard
September 7, 2026
Nordics leaderboard: the data behind the region’s fastest-growing startups
Beyond revenue growth, Sifted dissects the efficiency of this year's 100 fastest-growing Nordics startups
Federico Scolari
Claret Capital raises €575m for fourth debt fund as ‘less sexy’ startups need access
Pro
News
September 7, 2026
Claret Capital raises €575m for fourth debt fund as ‘less sexy’ startups need access
The firm aims to lend to VC-backed startups in areas like climate, lifesciences and spacetech
Anne Sraders
Matt Clifford's move to Anthropic draws criticism: 'Not cool'
Analysis
September 3, 2026
Matt Clifford's move to Anthropic draws criticism: 'Not cool'
Some believe it's a shame that one of the UK’s top tech leaders is joining a US company
Freya Pratty and Anne Sraders
The 10 most capital-efficient startups in the Nordics
Pro
Leaderboard
September 3, 2026
The 10 most capital-efficient startups in the Nordics
The companies from Sifted’s latest Nordics leaderboard making the most revenue with the least capital
Oshin Narang
‘I want to build a decacorn’: The former Legora and Revolut employee betting big on legaltech
Interview
September 2, 2026
‘I want to build a decacorn’: The former Legora and Revolut employee betting big on legaltech
Michelle Cotter is closing a €1m pre-seed round for Juritas, inspired by the ‘oozing ambition’ she saw at both companies
Éanna Kelly
Long hours and stress don’t mean your startup is toxic
Opinion
September 1, 2026
Long hours and stress don’t mean your startup is toxic
The startup world is, if anything, getting less flexible and more gruelling — and we have to all make peace with that
Paddy Lambros
Renewed online debate about German bureaucracy sparks criticism over startup scene: ‘Things need to change’
Analysis
August 31, 2026
Renewed online debate about German bureaucracy sparks criticism over startup scene: ‘Things need to change’
An X post by Stripe CEO Patrick Collison over the weekend highlighted the laborious procedures startups have to go through in Germany
Anne Sraders
Are the Nordics really on fire?
Podcast
August 28, 2026
Are the Nordics really on fire?
Host Freya Pratty is joined by Europe editor Mimi Billing live at TechBBQ to discuss the momentum behind the Nordic tech scene
Freya Pratty and Mimi Billing
Should tech events ban Meta’s smart glasses?
Analysis
August 26, 2026
Should tech events ban Meta’s smart glasses?
The popular specs — which critics call "pervert glasses" — have divided a normally pro-tech crowd
Éanna Kelly
How to avoid founder exit regret
Opinion
August 25, 2026
How to avoid founder exit regret
Most founders spend years planning how to build a company — but far fewer plan what comes after selling it
Anthony Villis
15 startup hotspots in Copenhagen
List
August 24, 2026
15 startup hotspots in Copenhagen
Sifted asked local operators for their best spots in the city
Mimi Billing
How tech shortcuts come back to haunt startups
Opinion
August 21, 2026
How tech shortcuts come back to haunt startups
Startups pride themselves on moving quickly — but speed without discipline comes at a cost
Eugi Bartolo

# Startup life

‘You cannot hide from AI’: Should we fear AI-led performance reviews?

London Demo Day 2026: startups to watch

Inside London's weirdest neolab

A founder’s guide to early IP management: ‘You don't own it just because you invented it’

What should you wear to a tech interview? The essential dos and don’ts

The entrepreneurial advantage in a 100-year life

The most active growth equity investors in Europe

The DeepMind mafia building startups in Europe

The dos and don’ts of a team offsite: Candle making, line dancing, no hard booze

DACH & CEE: the data behind the region's fastest-growing startups

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

17 startup and investor hotspots in Stockholm

Nordics leaderboard: the data behind the region’s fastest-growing startups

Claret Capital raises €575m for fourth debt fund as ‘less sexy’ startups need access

Matt Clifford's move to Anthropic draws criticism: 'Not cool'

The 10 most capital-efficient startups in the Nordics

‘I want to build a decacorn’: The former Legora and Revolut employee betting big on legaltech

Long hours and stress don’t mean your startup is toxic

Renewed online debate about German bureaucracy sparks criticism over startup scene: ‘Things need to change’

Are the Nordics really on fire?

Should tech events ban Meta’s smart glasses?

How to avoid founder exit regret

15 startup hotspots in Copenhagen

How tech shortcuts come back to haunt startups