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Hi Sifted Reader,

Are aliens visiting us? Don't laugh: it's a question that European tech founders and research scientists are taking kinda seriously. Today we meet one of them — Israel's Timbr, which is working with The Galileo Project to understand more about UFOs in the sky. Also on the menu:

• The war for talent: what Sifted's readers say
• 11 startups making transportation greener, according to VCs
• Startup M&A learnings from a former corporate exec

Hiring is a giant pain in the ass for everyone at the moment.

But which bits of the hiring process are frustrating our readers the most? Which roles are proving the most difficult to fill? And what are startups doing to stand out from other employers? 

Here’s what you, our readers, had to say.

Industry giants have deep pockets, huge numbers of customers and established reputations — but that doesn’t mean startups can’t take them on. This Sifted Talks will discuss what you can learn from high-growth, disruptive startups on February 23.

Sign up for Sifted Talks here.

Once seen as a silly topic of debate, the question of whether aliens are visiting us is one that some of the world’s top scientists and tech companies are now scrambling to answer.

Alien hunters (and well-respected academics) at Harvard's The Galileo Project are working with Tel Aviv-based AI startup Timbr to understand more about unidentified flying objects.

But how serious are they?

In 2021, European mobility startups received $14bn, up from $5.2bn in 2020. Clean energy startups saw the biggest rise in investment, with annual funding increasing five-fold.

It's a sign that investors are becoming more serious about funding sustainable solutions in mobility.

But which green transportation startups in Europe do investors think could have most impact?

Álvaro Gutiérrez, cofounder and co-CEO of Barkibu, knows a thing or two about startup acquisitions. He spent 15 years buying and selling companies for corporate banks, and has since transitioned to conducting M&As in the startup space. 

Startups often don't have the capital and resources to consider an M&A strategy — but that doesn't mean it's impossible.

These days, most businesses store at least some of their data in the cloud. Predictions suggest that half the world's data — 100 zettabytes — will be stored in the cloud by 2025. So how can you use the cloud at scale?

Here are four top tips to tackle growth challenges.

We're planning to double our star team by the end of the year. See (just some of) the roles Sifted has got up for grabs below:

💪 Do you have experience selling media products including (but not limited to) digital advertising, reports, events, newsletters and bespoke products? Take a peek at our sales/business development roles here. 

🇫🇷 Attention France, we're looking for a part-time or freelance reporter. This role will specifically focus on the French startup scene.  

🎉 We're looking for a senior events producer to build our events agenda, recruit exciting speakers and keep an eye on new event forms we can try. Is that you? Apply now.

📝 Are you a sparky, creative and inquisitive reporter? Then we want you on our editorial team. Get more information here.

📊 Sifted is looking for a data analyst. We want someone to provide daily research support to the Sifted team, from analysing content performance for journalists through to creating insight-driven financial reporting. Could this be you?

🛠️ For our campaign coordinator/administrator role, we're hunting for someone who can support all aspects of managing client campaigns, from communicating with a range of stakeholders to making sure content looks polished.

💡 How to hire the right COO. The job description of a COO varies wildly from company to company. So how can startup leaders begin to define the type of COO they're looking for? We picked the brains of Trouva's COO Dimple Patel to find out.

🦄 Europe's unicorns — the full list. Did you catch 'em all?

💰 200+ female VC partners in Europe. Have we missed anyone?

🌟 40+ Black and mixed-race female founders in Europe. The first list of its kind.

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