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Hi Sifted Reader,

Today's line up:

A data comparison: European vs US VCs
Inside the open banking bubble
15 last-mile delivery startups to watch

\Venture Capital

EU vs US VCs: the data

Venture capital funding in Europe grew 6x over the last decade, to nearly $24bn in 2020 ($34.3bn in 2019). The US VC ecosystem, by contrast, grew just 1.5x over the same period.

But what else is different (and noteworthy) about the two ecosystems?

A new study by market insights company Different Funds has dug into 600 investment firms across 74 regions in Europe and the US — and Sifted has picked out the key findings.

Find them here.

\A message from our sponsor Pleo

Stop making people angry with disorganised payments

Manage your business payments better with Pleo company cards that automate expense reports and simplify company spending.

Learn more here.

\Fintech

Is open banking overvalued?

It’s no secret that the open banking sphere has caused major excitement in recent years. Open banking valuations have skyrocketed in recent years — dominated by the likes of TrueLayer, Tink and Plaid — far beyond revenues.

But investors told Sifted that prices in the fintech infrastructure vertical have gone a bit wild. So what is it that investors are betting on, exactly?

Isabel Woodford reports. (This article originally featured in our fintech newsletter. You can sign up to it here.)

\For Members Logistics

15 last-mile startups to watch, according to top VCs

European VCs have been all over last-mile delivery startups this year — and with ecommerce booming, that's no surprise.

We asked five top VCs — including Earlybird and Maersk Growth — to share their pick of the most exciting startups in the sector.

Members can see what they said here. If you're not yet a Sifted member, subscribe here for as little as £19 per month.

\Opinion

Louis Saha: Finding the right investor is like choosing the right football club

If you’re a football fanatic, you’re most likely to have heard about the big deals — like the multimillion-pound moves in the Premier League.

But there’s so much more going on under the surface than just the deal, says football star Louis Saha. In fact, there are many similarities between choosing a club and choosing investors for your business.

So what are they?

\In partnership with FTI Consulting

Five questions to ask yourself before you IPO

There are many benefits to listing on the stock market. But how can you make sure that your IPO journey isn't a flop?

Find out here.

Sifted Suggests

👀 You don’t always need investment to succeed. Serial entrepreneur Joe Procopio outlines four wrong reasons to seek venture capital and what to do instead.

🇳🇱 Why you should move your startup to Amsterdam, according to its founders, investors and stakeholders.

💁‍♀️ Female-powered businesses in the UK: the data. J.P. Morgan and Beauhurst have dug into Britain’s high-growth companies founded or led by women — and uncovered some interesting findings.

💳 What’s Monzo planning next? It’s been a year since the digital bank’s new CEO TS Anil came onto the scene. Now the company has a plan to break even. Wired reports.

Events [digital only]

Why every brand needs trust | Online | May 6
Does being ‘trustworthy’ really make your business more money? And how can startups invest in trust? Find out from Microsoft Advertising’s marketing director EMEA, Sean O’Connor, and founder of Typology and Made, Ning Li, in our next Sifted Talks.

A growth market for tech startups | Online | May 6
Startup Sweden and GITEX Future Stars are hosting this session to tackle the hard questions about expanding in the Middle East and North Africa.

Should you let your boss into your bank account? | Online | May 13
In this Sifted Talks, we’ll be discussing whether transparency improves employee financial health or simply gives bosses more control.

How are fintechs preparing for Gen Z? | Online | May 19
Find out from the fintech experts: Mitek CTO Stephen Ritter, GoHenry founder and COO Louise Hill and senior product owner at Revolut Junior, Maisum Dairkee.

Join the summit committing to sustainable global change | Online | May 27-29
At this three-day accelerator, global leaders, innovators and change makers will gather to discuss and propose collaborative green action.

Sifted Opinion

5 signs your climate efforts might be doing more harm than good

Would Daniel Ek buying Arsenal be a gamechanger for European tech?

VCs need to adopt some of that ‘radical transparency’ startups love

Why you should put salaries on your job ads

Parental leave at startups: What to think about

Amy Lewin
Deputy Editor

Get in touch with her at amy@sifted.eu
Or tweeting @amyrlewin

Connor Bilboe
Editorial Assistant

Get in touch with him at connor@sifted.eu
He likes sustainability stories.

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Sifted - European vs US VCs 🥊

\Venture Capital

EU vs US VCs: the data

\A message from our sponsor Pleo

Stop making people angry with disorganised payments

\Fintech

Is open banking overvalued?

\For Members Logistics

15 last-mile startups to watch, according to top VCs

\Opinion

Louis Saha: Finding the right investor is like choosing the right football club

\In partnership with FTI Consulting

Five questions to ask yourself before you IPO

Sifted Suggests

Events [digital only]

Sifted Opinion

Older messages

McDonald's: Watch out 🍔

If Ek buys Arsenal... ⚽

Gen Z bets big on crypto 😎

Top mobility startups to watch 🛴

Vitamin startups: do we need them? 💊

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