Startup Europe — The Sifted Podcast
Get to know the brightest and boldest names in European tech with Sifted’s weekly podcast, hosted by John Thornhill and Freya Pratty. John interviews the founders, operators and investors building Europe’s most exciting startups and Freya, in conversation with Sifted’s expert journalists, pulls back the curtain on the most intriguing companies they’ve been reporting on.
Episodes
188 episodes
Can French AI startup Mistral ever compete with Big Tech?
This week we discuss:02:07 — Improbable’s refocus on the metaverse sees big reduction in losses04:46 —
Interview: Seedcamp’s Reshma Sohoni on bunker mentality during a downturn
This week it’s a long form interview with Reshma Sohoni. In 2007 she cofounded the London-based venture fund Seedcamp, which has backed leading European tech companies like UIPath, Wise and Revolut. Reshma sat down remotely with Sifted’s Amy Le...
European valuations tumble as the great startup fire sale begins
This week we discuss:01:24 Getir valuation reduced 4x in new $500m funding round02:14 The...
Interview: ‘The age of AI resembles the age of DaVinci’ — Builder.AI’s Sachin Duggal on the need for polymaths in machine learning
This week, Startup Europe — The Sifted Podcast is joined by Sachin Duggal, founder and CEO of Builder.AI, a company that uses AI to help customers build software applications more easily. He sat down with Eleano...
Klarna is back in black after a tough 2022
This week we discuss:02:55 US AI startup Poolside raises $126m seed round and relocates to France05:50
Getir is laying off 2,500 employees to try and survive
This week we discuss:02:25 Weight-loss drug mania reaches Europe: Denmark’s Embla raises €10m06:47
Founder of a top European VC firm accused of sexual harassment
This week we're talking about a single story that Sifted reported this week: serious allegations of workplace misconduct at one of Europe’s leading VC firms. Seven people who worked at DN Capital — an investor in Shazam, Remitly an...
Which buyer can save Babylon from bankruptcy?
This week we discuss:01:10 How much RingCentral paid for those Hopin assets
Hopin: how a $7bn startup fell down in a heap
This week we discuss:01:07 Johnny Boufarhat steps down as CEO of Hopin04:55
Why did VCs' favourite e-bike go bankrupt?
This week we discuss:Getir calls on staff to go door-to-door with goodie bags as cashflow problems persist (1:36)
Interview: Passion Capital's Eileen Burbidge on crisis talks at Monzo and building a reproductive healthcare company
We're back with another longer form interview and this week we're joined by Eileen Burbidge, cofounder of London-based, early-stage VC firm Passion Capital and director at reproductive healthcare company Fertifa. She came into the studio to ref...
Inside Paris's booming AI scene
This week we discuss:02:00 UK government unveils plan to direct £75bn from pension funds to startups05:30
Spotify founder’s new startup finally comes out of stealth with €60m investment
Our competition to win a ticket for the Sifted Summit has now closed, thanks for entering if you took part! We're still keen to learn more about who listens to the podcast,&n...
Millions in shareholder value wiped out as Babylon delists
Our competition to win a ticket for the Sifted Summit has now closed, thanks for entering if you took part! We're still keen to learn more about who listens to the podcast,&n...
Tony Blair on his vision for an AI-powered Britain
Our competition to win a ticket for the Sifted Summit has now closed, thanks for entering if you took part! We're still keen to learn more about who listens to the podcast,&n...
Interview: Chloe Smith MP on unlocking pension funds for tech investment
This week we sat down with Chloe Smith, the UK's acting secretary of state for Science, Innovation & Technology — the government minister tasked with supporting the growth of the country’s tech and startup sector.She told us about w...
Why has Checkout.com slashed its own valuation again?
This week we discuss:Infarm quits Europe as vertical farming withers on the vineCheckout.c...
Why is Typeform losing market share?
This week we discuss:01:06 Monzo narrows losses slightly as lending book triples04:06
Interview: Blossom capital’s Ophelia Brown on why crypto isn’t dying, but the UK tech sector might be
This week it’s another longer form interview. We’re joined by Ophelia Brown, managing partner of Blossom Capital, a VC fund that’s backed the likes of payments company Checkout.com, crypto exchange Moonpay and HR platform Localize. She sat down...
What’s behind the senior employee exodus at Revolut?
This week we discuss:02:55 Mobility giant Bolt likely to acquire rival Tier in weeks05:00
New rules for the London Stock Exchange to combat "Brexit idiocy"
This week we discuss:01:20 Investors say new UK listing rules might not be enough to entice tech companies05:24
Stability AI leaked pitch deck raises questions over Series A
This week we discuss:01:27 Northvolt to confirm US expansion plans within weeks, cofounder says04:07