# Brunch with Sifted

Every week Sifted sits down for brunch with the most innovative and influential founders, operators, investors and tech folk from across Europe.

Alexa creator William Tunstall-Pedoe: ‘Businesses still don’t fully trust AI’
Pro
Brunch with Sifted
October 21, 2025
Alexa creator William Tunstall-Pedoe: ‘Businesses still don’t fully trust AI’
UnlikelyAI is hoping it can crack the trust issue holding back the widespread adoption of AI in enterprises
Tom Nugent
German tech veteran Verena Pausder: ‘Without more capital, we will be overrun by the US and China’
Brunch with Sifted
September 20, 2025
German tech veteran Verena Pausder: ‘Without more capital, we will be overrun by the US and China’
The German Startup Association chief on her entrepreneurial roots, co-owning a football club — and why politicians should be as bold as founders
Miriam Partington
Project Europe CEO Kitty Mayo: ‘I got less support than I was expecting’
Brunch with Sifted
September 13, 2025
Project Europe CEO Kitty Mayo: ‘I got less support than I was expecting’
The chief of the early-stage fund discusses 'YOLO' career moves, getting poached by Harry Stebbings and social media backlash
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
OakNorth CEO Rishi Khosla: ‘Entrepreneurs have to hide their success in Britain’
Brunch with Sifted
September 6, 2025
OakNorth CEO Rishi Khosla: ‘Entrepreneurs have to hide their success in Britain’
Fintech founder talks childhood hustling, Elon Musk and 'tall poppy syndrome'
Martin Coulter
Ex-VC and Labour MP Kanishka Narayan: ‘Technology could make government radically better’
Brunch with Sifted
August 30, 2025
Ex-VC and Labour MP Kanishka Narayan: ‘Technology could make government radically better’
Investor-turned-lawmaker talks Eton College, his time spent working at a kebab shop and what Wales can learn from Silicon Valley
Martin Coulter
1Komma5 CEO Philipp Schröder: ‘Germany is hostile to innovation’
Brunch with Sifted
August 23, 2025
1Komma5 CEO Philipp Schröder: ‘Germany is hostile to innovation’
Leading climate tech founder on his rural upbringing, working with Elon Musk and tackling criticism head-on
Miriam Partington
Check Warner: ‘This is the worst time to go backwards’
Pro
Brunch with Sifted
August 16, 2025
Check Warner: ‘This is the worst time to go backwards’
The Ada Ventures founder discusses her journey into VC, pushback against DEI and her time directing surrealist theatre
Martin Coulter
Euan Blair: ‘When your dad’s running the country, it’s easy to think anything's possible’
Brunch with Sifted
August 9, 2025
Euan Blair: ‘When your dad’s running the country, it’s easy to think anything's possible’
The founder of unicorn edtech Multiverse on motivations, the problem with European VC and growing up the son of a prime minister
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
Deeptech VC Michael Jackson: ‘LinkedIn bans me twice a year’
Brunch with Sifted
August 2, 2025
Deeptech VC Michael Jackson: ‘LinkedIn bans me twice a year’
The outspoken investor on European navel-gazing and why the region's AI startups are 'bringing a knife to a gunfight'
Éanna Kelly
Balderton's Rana Yared: ‘I had a higher tolerance for garbage before’
Brunch with Sifted
July 26, 2025
Balderton's Rana Yared: ‘I had a higher tolerance for garbage before’
The Balderton general partner on Quantum Systems, bad boards and the habits that help her spend her time wisely
Amy Lewin
Entrepreneurs First CEO Alice Bentinck: 'There’s a lot of nationalism in VC'
Brunch with Sifted
July 19, 2025
Entrepreneurs First CEO Alice Bentinck: 'There’s a lot of nationalism in VC'
Sifted sat down with the EF cofounder to discuss life as CEO, changing European tech and the accelerator's shift to the US
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
Synthesia CEO Victor Riparbelli: ‘I'm very good at slapping stuff together’
Brunch with Sifted
July 12, 2025
Synthesia CEO Victor Riparbelli: ‘I'm very good at slapping stuff together’
The boss of Britain’s hottest AI startup on hype, red tape and his love of electronic music
Martin Coulter
Brunch with Eileen Burbidge: 'What's happening in America is crazy'
Pro
Brunch with Sifted
March 4, 2025
Brunch with Eileen Burbidge: 'What's happening in America is crazy'
The ‘Queen of British VC’ talks candidly about VC’s gender gap and the importance of fertility healthcare — and speaks out against tech’s recent war on DEI
Tom Matsuda
Brunch with Babylon founder Ali Parsa: 'I’m not one to sit down and lick my wounds'
Brunch with Sifted
December 4, 2024
Brunch with Babylon founder Ali Parsa: 'I’m not one to sit down and lick my wounds'
Parsa discusses the 'hardest' period of his career, the importance of control and plans to build a startup that’s bigger than his last
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
“We can control AI” — Brunch with DeepMind’s first policy chief, Verity Harding
Brunch with Sifted
August 30, 2024
“We can control AI” — Brunch with DeepMind’s first policy chief, Verity Harding
The former global head of policy at DeepMind says her worries around AI are less about the technology itself, more about humans disengaging
Tim Smith
‘I thought I was going to die’: Brunch with Depop and Delli founder Simon Beckerman
Brunch with Sifted
June 7, 2024
‘I thought I was going to die’: Brunch with Depop and Delli founder Simon Beckerman
Beckerman sat down with Sifted to talk about changing leadership, taking on the US and the pressures of startup life
Kai Nicol-Schwarz
Brunch with Plural and HelixNano’s Carina Namih: I needed to go to Silicon Valley to find VCs who could ‘match my ambition’
Brunch with Sifted
April 26, 2024
Brunch with Plural and HelixNano’s Carina Namih: I needed to go to Silicon Valley to find VCs who could ‘match my ambition’
Carina Namih sits down with Sifted to talk AI, Silicon Valley, the state of European tech and how to do VC better
Tim Smith
‘We’re not trying to build an Andreessen Horowitz-style firm’: Brunch with Point Nine’s Christoph Janz
Brunch with Sifted
February 28, 2024
‘We’re not trying to build an Andreessen Horowitz-style firm’: Brunch with Point Nine’s Christoph Janz
The founder talks building in the early software era, investing in B2B SaaS before it was cool — and why bigger VC firms aren’t always better
Miriam Partington
Brunch with Mistral AI's Cédric O: “Europe could be marginalised”
Brunch with Sifted
December 21, 2023
Brunch with Mistral AI's Cédric O: “Europe could be marginalised”
France’s former digital minister on Europe’s decline, “innovation-washing”, and why he’s not exactly a lobbyist
Daphné Leprince-Ringuet
Brunch with the founder of Rohlik — a profitable disruptor of a trillion-dollar grocery industry
Brunch with Sifted
December 13, 2023
Brunch with the founder of Rohlik — a profitable disruptor of a trillion-dollar grocery industry
The startup wants to expand to 30 cities by 2030
Zosia Wanat
Brunch with 2050’s Marie Ekeland: France’s VC rebel with a cause
Brunch with Sifted
November 23, 2023
Brunch with 2050’s Marie Ekeland: France’s VC rebel with a cause
The influential investor has a plan to save the world. Step 1: Blow up the venture capital model
Chris O’Brien
Brunch with SISTAFUND’s Tatiana Jama: ‘I want to have real impact’
Brunch with Sifted
October 13, 2023
Brunch with SISTAFUND’s Tatiana Jama: ‘I want to have real impact’
After launching three startups and becoming a business angel, Jama is focusing her considerable influence and new venture fund on boosting female founders
Chris O’Brien
Brunch with Creandum’s Johan Brenner: “All partners have equal pay, equal bonuses and equal carry”
Brunch with Sifted
September 1, 2023
Brunch with Creandum’s Johan Brenner: “All partners have equal pay, equal bonuses and equal carry”
He turned down Spotify at Balderton and then invested in the company at Creandum
Mimi Billing
Brunch with Mollie founder Adriaan Mol: 'Every scaleup should do layoffs maybe every year'
Brunch with Sifted
June 30, 2023
Brunch with Mollie founder Adriaan Mol: 'Every scaleup should do layoffs maybe every year'
The Mollie and MessageBird founder on bootstrapping, why fintech is boring, and how AI could soon replace startup founders
Amy O'Brien

# Brunch with Sifted

Alexa creator William Tunstall-Pedoe: ‘Businesses still don’t fully trust AI’

German tech veteran Verena Pausder: ‘Without more capital, we will be overrun by the US and China’

Project Europe CEO Kitty Mayo: ‘I got less support than I was expecting’

OakNorth CEO Rishi Khosla: ‘Entrepreneurs have to hide their success in Britain’

Ex-VC and Labour MP Kanishka Narayan: ‘Technology could make government radically better’

1Komma5 CEO Philipp Schröder: ‘Germany is hostile to innovation’

Check Warner: ‘This is the worst time to go backwards’

Euan Blair: ‘When your dad’s running the country, it’s easy to think anything's possible’

Deeptech VC Michael Jackson: ‘LinkedIn bans me twice a year’

Balderton's Rana Yared: ‘I had a higher tolerance for garbage before’

Entrepreneurs First CEO Alice Bentinck: 'There’s a lot of nationalism in VC'

Synthesia CEO Victor Riparbelli: ‘I'm very good at slapping stuff together’

Brunch with Eileen Burbidge: 'What's happening in America is crazy'

Brunch with Babylon founder Ali Parsa: 'I’m not one to sit down and lick my wounds'

“We can control AI” — Brunch with DeepMind’s first policy chief, Verity Harding

‘I thought I was going to die’: Brunch with Depop and Delli founder Simon Beckerman

Brunch with Plural and HelixNano’s Carina Namih: I needed to go to Silicon Valley to find VCs who could ‘match my ambition’

‘We’re not trying to build an Andreessen Horowitz-style firm’: Brunch with Point Nine’s Christoph Janz

Brunch with Mistral AI's Cédric O: “Europe could be marginalised”

Brunch with the founder of Rohlik — a profitable disruptor of a trillion-dollar grocery industry

Brunch with 2050’s Marie Ekeland: France’s VC rebel with a cause

Brunch with SISTAFUND’s Tatiana Jama: ‘I want to have real impact’

Brunch with Creandum’s Johan Brenner: “All partners have equal pay, equal bonuses and equal carry”

Brunch with Mollie founder Adriaan Mol: 'Every scaleup should do layoffs maybe every year'