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Morning Sifted reader,

Brits, hope you're having a lovely bank holiday. Everyone else, we hope you're back from holiday and ready to get things rolling again after a slow summer. 

Today in the Sifted newsroom:

• Why so many startups now have heaps of angel investors
• The most promising deeptech startups in Italy
• Why more seed-stage companies are raising extensions
• $7m for an EF graduate working on stroke rehabilitation

— Amy, editor & Tom, digital editor

You may have noticed that more and more early-stage startups have a whole tonne of angel investors on their cap tables. 

It's all thanks to a new generation of platforms making it easier to pool small investors into one cheque — and slash the amount of admin that comes with each new investor. 

So what are these platforms, what do they mean for founders — and what do investors need to know?

Eleanor Warnock finds out.

If you're a European deeptech startup offering a digital product or service, consider applying to the EIT Digital Challenge 2022. Winners will receive one year of tailored fundraising and growth support from an experienced team of financing specialists and business developers.

Apply here by September 19.

Italy’s deeptech startups are succeeding in spite of the conditions they find themselves in, rather than because of them. The country’s annual spending on R&D is among the lowest in Europe — and in 2019 an education minister actually resigned over a lack of funding for universities. 

Yet despite all that, we think a renaissance is underway. 

Here are the deeptech startups investors are watching.

If you run a startup, at some point you’ll need to deliver bad news to stakeholders. How you execute this can make or break your business. 

So, to help you avoid a royal mess up, we asked a professional bearer of bad news — a US diplomat — for some tips.

Here's what to do when you make headlines for the wrong reasons.

Generally seed rounds are a done deal once the money's in the bank.

But increasingly companies are raising extensions — bringing on more capital, usually on the same terms as the seed round, from new or existing investors. 

Is that a good sign — or a bad one?

Hear from Dines, doctorly and Eight Roads…

Economic slowdowns are inevitable — so with funding harder to come by, how can you maintain growth and leverage the unexpected opportunities that come to light?

Find out on Aug 31.

Burn baby burn… through your runway
It’s a tough market out there, but can a more holistic view of your finances help your company survive? On September 14, we ask the experts how to proactively coordinate cashflow and manage financial and operational risks.
You can’t afford to miss this.

👩‍⚕️ Neurofenix, a spinout of Imperial College London and a graduate of Entrepreneur First, has raised a $7m Series A. It's working to improve the rehab process for people who've suffered from strokes and brain injuries. Part of the funding will go towards expanding into the US.

Have you heard of all of these companies? Investors think they're the next big things, so start getting to know them now.

🧀 9 Swiss startups to watch, according to VCs

🍎 12 edtech startups to watch, according to VCs

🐟 8 under-the-radar Greek companies to keep an eye on

Finally, if you're not yet listening to the Sifted Podcast, what's taking so long? In this week's episode we dive into the pros and cons of public companies delisting (looking at you, Babylon), hear about a startup that's found a way to cut electric vehicle charging times in half and ask an AI therapist bot some tough questions to see how it copes. Listen here.

Amy Lewin
Editor 

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

Tom Nugent

Digital Editor

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

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