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Hi there Sifted reader,

Being a founder is tough work at the best of times. But what if you also had to juggle the "hardest job in the world" at the same time? Today we're chatting to the parent-founders, who are closing rounds at the zoo and bringing toddlers to meetings. 

It's also the last week of the Sifted summer sale — there are only a few days left to get 20% off annual membership, giving you access to all of Sifted's agenda-setting content and invites to exclusive events. Sign up now!

Also from the Sifted newsroom:

• Top talent managers on how they help careers develop
• Can vertical farming survive a downturn?
• Does the four-day week have a chance?

— Alex, writer & Amy, editor

If you're a founder reading this, you might think that running your startup alongside raising a small child would be pretty tricky — those who have been there would probably agree with you!

Between crazy expectations from work and children running naked through video calls, there's also the battle against assumptions that damage women far more than men. 

This is how founder-parents juggle baby and business.

Applications to the EIT Digital Challenge 2022 close on September 19. If you’re a European deeptech startup building a digital solution, apply for the chance to win one year of tailored fundraising and growth support from an experienced team of financing specialists and business developers.

Apply here.

Attracting talented employees in today’s market is tough — but making sure they stay for the long haul is even harder. So what can startups do to cling onto their best hires?

We asked talent experts at some of Europe's top startups how they help their staff develop on the job, and keep them learning for years after they join.

Here are their top tips.

Vertical farming startups like Infarm are hoping to solve a looming global food crisis and help tackle climate change by growing crops in factory-like farms near city centres. They've convinced VCs it's a good plan: $741m has been invested in the sector in Europe since 2017.

But an economic downturn and spiralling inflation could put a spanner in vertical farming's business model, with pockets feeling the pinch across Europe.

So can they be counted on to grow out of danger?

With productivity stalling and employee mental health deteriorating, some companies have looked to a radical new solution to help tackle both problems: a permanent shift to a four-day work week.

Atom Bank, a British neobank, is one such startup. It's been trialling the system for more nine months now and the first set of data is out.

Can a shorter work week be compatible with hypergrowth?

Spending has slowed, and customers have become more cautious with their cash. So what’s next for your business? Could expanding into a new market be the answer? If so, how can you adapt to cultural contexts?

Find out on September 21.

💰 UK startup Capdesk bought by US rival Carta. Some of the biggest names in startup Europe — including Checkout.com, Billie and Gousto — use Capdesk to manage their cap tables. The deal will let Carta — which does the same thing — muscle in on Europe by taking on Capdesk's clients.

🚚 Motatos raises €38m Series C. The Swedish grocery discounter buys surplus household goods — think biscuits, pet food and loo roll — from large producers, and sells them at a big discount to customers, helping with the cost of living crunch and food waste along the way.

📉 Klarna losses triple after valuation crunch. Europe's biggest buy now, pay later provider — and, until recently, most valuable startup — has seen its torrid year continue. This week it reported that operating losses for the first half of the year hit $580m, despite revenue rising 24% over the same period. It says most of the costs came from integrating PriceRunner — the price comparison site it bought last November — into its business.

Our journalists at Sifted don't just write articles at Sifted. They also pull together a whole range of specialist newsletters and briefings on markets. Here are some highlights from them this week: 

🚗 This French autonomous driving startup wants to cancel ‘terrible drivers’

⏰ Can a four-day week work for fintech?

🌿 VC can’t give climate tech everything it needs; startups should go not-for-profit

Elsewhere on Sifted

🎨 Employer branding is notoriously hard for B2B startups — but it’s not impossible

📊 In data: How founders are responding to inflation (In partnership with figures)

Alex Oscroft

Writer

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

Amy Lewin
Editor 

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

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