Sifted - London, e-scooters are coming πŸ›΄

View this email in your browser
Happy Wednesday Sifted reader!

We're back with more analysis and news from startup land:
  • Europe has almost 200 female VC partners
  • Tom Blomfield is now angel investing
  • The Big Idea: quantum 'fingerprints'
  • Back Market raises β‚¬276m

\Venture Capital 

Europe now has almost 200 female VC partners


Sifted is tracking them all.

We're a long way off gender parity in VC β€” just 13% of senior investment roles in the UK were held by women in 2019 β€” but there are more than you might think.

Sifted has listed all women VC partners in Europe by country β€” and (for members only) taken a deeper look at what route they've typically taken to get there. 

Here's the complete list of 190+ VC partners, free to read.

Here's our member piece, looking at where partners worked previously.

\A message from our sponsor Oracle NetSuite

How to achieve a more profitable business


Find out top executives' key priorities and concerns on profitability in Oracle NetSuite's latest whitepaper.

Find out more here.

\Venture Capital

Tom Blomfield turns to angel investing, backing fourth venture this year

 

Monzo founder Tom Blomfield's kept his head down since officially leaving the bank earlier this year.

But the entrepreneur is ready to get hands dirty again by angel investing, he tells Sifted. He's quietly backed four startups already in 2021.

His latest bet is Pento, a SaaS startup focused on automating payroll in-house that has just raised $15.6m.

Read Isabel Woodford's interview with Blomfield here.

\Ecommerce

Back Market raises €276m to build a circular economy giant


Now valued at β‚¬2.6bn, the marketplace for refurbished consumer electronics is one of French tech's biggest stars β€” and it's just beginning.

Over the past year, Back Market has raised $455m β€” and its ambitious goal is to make refurbished gadgets the first choice for consumers.

Chris O'Brien has more.

\The Big Idea

Computer chips with quantum 'fingerprints'


Introducing our new series: the big idea of the week. Each week we pick a company with a weird, wacky or game-changing notion that could have a massive impact on the world around us if it can turn it into reality.

This week we're looking at computer chips with quantum 'fingerprints', which can be read by London-based company Crypto Quantique β€” enabling easy identity verification of the machines we use and making them extremely hard to hack.

If it takes off, it could change the way we approach cybersecurity.

Maija Palmer looks into it.

\Sponsored by Mitek

4 things fintechs need to know about Generation Z


They're growing up β€” by 2030 their collective earnings will make up more than a quarter of global income β€” but how are they spending and saving their money? 

Ahead of today's 4pm talk on Gen Z and finance (sign up here), we spoke to fintech and security experts on the key things fintechs need to know if they want to serve this burgeoning demographic.

Find their key learnings here.

News that Matters

πŸ›΄  Scoot scoot, London. E-scooter startups Dott, Tier and Lime can finally operate legally in the city as part of the long-awaited e-scooter trials. (Voi's been snubbed though.) Amy Lewin has the full story.

πŸ’° Crypto custody spending spree. London-based cryptocurrency custodian Copper, which helps big investors store and manage their investments, has raised $50m in a Series B round led by Dawn Capital and Target Global. Ryan Weeks reports.

πŸ’β€β™‚οΈ Sequoia's new partner. The US VC firm has nabbed Anas Biad from Silver Lake to help build out its European portfolio β€” in particular, early-stage companies.

πŸ’β€β™€οΈ And Creandum's first female partner. Sabina Wizander, formerly chief strategy officer at Swedish healthtech giant Kry and now Europe's latest female VC partner, chats about her investment experience and new strategy to Sifted here.

Sifted Suggests

πŸ¦„ Which CVCs have the most unicorns? Sifted looked at the corporate startup investors which are most focused on investing in European startups and have the largest portfolios. Sifted members can view the data here.

🐦 Do you need more female VCs on your feed? We've made a handy Twitter list so you can follow all the female VC partners named in our recent article.

🧢 The app combatting fast fashion. Sojo, which featured in Sifted's Sustain 100, acts like Deliveroo for clothes repairs β€” connecting customers with local seamsters via a network of cyclists. One of its riders interviewed founder Josephine Phillips on impact investors and generational divides.

\For Members Sifted Access

A special invitation


Join Sifted’s Isabel Woodford and Monzo’s Sujata Bhatia on May 27 for a members-only fireside chat. They’ll be taking a deep dive into Monzo’s plans and debating the future of the sector.

Plus, it's your chance to quiz Isabel on anything, from life as a fintech journalist and up-and-coming startups, to crazy valuations and hype bubbles.

Don’t miss out!

Not yet a member? Sign up here and use the code EVENT10 to get Β£10 off your first month when subscribing to monthly membership. You’ll find the event registration link in your welcome email.

More on representation in VC

What happens when a VC partner has a baby?
In data: diversity in European VC
VC has a diversity problem β€” can this fellowship change that?
VC-funded founders are a seriously privileged bunch
Female founders received just 1% of funding in CEE region in 2020
Michael Stothard
Editor

Get in touch with him at michael@sifted.eu
Or find him tweeting @MStothard
Isabella Pojuner
Editorial Intern

Get in touch with her at isabella@sifted.eu
Find her tweeting at @ipojuner
What would you like to read about in the next email?
Send us your suggestions
Follow us on social
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
LinkedIn
Copyright Β© 2021 SIFTED (EU) LTD, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in to our newsletters

Our mailing address is:
SIFTED (EU) LTD
Huckletree Shoreditch
18 Finsbury Square
London, EC2A 1AH
United Kingdom

Add us to your address book


Want to tailor what you receive from us?
You can update your preferences to manage your newsletter and report subscriptions, or you can unsubscribe from Sifted if you never want to hear from us again.

Older messages

Most active US VCs in Europe πŸ’΅

Monday, May 17, 2021

Ankorstore raises $100m | What happens when a VC partner gets pregnant? View this email in your browser Hi Sifted Reader, Today's line up: Why parental leave is hard for VCs Doctors transitioning

Paid period leave? 🩸

Friday, May 14, 2021

Gender pay gaps at top UK startups | Green pensions | Accel's scout programme | Vinted valued at €3.5bn View this email in your browser Hi Sifted Reader, Happy Friday! Here's our line up today:

Universities: sort out your spinouts πŸŽ“

Friday, May 14, 2021

Quantum internet breakthrough | Huma raises $130m | Revolut's C-suite changes again View this email in your browser Happy Wednesday Sifted reader! On your roster today: Revolut's new CFO

Europe now has 70 startup unicorns πŸ¦„

Monday, May 10, 2021

Sunak's plans for startups | Inside SaltPay | Europe's unicorns, listed | Deeptech founders: how to succeed View this email in your browser Hi Sifted Reader, Today's line up: Exclusive

Transforming epilepsy treatment πŸ§ 

Wednesday, May 5, 2021

Who's winning the BNPL race? | Europe's fastest-growing fintech | Tech transfer gone wrong View this email in your browser Happy Wednesday Sifted readers, Today we're getting you all caught

You Might Also Like

⏰ Final day to join MicroConf Connect (Applications close at midnight)

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

MicroConf Hey Rob! Don't let another year go by figuring things out alone. Today is your final chance to join hundreds of SaaS founders who are already working together to make 2025 their

How I give high-quality feedback quickly

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

If you're not regularly giving feedback, you're missing a chance to scale your judgment. Here's how to give high-quality feedback in as little as 1-2 hours per week. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

πŸ’₯ Being Vague is Costing You Money - CreatorBoom

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

The Best ChatGPT Prompt I've Ever Created, Get More People to Buy Your Course, Using AI Generated Videos on Social Media, Make Super Realistic AI Images of Yourself, Build an in-email streak

Enter: A new unicorn

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

+ French AI startup investment doubles; Klarna partners with Stripe; Bavaria overtakes Berlin View in browser Leonard_Flagship Good morning there, France is strengthening its position as one of the

Meta just flipped the switch that prevents misinformation from spreading in the United States

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

The company built effective systems to reduce the reach of fake news. Last week, it shut them down Platformer Platformer Meta just flipped the switch that prevents misinformation from spreading in the

Ok... we're now REALLY live Friend !

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Join Jackie Damelian to learn how to validate your product and make your first sales. Hi Friend , Apologies, we experienced some technical difficulties but now We're LIVE for Day 3 of the Make Your

Building GTM for AI : Office Hours with Maggie Hott

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Tomasz Tunguz Venture Capitalist If you were forwarded this newsletter, and you'd like to receive it in the future, subscribe here.​ ​Building GTM for AI : Office Hours with Maggie Hott ​ On

ICYMI: Musk's TikTok, AI's future, films for founders

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

A recap of the last week ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

🚨 [LIVE IN 1 HOUR] Day 3 of the Challenge with Jackie Damelian

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Join Jackie Damelian to learn how to validate your product and make your first sales. Hi Friend , Day 3 of the Make Your First Shopify Sale 5-Day Challenge is just ONE HOUR away! βŒ› Here's the link

The Broken Ladder & The Missing Manager πŸͺœ

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

And rolling through work on a coasterΝβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ Νβ€Œ