# Venture Capital

The latest news and analysis from Europe’s venture capital industry, including angel investing, impact investing, LPs, VCs and funding roundups.

Launching Europe’s “unicorn factory”
Interview
December 10, 2019
Launching Europe’s “unicorn factory”
Jean-Eric Paquet has a €10bn war chest to turn the European Innovation Council into "the biggest deeptech equity fund in Europe.”
John Thornhill
“Forget the money, startups” says chief executive of German unicorn Otto Bock
Analysis
December 10, 2019
“Forget the money, startups” says chief executive of German unicorn Otto Bock
The chief executive of Europe's 100-year-old unicorn tells founders to stop focusing on profit.
Kitty Knowles
Inside La French Tech
Interview
December 9, 2019
Inside La French Tech
Government organisation French Tech Mission is leading the way in Europe with its support package for startups. But why does it bother — and is it working? Amy Lewin meets director Kat Borlongan to find out.
Amy Lewin
Octopus Ventures loses "trailblazing" associate
News
December 6, 2019
Octopus Ventures loses "trailblazing" associate
Juliette Souliman joined the major European venture firm last year. She is now leaving to start her own fintech fund.
Isabel Woodford
What’s Europe done this month for diversity in tech?
News
December 6, 2019
What’s Europe done this month for diversity in tech?
A €21m Dutch fund to invest solely in female founders, female venture capital partners call for more female venture capital partners and a pan-European VC internship programme begins.
Amy Lewin
Polish startups ensnared by toxic government money
Opinion
December 5, 2019
Polish startups ensnared by toxic government money
State money is pouring into Polish startups, but entrepreneurs have ended up with toxic investors in their cap tables and financing tied to onerous conditions.
Mathias Pastor
Technology is stagnating and the venture capital industry is to blame
Opinion
December 4, 2019
Technology is stagnating and the venture capital industry is to blame
There is more and more money in tech, but when was the last time you experienced the launch of a product that felt truly revolutionary? We think the venture capital industry is to blame.
Alex Basu and Per Anell
Europe's top angel investors
Analysis
December 3, 2019
Europe's top angel investors
A hand-picked selection of some of the most prominent angel investors in Europe, featuring Xavier Niel, Oleg Tscheltzoff and Jacques Antoine-Granjon.
Kim Darrah
Family office investment into European startups jumps fivefold
News
December 3, 2019
Family office investment into European startups jumps fivefold
The money invested in European startups by family offices or rich individuals has risen fivefold in the past five years. Private wealth is also now the biggest source of funding for venture capital funds.
Kim Darrah
"Technologies and practices change - people never do" - Bookclub with Swoop's Andrea Reynolds
Interview
November 29, 2019
"Technologies and practices change - people never do" - Bookclub with Swoop's Andrea Reynolds
Books on timeless business wisdom from legendary investor Warren Buffett, autobiographies and learning about business from Formula 1.
Chris Sisserian
Inside "Angel's Den"; London's speed dating for startups
Analysis
November 28, 2019
Inside "Angel's Den"; London's speed dating for startups
Sifted visited London’s fintech angel investor scene, to find out how founders secure millions of pounds in seed money with just a 7 minute pitch.
Isabel Woodford
European tech startups break records with $34bn in venture capital funding this year
Analysis
November 21, 2019
European tech startups break records with $34bn in venture capital funding this year
There has been a massive 40% jump in venture capital funding for European startups this year, even as funding for US and Asian startups stagnates. That's just one of the seven key takeaways from Atomico's State of European Tech report.
Kim Darrah
New European microfund launches; 85% of its investors are women
News
November 20, 2019
New European microfund launches; 85% of its investors are women
Unconventional Ventures is a new investment company backing Nordic businesses with underrepresented founders.
Amy Lewin
Miguel Vicente from Barcelona Tech City on the exhaustion of founder addiction
Interview
November 13, 2019
Miguel Vicente from Barcelona Tech City on the exhaustion of founder addiction
The cofounder of Barcelona Tech City and Antai Venture Builders sits down with Sifted to talk founder addiction and managing your startup’s ‘ego system’
Tim Smith
Leuven, the university town where students + beer = startups
Places
July 31, 2019
Leuven, the university town where students + beer = startups
Home of Anheuser Busch, the world’s largest beer company
Maija Palmer
How to make a smart angel investment
Analysis
June 24, 2019
How to make a smart angel investment
The number of angel investors in Europe keeps growing year on year. Do you want in?
Kitty Knowles
European investors are finally putting money into sextech startups
Analysis
June 4, 2019
European investors are finally putting money into sextech startups
The so-called ‘sextech’ industry — made up of sex toys, apps and services — is now worth $30bn and is growing by 30% each year.
Kitty Knowles
"Missing: Working class founders"
Opinion
April 15, 2019
"Missing: Working class founders"
Investors — and even crowdfunding sites — still throw up too many hurdles for working class founders looking for funding, says our first ‘Secret Founder’ columnist.
Secret Founder
Insider View: Zurich's cool tech collaborators
Analysis
March 21, 2019
Insider View: Zurich's cool tech collaborators
Zurich is a melting pot for tech startups and big corporates, with gorgeous mountains to boot.
Kitty Knowles
7 fundraising lessons from Latvia's million-dollar startups
How To
March 1, 2019
7 fundraising lessons from Latvia's million-dollar startups
Rising stars Giraffe360 and Nordigen on the dos and don'ts of startup fundraising.
Kitty Knowles
Insider view: Bristol's deep chip expertise
Places
February 25, 2019
Insider view: Bristol's deep chip expertise
Bristol's deep history of semiconductor development is producing a new crop of companies like Graphcore.
Maija Palmer
Warm introductions are bad for diversity
Analysis
February 5, 2019
Warm introductions are bad for diversity
Startups with all-female founding teams reap less benefits from warm introductions than all-male female founding teams.
Amy Lewin

# Venture Capital

Launching Europe’s “unicorn factory”

“Forget the money, startups” says chief executive of German unicorn Otto Bock

Inside La French Tech

Octopus Ventures loses "trailblazing" associate

What’s Europe done this month for diversity in tech?

Polish startups ensnared by toxic government money

Technology is stagnating and the venture capital industry is to blame

Europe's top angel investors

Family office investment into European startups jumps fivefold

"Technologies and practices change - people never do" - Bookclub with Swoop's Andrea Reynolds

Inside "Angel's Den"; London's speed dating for startups

European tech startups break records with $34bn in venture capital funding this year

New European microfund launches; 85% of its investors are women

Miguel Vicente from Barcelona Tech City on the exhaustion of founder addiction

Leuven, the university town where students + beer = startups

How to make a smart angel investment

European investors are finally putting money into sextech startups

"Missing: Working class founders"

Insider View: Zurich's cool tech collaborators

7 fundraising lessons from Latvia's million-dollar startups

Insider view: Bristol's deep chip expertise

Warm introductions are bad for diversity