Good morning Sifted reader,

The troubles keep on mounting for Dutch e-bike maker VanMoof, which has filed for insolvency in the UK and is searching for a buyer. We get into that below. Also on the agenda today:

Does Revolut's "founder factory" spell trouble for its long-term crypto bet?
Daniel Ek's Prima Materia makes its third startup investment
Sapphire Ventures is losing partner Annalise Dragic, and she's not the only female investor jumping ship

VanMoof files for UK insolvency

Dutch e-bike maker VanMoof has filed for insolvency in the UK a fortnight after it declared bankruptcy in its home country.

The insolvency announcement was posted on its website but hadn't been shared on any of VanMoof’s social media channels nor communicated to customers via email as of yesterday. Sifted has reached out to VanMoof’s PR and UK team.

But the company might not be completely kaput. The emergence of at least one potential buyer suggests the status-symbol e-bikes might soon find a new home.

Nasdaq-listed Micromobility.com, which sells and rents e-scooters, e-bikes and e-mopeds, said on Monday that it had submitted a non-binding bid to buy the bankrupt startup. It’s now preparing a binding acquisition offer.

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European VCs see exodus of women

Sifted has learnt that Sapphire Ventures partner Annalise Dragic will soon be leaving the firm, after being promoted to the role in 2021 at the age of just 29. And she's far from the only female investor jumping ship.

Dozens of women have left European VC firms since the start of the year, a discouraging trend for an industry already struggling with diversity. Views are split on what's causing the exodus — VC partners and recruiters Sifted spoke to thought it could be a mix of:

Fallout from the hiring boom. "Many people joined the industry without having a straight discussion about what would be expected of them and how their success would be measured," one recruiter said.
Poor gender equality in VC. One female partner told Sifted: "I have always made less money than male colleagues, no matter how many times I asked for a raise and despite quantifying my achievements."
...and for startups. Others were frustrated over the lack of funding going to diverse entrepreneurs and how hard it was to secure investment for them.

For the latest VC fund news, people moves, trends and industry goss, sign up for Sifted's Up Round newsletter, which drops into your inbox every Friday.

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💰 Pre-seed & seed

Berlin-based Likeminded, a digital platform providing mental health support for employees, has raised €5.9m in seed funding from investors including Holtzbrinck Digital and Heartcore Capital.
UK edtech Grasp, which was founded by early Revolut employees, has raised €3.6m in seed funding led by Balderton Capital.
Supportwave, which provides on-demand IT support services, has closed a $2.2m seed round led by High-Tech Gründerfonds, with investment from Big Sur Ventures and Fuel Ventures.
London-based Beyond Work has raised $2.5m in pre-seed funding for its AI work platform. The round was led by Moonfire Ventures, with co-investment from MIT-affiliated fund E14.
Austrian spacetech Tilebox has raised a $1.7m pre-seed round for its software that allows satellite operators to import and manage data. The round included was led by Cocoa Ventures, Possible Ventures and Remote First Capital.

💰 Undisclosed

UK healthtech Béa Fertility has raised £2.5m for its clinical-grade at-home fertility treatment. The round was led by Octopus Ventures and joined by JamJar and Forward Partners.