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Hi Sifted Reader,

Here’s what’s cooking this Friday:

Iceland's Gen Z dating app
The startups funded by Amazon
Milk from microbes
Harry Stebbings' $140m new fund
Why secondaries shouldn't be a taboo

\Consumer

Iceland’s Smitten raises seed to romance Gen Z with dating app

Iceland's not a stranger to romantic innovation. The island nation boasts the world’s first-ever app to keep singles from dating their cousins.

Now, two Icelandic entrepreneurs are betting they can help Gen Z fall in love with a new twist on dating apps.

Find out more.

We've got more dating app coverage lined up, including a chat with Hinge CEO
Justin McLeod.

\New report with Scale-Up Europe

Why investing in disruptive tech and growing leaders is critical for our continent

Exactly what will it take to scale up Europe’s startup economy? Find out in the new Scale-Up Europe report.

Read it here.

\For Members Venture Capital

Here's which European startups have caught Amazon's eye

After a record breaking year for European investment last year, Amazon’s crosshairs remain trained on the continent’s most promising startups. As well as opening new branches, it’s snapping up more European companies, and backing others with its cash.

New Sifted analysis shows which startups have caught the gaze of the US tech giant, and in which sectors its leaning on European tech to help its expansion.

See the list.

If you're not yet a Sifted member, subscribe here for as little as £19 per month.

\Foodtech

The Big Idea: Milking microbes instead of cows

The world drinks a lot of milk: more than 843m tonnes it each year. A lot of plant based alternatives have emerged in recent years, but what if we could produce something with exactly the same protein structure as milk — just not using any cows?

That's what the team at Israel-based Imagindairy set out to do, using modified microorganisms to produce milk.

Maija Palmer finds out more.

\Opinion

It should not be taboo for founders to take cash off the table early

Nothing draws more suspicion in the startup world than when a founder ‘cashes in’ early through a secondary share sale. People ask the same old questions: “Are they leaving? Is the company doing badly?”

But secondaries shouldn’t be seen as a bad thing, says Balboa Ventures’ Francisco Navas: it can destress and motivate founders.

Here's why.

\Venture Capital

Podcaster-turned-VC Harry Stebbings raises two funds totalling $140m

Harry Stebbings, the podcaster-turned-VC and all round boy wonder, has raised one of the biggest funds run by a solo VC partner of all time.

He's launching a $33m early-stage fund and another $107m growth fund, and has got an impressive set of investors on board.

How does he do it? Amy Lewin finds out more.

News that Matters

💳 Wise (previously TransferWise), one of the UK's top fintechs, has confirmed that it will go public through a direct listing on the London Stock Exchange. It’s the first direct listing of a tech company in London.

⭐ Beamery, a talent operating system, has raised a $138m round led by prolific tech investor Ontario Teachers. It gives the company a $800m valuation.

📈 The UK's first meme stock? Electric vehicle startup Arrival is one of the top ten most popular retail stocks after Reddit's stock-picking army posted about targeting the stock on the WallStreetBets forum.

💸 British fintech 10x has raised $187m. The company helps larger, established banks to set up next-generation services as well as tools to help their older services work more efficiently.

🦺 Insurtech AI startup Akur8 has raised a $30m Series B round. It's used by actuaries and pricing teams to make faster decisions about insurance claims.

🏡 Berlin-based proptech startup Habyt has raised a €20m Series B round and closed its third acquisition of 2021, buying up Homefully, a Frankfurt-based co-living startup for international professionals.

💉 Biotech startup Ochre Bio has landed a $9.6m seed round. The company is working on making transplants for people with liver failure more successful.

🤑 Fortino Capital, a Benelux-based VC firm, has closed a new €105m fund for early stage B2B software and tech companies across Europe.

Sifted Suggests

🌿 How much do greentech execs get paid? IIt's flourishing sector, but still relatively young. We’ve analysed the salaries of greentech executives to find out what they earn from early to late-stage.

\Sifted Talks

Do consumers really want same day delivery?

Our next Sifted Talks on June 23 is all about last-mile delivery. Hear from the experts on what’s real, what’s hype and who will come out on top.

Sign up here.

Sifted Newsletters

Future Proof: the latest on corporate innovation around Europe.

Sustain: our greenest newsletter covering startups and sustainability.

Startup Life: behind the scenes at Europe's startups.

Fintech: for your weekly dose of European fintech stories.

Amy Lewin
Deputy Editor

Get in touch with her at amy@sifted.eu
She loves a bit of reader feedback.

Freya Pratty
News Reporter

Send her your news at freya@sifted.eu
Or find her (occasionally) tweeting @FPratty

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The country with the most dating apps per person 💖

\Consumer

Iceland’s Smitten raises seed to romance Gen Z with dating app

\New report with Scale-Up Europe

Why investing in disruptive tech and growing leaders is critical for our continent

\For Members Venture Capital

Here's which European startups have caught Amazon's eye

\Foodtech

The Big Idea: Milking microbes instead of cows

\Opinion

It should not be taboo for founders to take cash off the table early

\Venture Capital

Podcaster-turned-VC Harry Stebbings raises two funds totalling $140m

News that Matters

Sifted Suggests

\Sifted Talks

Do consumers really want same day delivery?

Sifted Newsletters

Older messages

Peter Thiel goes big on Europe 💰

C-suite churn chaos 😳

Trouble at Gorillas 🦍

Feel the power of my quantum qubit!! 💪

Europe's next IPOs: who's getting rich? 💸

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