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Hi Sifted Reader,

We sat down with Danish startup Seaborg to find out how it mistakenly stumbled across a cost-effective way to store renewable energy, which are otherwise few and far between. Read below to learn more about that, plus:

VC interest in crypto is rising, but are they too late?
Portugal bans after-work emails — here’s why it will be good for startups
Female-founded fintech Enfuce raises €45m

\For Members Fintech

Europe’s VCs arrived late to the crypto party. Are they ready to rave?

It's taken a long time for VCs to warm to crypto. Back in 2019, they invested a measly €141m into European startups in the sector. But times are a-changing.

European VCs are starting to embrace startups tackling digital assets, with VCs and founders claiming that Europe is at a “tipping point”.

The question now is can they catch up in time, and get truly comfortable with this complex and sometimes murky sector.

Isabel Woodford dives into what VCs are plotting next.

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

\A message from our sponsor Mambu

Fintechs, don’t get too comfortable

Financial services are evolving at a rapid pace. Eugene Danilkis, cofounder and CEO of the cloud banking platform Mambu, says fintechs need to stay one step ahead. But how?

Tune into Mambu's digital summit to find out.

\Deeptech

Salt breakthrough could halve the cost of storing solar energy

While solar and wind energy hold huge possibilities — with some estimating they can meet the world's energy demand 100 times over — there have been few good options to store it, until now.

Seaborg, a Copenhagen-based nuclear startup, has discovered a way to store energy in a molten salt solution by using sodium hydroxide. The company says it's 90% cheaper than other salts used in the field.

Mimi Billing finds out how Seaborg (accidentally) developed the solution.

\The Sifted Podcast

Have you listened to the latest episode of The Sifted Podcast yet?

What are you waiting for! Here’s a rundown of the episodes so far:

Episode 1: Imagine a place where everything is delivered by drone… one tiny Irish town is already there. Hear how a Manna Aero drone delivery trial sent Oranmore into a Jetsons-like future.
Episode 2: How did psychedelics make it from Ancient Greece to the VC boardroom? And what does that have to do with German beer? We dive deep into psychedelics and startup spiritualism.
Episode 3: Our latest episode delves into the minds of millennial millionaires, and looks at the digital neobanks trying to get their hands on their money.

Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, Google or wherever you get your podcasts — and tell us what you think. Thanks!

\Startup Life

Portugal bans after-work emails — here’s why it will be good for startups

Last month, new laws aimed at improving remote workers' welfare were introduced in Portugal. They include fines on employers contacting employees after hours and demands for employers to expense employees' home working-related costs such as extra electricity.

Portugal wants to be an attractive place to work for startups and remote workers — it's already built a reputation with competitive tax rates and Madeira's "Digital Nomad Village".

But in the fast world of startups, could disconnecting really be more productive?

Zi Wang reports.

\News

Female-founded fintech Enfuce raises €45m

Finnish fintech Enfuce has raised a €45m Series C in one of the largest funding rounds for a female-founded fintech in Europe this year.

The five-year-old company describes itself as a CaaS (card-as-a-service) platform for card issuing, and has seen its monthly revenue hit €1m recently with 13m card users on its platform.

Mimi Billing chats to the female founders behind the success.

\Sponsored by Business Sweden

How big is Sweden’s impact startup sector?

The short answer is big — very big. Annual VC investment into Nordic impact startups has increased 25-fold in the past decade, with affordable and clean energy solutions attracting billions in funding this year alone.

Read on for the hard numbers, and to find out which startups are leading the way.

Sifted Suggests

🇩🇪 The evolution of Berlin’s startup ecosystem. It’s come a long way since Zalando launched in the late 00’s. Anais Cisneros from Samos Investments gives a thorough breakdown of Berlin’s tech ecosystem growth, from startups to VCs.

☢️ Nuclear fusion breakthrough. The quest to harness the energy from nuclear fusion reactions has seen high interest but limited results in the past few decades. But UK-based startup First Light Fusion has just sped up the race to a solution.

🧐 Accelerators and incubators — what’s the difference? Landscape VC gives the rundown here.

🔮 European M&A 2022 predictions. M&A specialist Ansarada looks into M&A activity by sector in the UK in this report, and which key themes will shape the market in the next year.

Events

Future Forward: Investing in the early-stage ecosystem | London | Dec 8
Join the UK Business Angels Association for a plethora of panel discussions — including how to invest in Series A, the latest market trends and taking ownership of an early-stage investment.

SQL for beginners | Online | Dec 8
Berlin-based coding school Le Wagon invites anyone curious to their first step in coding to gauge a basic understanding of SQL. Don't miss out!

Sifted Members

13 startups to watch in Europe, according to Gen Z founders

The ebike boom: How startups are cashing in

Edtech startups to watch, according to top investors

European scout programmes: the complete list

The rise of the lone wolf VC in Europe

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 - Should after-work emails be banned? 🚫

\For Members Fintech

Europe’s VCs arrived late to the crypto party. Are they ready to rave?

\A message from our sponsor Mambu

Fintechs, don’t get too comfortable

\Deeptech

Salt breakthrough could halve the cost of storing solar energy

\The Sifted Podcast

Have you listened to the latest episode of The Sifted Podcast yet?

\Startup Life

Portugal bans after-work emails — here’s why it will be good for startups

\News

Female-founded fintech Enfuce raises €45m

\Sponsored by Business Sweden

How big is Sweden’s impact startup sector?

Sifted Suggests

Events

Sifted Members

Older messages

Gen Z founders' startups to watch ✨

Will VC get cancelled? ❌

ALL of Europe's scout programmes, listed 🔥

Sifted's top tips for surviving Slush ❄️

The mother-son duo making psychedelic medicine 🍄

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