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Hi Sifted Reader,

This week's podcast is a little different to usual... it was recorded in front of a live audience at our Sifted Sessions event in Tallinn earlier this week. What could possibly go wrong?

Your trusty host Amy was joined by Sifted reporter Anisah and leading figures from Estonia's startup scene. They discussed how a tiny Baltic country spawned global companies like Wise and Skype. Listen to it on Spotify and Apple, plus...

• WeCrashed, WeWork and the lesson I learnt from Adam Neumann
• Future of work "soonicorns"
• The rise of app-based therapy

Kai, reporter & Tom, digital editor

Watching Jared Leto play the enigmatic (and cult-ish) WeWork founder Adam Neumann gave Christoph Fahle the chills.

“We were all Adam at some point,” says Fahle, who was selling the same dream when he launched coworking network betahaus 12 years ago. But after more than a decade in the game, what has he learnt?

Here's Fahle's takeaway from WeWork's downfall.

Want loyal customers who will spread the word about your brand? Great customer experiences can be the foundation for your next growth stage; find out how to improve your CX with the Zendesk for Startups Program.

More information here.

The world of work has changed a lot since Covid — and naturally, there are a bunch of startups stepping in promising to ease the transition for businesses.

Some focus on distributed working, others on hiring employees across borders and others trying to maintain company culture outside of the office.

But which ones could be on the path to unicorn status?

Have you had a manager who's supported you every step of the way and pushed you towards your goals? Or have you had to deal with a toxic boss who was inexperienced in leading a team?

If you work or have worked at a startup, we want to hear the good and the bad from your experiences with managers. The survey is completely anonymous, and it’ll only take a few minutes.

Head this way.

It's no secret that cities need to get a whole lot more sustainable. But could the answer lie in smart city startups that use tech to collect data and manage resources more efficiently?

We looked at seven Austrian startups doing just that. From 3D-printed fish to making urban life more accessible, here are the tech companies helping the world's bustling conurbations go green.

Get the full list here.

What do volcanoes, Björk and digital therapeutics all have in common? You can find them all in Iceland (unless Björk's on tour).

It's the latter we're most interested in at Sifted, though, as Reykjavík's Sidekick Health has just raised Iceland's biggest round of 2022 — a $55m Series B. It's looking to bring "third generation therapeutics" to a mainstream audience on both sides of the Atlantic.

But are patients ready?

🏥 French unicorn Alan bags $183m. The startup has grown rapidly over the past few years by selling employee health insurance to businesses in France, and its latest round comes just over a year after its last raise. The Series E was led by Canada's Teachers' Venture Growth, and Alan plans to use the cash to triple its headcount to a nice round 1,000 by the end of 2025.

🌳 This one's for you, climate tech founders. Madrid-based Seaya Ventures has just announced a €130m first close of its new sustainability-focused fund — it's aiming to reach €300m. The fund has also been classified as an Article 9 Fund under the EU's new sustainable finance regulations. But what does that actually mean?

⚽ Ex-Arsenal footballer's startup raises $15m. And no, it's not a football-related company. GFBiochemicals looks to help industrial businesses move away from using toxic, harmful petrochemicals in their products, and its cofounder is none other than retired pro Mathieu Flamini. 

💳 Revolut's former chief revenue officer's Web3 startup. Alan Chang is the cofounder and CEO of Tesseract — a renewable energy startup still in stealth while Chang serves his six-month notice period at the neobank. The startup is set to raise $30m in pre-seed funding, according to sources. It aims to "fix the energy sector by selling sustainable power to households and businesses through blockchain-based transactions".

🚢 What does the EU shipping tax mean for startups? From 2023, all goods shipped to and from the EU will be taxed on their emissions. An opportunity for startups to swoop on? You bet. Sifted looked into which startups are set to make one of the world's dirtiest industries cleaner.

🍃 Trying to hire the right people for your climate tech startup? Sifted got some top tips from the founder of climate tech recruitment company Hyperion Executive Search, David Hunt. Here's what he told us.

Want to come a work for us at Sifted? Check out the roles we're hiring for...

🤝 We're on the hunt for a client services manager who can ensure the smooth and seamless delivery of client campaigns and can manage a team of two. We're looking for someone with mentoring experience and fantastic communication skills. Sound like a bit of you? Apply here.

👉 Looking for a career in media sales? Take a peek at our business development executive position, where you'll search out new business opportunities and build long-lasting relationships with an eclectic mix of clients. Keen to work on the startup scene and have a little sales experience? Step this way.

😎 Are you a seasoned marketer with the ability to supercharge company growth? Then come and work for us as a senior event marketing manager. We're after someone who can help own and grow our ambitious events programme and who has a keen eye for what looks good. If you also have experience of marketing in-person and virtual events, then this could be for you. 

Kai Nicol-Schwarz

Reporter

Get in touch with him at kai@sifted.eu 
Or @NicolSchwarzK

Tom Nugent

Digital Editor

Get in touch with him at tomnugent@sifted.eu 
Or @TJNugent92

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