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Venture Capital

VCs have duds too

Connect Ventures, a pan-European VC firm, has just closed its third fund at $80m. It invests in 'product-first' startups like Typeform, Citymapper, Soldo and CharlieHR at seed stage — but it doesn't always pick winners.

“Any VC that doesn’t lose money ever isn’t taking enough risk,” says managing partner Sitar Teli.

Amy Lewin chats to Teli about the stigma around failure in VC land and what she's learned through funds one and two.

🧐 The business of fintech 🧐

Think the business of fintech ends with Revolut and co? Think again.

Behind the digital banks is a world of more camera-shy — but lucrative — fintech startups.

Discover who they are in this report.

Healthtech

Spain's stellar healthtechs

From cancer treatments to female fertility, Spain's healthtech startups are taking on huge healthcare markets, raising chunky rounds of VC capital and securing grants and funds from leading European institutions.

How many are on your radar?

Fintech

Why women hate investing

Women just don't seem to like making personal investments as much as men.

But it's not because they don't have enough money; 40% of global wealth belongs to women. It's because financial services have ignored them — and are losing out on $700bn per year as a result.

Here's what female-focused finance looks like.

🕴️ The lowdown on corporate innovation 🕴️

Love this newsletter?

Fascinated (or frustrated) by the world of corporate innovation?

Then sign up for our sister newsletter Future Proof — a weekly round-up of everything you need to know about big business innovation.

Policy

Dastardly Digital Services Act

Watch out, startups. The EU's Digital Services Act is coming — and it could impact you.

Although aimed at the likes of Facebook, Google and Twitter, the DSA will also affect any startups with user-generated content, like social media platforms, online marketplaces and search tools.

Could the burden be too much for small startups to bear? Julia Neuman finds out.

🤸 Wanted: social media journalist 🤸

We’re on the lookout for a self-starting, creative and articulate person to help run our social media channels and engage with our readers. This is a role for somebody who loves trying to ‘break the internet’, enjoys crafting eye-catching copy and gets a buzz out of making new connections.

Is it you? (Or someone you know?)

More details here.

News that matters

📱 iMessages and IPOs. Amsterdam-based SMS, voice and chat interface provider MessageBird is on track for an IPO “in 12 months,” according to Robert Vis, the company’s CEO as the company expects to grow by 50%, valuing it at approximately $337m.

🐇 Hopin’s whoppin’ Series A. The London-based virtual events plaform, which has seen crazy levels of demand over recent months, raised $40m in a round led by IVP, including Accel, Northzone and Seedcamp.

🍎 Digital health investments continue. Swedish healthtech startup Doctrin, which collects medical information digitally from patients before consultations, has raised $9m.

☠️ Wirecard’s payments palava. The scandal-hit German firm has filed for insolvency. Should all the fintechs which used its services be worried? Isabel Woodford finds out.

⌨️ (Ethical) hackers unite. ETF Partners led a Series A round of €4.1m into Belgian ethical hacking platform Intigriti.

If you're a fan of our 'News that matters' and 'Sifted Suggests' sections, check out our newsfeed here, where we collect all of these gems — and more.

Senior Clinical Data Manager, Orchard Therapeutics, London
Software Engineer, FiveAI, Cambridge
Data Integration Engineer, IQVIA, Paris

Check out our jobs board if you are looking for a new role at a startup.

Sifted Suggests

🛍️ The problem with buy-now pay-later services. Mapped out by... buy-now pay-later fintech Klarna.

📖 A VC pitching Bible. Find out w hat's behind the questions VCs ask.

💁‍♀️ Why women don’t invest in startups — and why they should. Words of wisdom from a female CEO.

👼 The angels of France. Who are the 20 most active female business angels in France? From cofounders to execs, meet them here.

Sifted resources

Amy Lewin
Deputy Editor

Get in touch with her at amy@sifted.eu.
She loves a bit of reader feedback.

Follow the whole Sifted team for news and views:
@MStothard, @amyrlewin, @maijapalmer, @i_woodford, @Marie_a_Paris, @KitGillet, @timmpsmith, @connorbilboe, @MimiBilling, @kittygknowles, @johnthornhillft

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Sifted - Women: invest more 💁‍♀️