Good morning Sifted reader,

Today Sifted is publishing serious allegations of workplace misconduct at one of Europe’s leading VC firms.

Seven people who worked at DN Capital — an investor in Shazam, Remitly and Auto1 — allege that its founder Nenad Marovac sexually harassed and bullied colleagues, creating a culture of misogyny at the fund.

Marovac has denied all the allegations. DN Capital has opened an independent investigation into the allegations, which it said do not reflect its culture.

Read the story here.

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⚡️ Smart grids startups vying to boost energy grid security, reduce peak loads, lower operational costs and help plug in renewables raked in $1.7bn in Europe in 2022, up from just $299m in 2019. This year's tech slowdown hasn't been harsh on the sector either, with $1.1bn brought in so far in 2023, with a large chunk of that at Series C or beyond. In Sifted's latest briefing we dig into the sector trends you need to know about, the most active investors and map the European market. (Exclusively for Sifted Pro subscribers)

🇳🇱 10 Dutch startups to watch — according to Peak, Rockstart and Slingshot Ventures.

🙎‍♀️ 12 female-founded startups to watch — according to VCs from Sie Ventures, Balderton and Northzone.

👩‍⚕️ 14 femtech startups to watch, according to VCs — according to Atlantic Labs, Octopus, Cherry Ventures, Crista Galli Ventures and Calm/Storm.

🇫🇮 7 Finnish startups to watch — according to Inventure and Maki.vc.

🌍 10 CEE startups to watch — according to Aper Ventures, Market One Capital and Black Pearls VC.

😇 250+ female angel investors in Europe — our list is always being updated, but if we've missed someone off, let us know.

✍️ 350+ female VC partners in Europe — this one's also added to regularly, so if you're missing from the list, ping us here.

Series A funding: What you need to know right now | August 23

As economic uncertainty lingers, how much should you be raising and from where? This Sifted Talks will answer all your burning questions with Point Nine, Lightyear and angel investor Christina Caljé.

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How are climate tech startups securing funding? | August 30

Join Sifted’s Freya Pratty and Dr Clea Kolster from Lowercarbon Capital as they discuss the future of climate tech investment and the strategic choices VCs are making.

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Join our early-stage B2B pitch event | September 5

We’ll be showcasing the very best early-stage B2B startups at our next pitch event, exclusive to Sifted Pro. Join us virtually on September 5 at 12:30pm BST.

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💰 Undisclosed

ReGa Energy, a Portuguese startup that offers biomethane and green hydrogen as an alternative to industry leaders, has raised €60m.
Cargo Stream, a UK based logistics management startup, has raised €1m to expand into Poland.

💰 M&A