Sifted - Acquisitions galore 🔥

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Howdy Sifted Reader,

Our most-read story yesterday was the news that US on-demand delivery giant Gopuff has acquired UK 10-minute grocery delivery startup Dija. But it's not the only young(ish) tech company flexing its acquisition muscles; plenty of European startups are getting into the M&A game too. Today, we look at that and also find out:
  • How — and why — to get into 'cockroach' mode
  • How militaries are working with startups on drones and data 
  • Which were July's hottest seed rounds in Europe

\Consumer

European startups flex their acquisition muscles


More and more European tech companies are using acquisition as a growth strategy.

13 VC-backed European tech companies have made at least two acquisitions so far this year, compared to only eight in 2020. And the total value of the announced acquisitions in 2021 comes to over €1bn — more than 10x the amount in 2020.

So why are startups buying?

\In partnership with Microsoft for Startups

There’s more to the UK’s startup scene than London


Outside of London, which startup hubs have captured VCs' hearts — and wallets? Find out in our UK Startup Explorer, an interactive map that uncovers the UK’s tech hotspots and future unicorns across the country.

Start exploring now.

\Startup Life

Forget unicorns, here’s why the cockroach matters


Startup success is often synonymous with hypergrowth and unicorns. But sometimes, slow and steady can win the race. 

71% of startups worldwide have cut costs during the pandemic, pushing many companies into ‘cockroach mode’ — optimising for steady, sustainable growth — in order to survive.

Sikander Hauser trades his tips on how to be a good cockroach

\For Members Deeptech

Drone swarms and data wars


In the final parts of our military tech series, we explore how startups are igniting innovations in the defence sector.

Part three probes why swarming attack drones are the latest hot piece of tech for militaries. From silent underwater drones to winged microdrones, Sifted finds out how these unmanned machines are changing the defence sector.

So which are the European drone companies to watch? 

And finally, we round off the series with a deep dive into data intelligence. 

From detecting misinformation to scouring satellite images, Western militaries are increasingly turning to startups for backup in the data war with China. Could one company become Europe’s first military tech unicorn? 

Eanna Kelly and Maija Palmer find out.

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

\Consumer 

July's hottest seed rounds in Europe


200 startups in Europe raised a seed round in July — and over a third of those companies were based in the UK.

Fintech — expectedly — funnelled some of the most funding, but cultured meat and social networks also attracted investor attention.

Read the full list here.

\Sifted Talks

You’ve gained customers — but can you keep them?


Join our next Sifted Talks on August 19 to hear from the experts about common mistakes startups make with customer engagement, and how to avoid churn.

Register now.

News that Matters

💵 SellerX raises €100m. The Berlin-based Amazon aggregator has landed the biggest equity raise for any European startup in this sector — which has been experiencing a massive boom, post-pandemic. 

🤝 On-demand grocery giant Gopuff acquires UK’s Dija. In acquisition news galore, this is US-based Gopuff’s second buy in Europe, after acquiring on-demand delivery startup Fancy in May — and it won’t be the last in this sector. Amy Lewin reports.

🇩🇪 Rohlik launches in Munich. Online grocer Rohlik launched in Germany yesterday — its fourth European market. Amy Lewin unpacks why this Czech unicorn is one to watch.

🐶 Butternut Box raises a $55.4m Series D. The London-based dog food business secured funding from consumer-focused private equity firm L Catterton (which also led the SellerX round), with White Star Capital, Five Seasons Ventures and Passion Capital also participating. 

\Jobs

Work with us at Sifted 


Subscriptions marketing manager. We’re looking for an experienced marketeer to turbocharge our reach, further build out our online presence and grow and nurture our nascent membership base. If you have a strong background in digital marketing and subscription models, apply here.

Senior conference producer. We have plans to rapidly expand our events portfolio in 2021 and beyond. This role will be responsible for agenda research, speaker acquisition, production and delivery (digital and in-person) for a startup, scaleup and investor audience. If you're an experienced event producer with strong editing and writing skills, apply here.

Talent manager. We’re looking for a passionate and experienced talent manager who’s committed to diversity and inclusion to help us hire dozens more people to our team. If you have a strong background in recruitment, refining HR processes and focusing on people operations, apply here.

Sifted Suggests

Your website’s illegal… unless it’s accessible. Amina Aweis, developer and web accessibility advocate at UX platform Silktide, dishes her tips on how to make your website more accessible. This Q&A first appeared in our weekly Startup Life newsletter. For more insights like this, sign up here.

🌱 50+ sustainability angel investors. VCs’ eyes are on the sustainability sector. €7bn of VC funding has gone into ‘cleantech’ startups in Europe in the first half of 2021, far surpassing the €4.7bn raised in all of 2020. But who's writing these businesses their first cheques? These angels listed here. 
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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