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Hi Sifted reader,

The EU is just about the last body you would say has a "move fast and break things" mentality — but that doesn't mean it's not interested in helping startups thrive. We sat down with its innovation commissioner to get the low-down on her plan for growth.

And it's Friday, which means there's a new episode of The Sifted Podcast for you to get stuck into. This week Amy and Eleanor chat trouble at Glovo and Pollen, Klarna's valuation slash and the latest layoffs in Europe. Listen to it here. Plus:

• Six CEE bootstrapped startups to watch
• Life as an LGBTQ+ founder
• Swipe left! The red flags journalists see

— Alex, writer & Amy, editor

EU startups boss: Diversity quotas are a 'necessary step'

Earlier this month the EU launched a major new plan to help grow the continent’s tech ecosystem. And though it generally went down well, there were some notable holes in the plan.

So what is commissioner for innovation Mariya Gabriel planning to do?

Six CEE bootstrapped startups succeeding without outside capital

We often celebrate the courage of startups that go it alone and don’t take VC money. But in central and eastern Europe it’s often the only option.

So which of the region's bootstrapped startups have found success?

‘Why don’t you get the funding first, then come out?’: Life as an LGBTQ+ founder

It's no secret that European tech has a diversity problem — we've been paying close attention to the treatment of female and non-white founders. But for LGBTQ+ founding teams, the data isn't even being recorded.

But what's being done about it? 

Pitching your startup? Here are the red flags that journalists see

Here at Sifted we love working with some of tech's most inspiring and motivated people. But for every friendly chat there's a nagging email from another founder who doesn't understand how the media works.

So what are our top founder red flags? 

Affinity’s latest report reveals industry wide trends how European unicorns are being funded and how the herd is growing. Read for insights into how relationship intelligence can help break through to win more investment deals.

Read it here.

This October, we’re exploring the [possible] future of startups at our two-day flagship event. From next generation industries to opportunities on the horizon, we’re covering the lot.

Don’t miss out on super early-bird prices!

💰 DACH-focused growth fund closes at €120m. COI Partners (formerly known as Co-Investor Partners) will be investing in Series B and up and is particularly interested in the large number of blockchain startups coming out of Switzerland. The VC firm has been active in the region for more than 20 years and its current and former portfolio includes Grover, TTTech, Mister Spex and nextbike.

🎓 Edtech Preply banks $50m Series C. The Ukrainian-founded startup, which connects language tutors with students via a machine learning algorithm, is now based in Boston but employs more than 400 people across 30 countries, including a big team in Kyiv. Owl Ventures led the round, and was joined by Hoxton Ventures, Diligent Capital and Evli Growth Partners.

💸 Lightyear bags $25m Series A. Lightspeed Venture Partners led the round for the Estonia and UK-based investment app, with backing from Richard Branson's Virgin Group. The company's angel investors Mosaic Ventures, Taavet+Sten and Metaplanet also took part in the round. 

We want to know how — or if — startups are supporting their employees' mental health through the difficult times of the past couple of years.

Let us know in this three-minute survey. It’s totally anonymous, and we’ll publish a piece featuring your responses in the coming weeks.

Amid the sweltering heatwave we're having in London, and much of the rest of Europe, the importance of climate tech in the fight against global warming seems more important every day. This week we've looked into the exciting new world of alt-dairy — which has the potential to replace the 11% of global emissions created by cow farming. 

Elsewhere on Sifted:

🥾 Why is bootstrapping the go-to funding model for founders in CEE?

🇬🇷 Seven ways to boost Greek startups

🐶 Is pet tech recession-proof? 

📉 What's next after the crypto crash? (In partnership with Plaid)

👼 Plus: We want to make sure our list of Europe's active female angel investors is up to date so that it's the invaluable resource for founders we want it to be. Let us know who's missing!

Alex Oscroft

Subeditor

Get in touch with him at alex@sifted.eu

Or find him on Twitter @alex_oscroft

Amy Lewin

Editor 

Get in touch with her at amy@sifted.eu
Or tweeting at @amyrlewin

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