View this email in your browser

Hi Sifted Reader,

From the Sifted podcast studio today Anisah joins Eleanor to bring you layoffs at Bitpanda, VC inclusivity and the lowdown on the EU getting serious on startups. Listen here.

And out of the newsroom we have the former global director of marketing at one of Europe's OG startup stars sitting down for brunch with Mimi Billing. Plus...

• Web3 startups to watch

• How European companies should react to the Roe v. Wade ruling
• One day at a metaverse conference

— Alex, writer & Tom, digital editor

1/ Sophia Bendz — angel investor, VC and former Spotify gatekeeper — sits down for Brunch with Sifted. For years, former PR Sophia Bendz was known for her leak-quashing skills as the global head of marketing at Spotify, in charge of guarding the much-hyped startup's precious reputation. Since then she's stepped into the limelight as an angel investor and VC partner, and also set up Atomico's angel programme. So how did comms prepare her for early-stage investing?

2/ 13 European Web3 startups to watch, according to investors. Despite most tech sectors slowing down amid the wobbly market, there's one that's still the apple of investors' eyes: Web3. If you know your primitives from your protocols, there's a wave of startups working on new ways to build through the blockchain. We asked four investors to pick out their favourite up-and-coming companies. 

3/ After Roe v Wade ruling, startups must take a stance on abortion. While the broader implications of overturning Roe v Wade are just emerging, one thing is clear: startups will have to grapple with the issue. European founders who have teams in the US will need to ensure employees are supported and given practical help, all while navigating new legal challenges.

4/ A festival in the metaverse? The future isn’t here yet. It's no Glastonbury, but one day the next best thing might be festivals in the metaverse. And as luck would have it, there was one just last week. From the first click of the nostalgic login screen to some unfortunate keyboard mishits, there was plenty to digest from this day of talks and DJs.

Despite increased market volatility, the race to be crowned the next B2B unicorn is on — and our money’s on a few hot favourites. We’ve ranked the top 100 European B2B soonicorns (so you don’t have to)!

See who's in the soonicorn stable.

📉 Balderton partner warns CEOs over market fears. The London VC's managing partner Bernard Liautaud emailed its portfolio companies last week with some stark warnings about the state of the startup investment landscape amid the tech downturn. We got hold of the full thing — read it here.

💥 Angel Labs founder launches solo VC fund. Tugce Ergul has raised $25m for Hypernova's first fund, which she's planning to spread across startups in the US, where she's lived for more than a decade, and Europe, where she was born. But that's not all: 40% of the fund is going to be invested into emerging VCs, with the aim of growing a more diverse pool of investment managers in Europe.

💰 Boostrapped recruitment platform Teamtailor raises €10m. The Stockholm-based SaaS startup was founded in 2013 but has managed to almost entirely fund its growth from revenue, expanding to 240 staff and more than 6,000 clients in that time; it's even expecting to hit profitability this year. London-based Sprints Capital led the round, which valued Teamtailor at €325m. 

🩸 Aware raises $15m seed round for blood test tech. Your eyes might widen reading that, but this isn't a Theranos scenario — the German startup wants to roll out a private beta in its home country, and aims to be a one-stop shop for patients to get a detailed snapshot of their health through lab-analysed blood samples. Swiss VC Lakestar led the round alongside Cherry Ventures and June Fund — next, it needs regulatory approval.   

Climate tech has huge potential — but how can you tell if a fund is investing for the right reasons? And what’s the scalability vs sustainability tipping point? Find out on July 13.

Join the conversation.

🇬🇷 Its solar energy capacity is vast, as is its geothermal potential. It's an energy gateway for Europe, and its university system is strong. But something's holding back Greece's green tech ecosystem. And this week Freya Pratty looked into how the country can accelerate its climate tech scene.

🐦 Do you want to increase your knowledge of sustainability? Or get the latest insights on Europe's climate tech scene? Here's our list of who to follow on Twitter.

🏠 Here's how open banking could revolutionise one of the oldest markets of all: property. (In partnership with Nordigen).

Alex Oscroft

Subeditor

Get in touch with him at alex@sifted.eu
Or find him on Twitter @alex_oscroft

Tom Nugent

Digital Editor 

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

Copyright © 2022 SIFTED (EU) LTD, All rights reserved.

Want to tailor what you receive from us?
You can update your preferences to manage your newsletter subscriptions,
or you can unsubscribe from Sifted if you never want to hear from us again.