Fintech 

Exclusive: Curve looks to raise £100m+

Curve, the fintech which lets users add all their bank cards to one app, is looking to raise more than £100m, according to several Sifted sources.

If it can land the deal, it will be one of the biggest seen in the fintech sector since the crisis began.

Isabel Woodford has the exclusive on its upcoming Series C.

🌴 When are you getting back to work? 🌴

Rethinking workspace in the new world? Huckletree, the home of entrepreneurship, has launched new 2020 ultra-flexible packages for London, Manchester and Dublin-based teams, designed around how you work, not where you work from.

Find the flexible space you need from £199. [Sponsored post]

 Diversity 

Scrap the diversity 'business case'

Reports about why it's such a super idea to build a diverse team keep rolling in. The data is pretty clear: diverse teams perform better.

But all those reports are pretty problematic, argues Hanna Naima McCloskey. After all, when was the last time you saw a report that felt the need to prove that white men make good CEOs?

Read the full — and very smart — piece here.

🏆 Are you one of Europe's top entrepreneurs? 🏆

It’s that time of the year again: the Digital Top 50 Awards. The (for now) virtual event celebrates Europe’s brightest tech entrepreneurs, founders and firms across a score of sectors and categories, including tech for good.

If that sounds like you, the good news is that applications are now open.

 
Find out more here. [Sponsored post]

 Media 

Netflix is bad for the planet

Think Netflix — and other streaming platforms — are only having a negative impact on your daily step count? 

Think again. Streaming also accounts for a whopping 1% of global carbon emissions.

The French government is planning a crackdown on streaming as part of a wider strategy looking at the environmental impact of the tech sector.

But will it impact startups? Marie Mawad finds out. 

Sifted Suggests 

🐣 A useful map of alternative protein startups. From insect protein to plant milk to lab-grown eggs, Dealroom lays out the (potential) future of European food.

😤 “Our own governments have the impression European tech is not good enough. Are you serious?” An interview with a super angel.

🏃 Which UK universities have spawned the most tech founders in the last decade? Tide bank takes a look — and finds out which alumni start companies the speediest.

In case you missed it 

😣 Being the only black person in the room. A must read from our secret columnist.

🌕 Pioneers of the new world. The founders and innovators you think will play a key role in mapping out our post-pandemic future. 

😓 Digital laggards. Low digitalisation is costing the UK £100bn in GDP, as SMEs struggle to go online. Can an army of volunteers and free training courses change that?

👉 Sponsor with Sifted 👈

Want to reach founders and decision-makers in the European startup ecosystem? Contact Helen Seidenberg, partnerships director, for advertising and sponsorship opportunities with Sifted.

Events (virtual for now)
 

Get investment ready | 6 August 
The first in a series of workshops for 20 London-based early-stage startups looking for investment to grow. Apply here.

10x10 with Sifted's Amy Lewin | 10 August

10 questions — on VC brotopia, funding post-Covid and pitching to Sifted — with our deputy editor, hosted by Fora.