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Hi Sifted Reader,

Today's line up:

💞 Can 'relationship tech' really woo investors?
🍌 On-demand grocery delivery: the major players compared
🤢 Why stuffing your early-stage startup with too much capital is bad

\Consumer

Can 'relationship tech' sweep investors off their feet?

We’ve all heard of (and perhaps used) dating apps like Tinder and Bumble, platforms that now serve millions of singletons.

But what about those already in a relationship? There’s a growing pool of startups that are focusing on tech to help existing couples with things like online marriage counselling and sextech — enter ‘relationship tech’.

The thing is, VCs haven’t quite swiped right on the funding front in the sector. So can relationship apps scale?

Isabel Woodford dives into the details.

\Our new report Pet tech on the rise

Is the future furry? We think so

Sifted’s ulti-mutt pet tech report is finally here. In the report we discuss:

What are the biggest problems pet tech entrepreneurs are facing?
How can tech make pet ownership and adoption more ethical?
Where is pet hardware headed?

Anything’s paw-sible — read the full report here.

\For Members Consumer

Europe's on-demand grocery delivery race: who's winning?

10-minute grocery delivery has become the Next Big Thing. Across Europe, startups are racing to become the leader in the space — and VCs are falling over each other to invest in them. In the last week alone, two of the competitors — Turkey's Getir and Germany's Gorillas — hit unicorn status.

With new funding rounds and launches announced every day, it's hard to keep up. So who's who, why is it heating up so quickly and who's got the most promising metrics so far?

We spoke to all the leading startups and several well-placed VCs to find out.

Amy Lewin and Cecile Bussy bring you up to speed. [Subscribe to read]

\Opinion

The danger of raising too much VC

There's more money than ever in the tech market. Funding rounds are now being closed in days over Zoom and valuations are skyrocketing within months, especially at the early-stage. Great for founders, right?

Not exactly, thinks Check Warner, partner at Ada Ventures and Tom Wilson, partner at Seedcamp. This is a bad case of ‘capital foie gras’ — startups are being stuffed with too much money and that might not have a happy ending.

Here's why you might want to turn down that big cheque.

\Venture Capital

Enzo Ventures launches Gen Z-focused microfund

Launched by a trio of former founders aged 23 and 24, new Barcelona-based microfund Enzo Ventures has raised €500k to invest in pre-seed startups.

Enzo believes it's well placed to understand the challenges that young founders face, such as building a network and getting to grips with term sheets.

Tim Smith chats to Enzo's founding trio.

\Partner content with Euronext

SPACs: Everything you need to know

SPACs — special purpose acquisition companies — are the investment craze du jour. The 'blank cheque' companies set up to acquire other companies raised a whopping $58bn in the first two months of the year.

So what exactly is a SPAC, why have they become so popular and what kinds of founders should consider them?

Find out here.

Sifted Suggests

🐞 What is Beetle Syndrome? And how do you get rid of it? If you’ve ever felt like your manager tends to favour other employees similar to them, you may be a victim of Beetle Syndrome, writes Welcome to the Jungle. But what exactly does that mean? And how can it be tackled? Find out here.

🦘 Dodgy Deliveroo. An investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism has found that some employees at the food delivery startup can earn as little as £2 hour. This comes amid Deliveroo’s preparations to float on the stock exchange.

🏠 WFH one year on. What’s it done to us? Research from Microsoft shows that communication with people outside our immediate teams is damaging innovation and limiting opportunities. HBR reports.

📖 The VC dictionary. Want to know your down rounds from your flat rounds? Forgot what a full ratchet anti-dilution clause is? This VC glossary should jog your memory.

Events [digital only]

Current trends in Europe’s angel investing scene | Online | March 30
From cross border investing to impact investing, EBAN president and angel investor Janne Jormalainen discusses the things to know in Europe’s angel investing land.

PR & Comms clinic | Online | March 31
Catch Sifted's Amy Lewin on Clubhouse at 7pm BST this Wednesday to find out how to put your startup in the spotlight.

Meet inspiring entrepreneurs from CEE & UK | Online | March 31
Microsoft and HUBHUB invites you to spark off a discussion about female founders in the startup ecosystem.