Unicorns 

European unicorns: the ultimate list

Startup ecosystems are partly defined by how big their unicorn herds are; in other words, by how many companies have hit the $1bn valuation mark.

In Europe, the unicorn count is steadily growing, so to help you keep track Sifted has compiled a mega list of Europe’s 60 unicorns.

Check them all out here.

🦸‍♂️ How to build an A-class team 🦸‍♀️

Sifted and Circle CI have launched a new report guiding startups on how to grow tech teams, from seed-stage to Series C.

Hear from C-suite execs and early members at top companies like Checkout.com, Deliveroo and more.

Read it here.

 Fintech 

Meet Europe's quietly profitable fintech

When a fintech becomes profitable, it’s not usually hard to notice — because very few are.   

Yet lying under the radar is Lendable; a little-known London fintech that quietly recorded £15m in profit on revenue of £32.1m last year.

So what’s that all about?

Isabel Woodford finds out.

 Opinion 

Why cash is still queen for sex workers

For many consenting sex workers, payments in cash are pretty much the only option.

Why haven't fintechs stepped up to offer alternative digital payment solutions?

Our latest Secret Columnist finds out. 

 Data 

The state of UK high-growth businesses

A new report from Beauhurst and the Scaleup Institute has revealed some pretty interesting numbers on high-growth scaleups in the UK.

Despite the difficulties the pandemic has brought to businesses, the UK has seen more scaleups break through the £10m+ turnover mark, with a 37% jump year-on-year.

What else did the report discover?

Cecile Bussy shares the highlights.

📞 Hello, am I talking to a robo-human? 📞

Imagine finishing a phone call, and not realising that you were speaking to a robot the entire time. That's because of startups like Dasha AI, which are revolutionising the call centre sector by humanising automated voices.

But what obstacles need to be overcome to really make authentic automation kick off for the $1tn call centre market?

Find out here. [Sponsored post]

 Fintech 

A better Klarna?

There's a new player wanting to offer shoppers something alternative in the buy-now-pay-later space. Meet Zilch, the fintech launching the 'AmEx card for Gen-Z'.

It's made good progress in the past year, reportedly gaining 1,000 new sign-ups a day. But what's really so different about it?

Isabel Woodford talks to Zilch's CEO Philip Belamant.

Sifted Suggests 

🍕 Wolt — from launch to unicorn in 5 years. Last week, Sifted’s Amy Lewin sat down for a virtual chat with the cofounder and CEO of the Helsinki-based delivery platform Wolt. Find out the story behind Wolt’s success, what’s next in its mission to become a global brand and some really excellent advice for founders from Miki Kuusi.

🎮 Social gaming: what’s next? Interesting report from GP Bullhound filled with insights about the state of the gaming sector and where it’s heading. For example, The Western Gaming Index stock performed a whopping 615% better than expected in September 2020.

💁‍♀️ How female entrepreneurs can bag a funding round. 15 female entrepreneurs share their words of wisdom here.

🇪🇺 Why VC firm Sequoia broke with tradition to put down roots In Europe’s startup scene. Forbes’s Alex Conrad writes.

💶 Is Europe’s e-currency coming? The European Central Bank seems quite keen, but it should proceed with caution according to Bloomberg.

In case you missed it 

🇺🇸 What Biden means for European startups. Could Biden's election bring the West together to advance technological progress, asks Nicolas Colin.

 
💚 Sir Ronald Cohen: "The VC industry has to wake up." How to become better impact entrepreneurs, investors, governors and more from the 'father of British venture capital'.

🩸 Are telemedicine startups not such brilliant businesses to invest in after all? Mimi Billing finds out.

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Events [digital only]
 

🌍 EIT Awards 2020 | Discover Europe’s top innovators | 8-9 Dec 
EIT is back with its annual awards show, which celebrates top entrepreneurs’ cutting-edge solutions to global challenges, from healthtech to transport. [Sponsored post]

✨ How to reshape industries and change the world | Online | 25 Nov
What would be the silver bullet that would unlock transformation for your industry? Find out how to get started and who's already making these changes with Ikea, Octopus EV, Forum for the Future and Sifted's Maija Palmer.

👍 Startup PR 101: how founders should work with the media | Online | 1 Dec
Join Sifted's Amy Lewin in a panel discussion with Seedcamp, Atomico and TechCrunch's Steve O'Hear for tips and best practices on how best to deal with the press.

💡 CTO Craft Con 2020 | Online | 1-3 Dec 
Calling all CTOs: join CTO Craft Con for a 3-day extravaganza of virtual discussions from some of the brightest minds in tech. Hear top insights on topics like hiring, diversity and teams from leaders like Unity and YouTube.