Predictions 

Sifted's startup predictions for 2021

This time last year, Sifted compiled at least some pretty accurate predictions for European startups in 2020.

Our columnist Nicolas Colin, for instance, said it was going to be the year of remote working (which he was definitely right about).

So what are we predicting this year?

Here are our bets about VC funding numbers, unicorns, diversity, Klarna's strategy and even what our dogs will be eating.

Read them here.

🌏 Gear up for global expansion 🌏

Expanding abroad is tough. That’s why Techleap.nl has launched GoGlobal, with everything you need to know about international expansion and exclusive insights, knowledge and expertise from the likes of WeTransfer and VanMoof.

Check it out now. [Sponsored post]

 Europe 

Benedict Evans: "Everyone can now create"

Last year Benedict Evans returned to Europe after five years with the VC firm Andreessen Horowitz on the West Coast.

Here the Mosaic partner tells Sifted's John Thornhill about the end of the American internet and the globalisation of the Silicon Valley startup model.

Read the interview. 

 VC 

As Bitcoin hits $34,000, European VCs move into defi

With Bitcoin at all-time highs, this is how some of Europe’s largest funds — including Index Ventures, Creandum and Octopus Ventures — are starting to invest in defi startups.

Find out more.

 VC 

Quiz: Can you name the biggest European VC fund raises of last year?

Thanks to coronavirus, you may not have got enough quizzes over the Christmas period. 

So here is one to test your brain: which were the largest funds raised by VCs last year?

Answers here.

 Investing 

From the archive: Which European startups will IPO next?

2020 was pretty slow for European IPOs, although it started to pick up later in the year. In September, The Hut Group scored the second-biggest UK IPO ever.

That acceleration is set to continue in 2021 with Deliveroo eyeing a public listing as well as TransferWise. And there's more; startups like GitLab, Klarna, Unifiedpost, Allegro and Huuge Games are all on the IPO trail too.

Here's our list of the late-stage startups which could be next to go public.

💪 New year, new challenges 💪

The pace of change at startups throughout 2020 has been incredible. 2021 will hold its own challenges, but we’ve learnt a lot this year. We partnered with Google for Startups to find out how six startups adapted to change last year.

Plan ahead by looking back. [Sponsored post]

 Opinion 

From the archive: Why Europe needs an angel investing revolution

Europe has some brilliant angel investors — but it needs a whole lot more. 

What will it take to get them?

Sarah Drinkwater has some (smart) ideas.

Sifted Suggests 

Want more future-facing good reads? Here's a collection of forward thinking pieces by Sifted and the European tech community.

🌱 Setting ESG goals. Companies that implement ESG goals typically perform 4.8% better than those that don’t. So why aren't all VCs focusing on measuring ESG? Dilan Mizrakli Landgraff, cofounder at early-stage investor Antler, thinks they're missing a trick.

🤔 Can we really trust in the fintech revolution? Perhaps not, says Peter Cox, the founder of payments company Contis, pointing to Wirecard and Lanistar.

💶 Alternatives to VC funding.  Nicolas Colin explains why Europe needs alternative sources of capital — such as revenue-based financing — here more than anywhere (and why we haven't really got them.)

🇫🇷 French tech goes on the offensive. Sifted’s Marie Mawad speaks to France’s junior minister for digital affairs Cédric O on France's plans to race ahead and become the favourite tech hub for fintech, IPOs and talent. But how?

💳 The future of fintech. From digital banks to incumbents, Verdict speaks to 7 experts for their predictions on one of Europe's biggest tech industries for the next 12 months.

🧐 The state of B2B tech marketing 2021. Despite the pandemic, B2B tech companies have had a pretty good year. So how does this set them up for the year ahead? A survey by B2B technology marketing company FINITE shares what B2B marketers in tech foresee for 2021.

🌧️ Gloomy predictions. According to a survey of 885 UK investors by investor support company HYCM, 65% of UK investors believe the true impact of the pandemic on the UK economy has not yet been seen, and that it will be even harder felt in 2021. More investor thoughts for the coming year here.

🧠 AI and 5G to lead tech in 2021. According to law firm Taylor Wessing. Read what they think tech will do for humanity (and cows) in the next several months.

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Sifted Talks

🐈 Connected pets: what are the opportunities for startups? | Online | 12 January

2020 saw a connected pets boom - with lots of new products coming onto the market. What implications does this have for the IoT pet devices market, for healthcare and insurance providers - and for the owners themselves? Sifted’s Maija Palmer dives into the discussion with a panel of pet experts to find out what’s on the horizon for IoT pet devices, in partnership with Purina Accelerator Lab.

Sign up now.

🛴 Are we about to experience a great green mobility revolution? | Online | 21 January
Cities across Europe are turning to shared bike and scooter operators to help get their citizens moving once again — without getting too close to one another. Join Sifted's Amy Lewin, leading micromobility startup founders and government decision-makers to discuss what's coming to a street near you in 2021, in partnership with the British Embassy Stockholm & The Swedish Embassy Britain.
Sign up now.