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Hi Sifted reader,

The trend of digital nomadism has really blown up as remote working has become the norm. So much so that if you're a European country without a digital nomad visa, are you even a European country?

Today, we break down the visas luring in remote workers. Where would you pick?

Elsewhere today's issue:

• Europe's hottest edtechs according to VCs
• What's keeping CTOs up at night?
• Are personality tests the key to finding the perfect candidate?

— Sophie, writer & Tom, digital editor

🏦 German digital bank Nuri files for bankruptcy. Two months ago, the Berlin-based fintech announced plans to lay off 20% of its workforce. Since then, the company has struggled to deal with a tumble in cryptocurrency prices, economic uncertainty and a tricky funding environment. It's confirmed that customers will still have access to their accounts and crypto wallets while the company focuses on long-term restructuring.

🔧 Berlin-based edtech Junto raises €5m seed round. The company is building a B2B upskilling platform that allows employees to take live cohort-based classes run by tech operators at companies such as Google. The round was led by Earlybird, with participation from Picus Capital and Emerge Capital. The company plans to use the funding to grow its team and expand internationally.

🌼 Pollen promises staff update amid administration rumours. The founder of the scandal-hit events startups, which has bagged hundreds of millions of dollars from VCs in recent years, emailed employees yesterday to promise more clarity in the coming week. We reported last month that Pollen had missed payroll and was actively looking for a buyer.

Working from a beach sounds great, but what does it mean for your employer? Join us on August 17 to find out how founders can ensure flexibility on location doesn’t damage productivity.

Hear from the experts here.

From Croatia and Greece to Estonia and Iceland, countries across Europe are looking to make the most out of rocketing interest in the digital nomad lifestyle by offering special visas for remote workers.

However, not all digital nomad visas are created equal, with some requiring you to trudge through paperwork. We’ve created a comprehensive list of Europe's digital nomad visas, to help you on your way. 

Here's where your next remote work destination could be.

Last year, investment in European edtechs reached a record high of $2.4bn as lockdowns across Europe drove a spike in demand for robust online learning tools, giving edtechs the chance to flourish.

But now students have returned to the classroom, which edtechs will turn pandemic-induced demand into a launchpad for long-term growth? We spoke to VCs to find out.

So which startups made the list?

Are personality tests the key to unlocking the right candidates for your company? Anita Koimur, cofounder of LiveFlow, certainly thinks so. 

They help employers understand what motivates employees, maximise their strengths and navigate weaknesses.

So could they help you with your next hire?

Chief technology officers (CTOs) have a recruitment problem: engineers are the most expensive roles to hire and hard to retain, especially when big tech companies like Netflix and Meta come crawling with Silicon Valley salaries.

Anisah Osman Britton, coauthor of Sifted’s Startup Life newsletter, spoke to five CTOs to find out what’s keeping them up at night and how they’re resolving their biggest challenges.

Here’s what they had to say.

Join us on October 5-6 as we welcome a vast and varied lineup of gamechanging speakers and expert Sifted journalists to the stage. We’ll discuss biotech, big spenders and how to build a resilient business. Sounds pretty epic, right?

Check out the full agenda.

👩‍💼 Last week we published our list of female VC partners in Europe — which rose from 200 the year before to 300+ this year. But last year's boom in investment extended beyond traditional VCs as Europe also saw a spike in the amount of corporate venture capital money finding its way into the continent's startups. So, who are the female CVC partners leading deals at Europe's CVC funds?

🤔 Do you know your SaaStock from your Slush? What about your Money20/20 from your Sifted Summit? When you work in European tech knowing the best conferences to go to is the best way to get in with everyone who’s anyone in the ecosystem. So we did the heavy lifting for you, and rounded them up here.

💳 Seven years after it was founded, Revolut has become something of a founder factory, with many of its alumni founding their own businesses or taking top roles at hot startups. Here’s a dive into where Revolut's star employees went next.

💐 Sifted’s climate tech reporter, Freya Pratty, spoke to Lena Thiede, partner at Planet A Ventures, about how VCs can support biodiversity.

♻️ From pet food to diapers, startups are creating sustainable alternatives to everyday essentials. (In partnership with Amazon Launchpad Sustainability Accelerator.)

Sophie Zhang

Editorial Assistant

Get in touch with them at sophiezhang@sifted.eu

Tom Nugent

Digital Editor 

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

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