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Hi Sifted Reader,

Do you really need tons of VC cash to build a market-leading startup? Or can you take the leaner approach and go it alone? We've built a fresh list of the bootstrapped startups taking Europe by storm. Plus...

• Why are high-profile fintech figures jumping ship for crypto?  
• How a small town in Germany might steal Berlin's startup crown
• A founder's guide to prepping for VC due diligence

Europe's fintech have a new talent problem — some of their most senior employees are leaving to join the next hot thing: crypto startups.

Senior folk from Monzo, Revolut and Railsbank have all jumped ship in recent months — and crypto startups are actively recruiting ex-fintechers.

But why? Amy O'Brien investigates and lists some of the most notable moves so far. 

Competing against corporates with millions of customers can be daunting, but there are ways for startups to leverage their size and agility. Find out how — from the experts — during our Sifted Talks today. 

Sign up here and join us today!

Did you know a very small proportion (we're talking less than 1%) of startups actually go on to raise cash from VCs? It's just that the ones that do tend to hog the headlines. 

But what about the secret majority that bootstrap or self-fund? 

We've pulled together a fresh list of the most exciting bootstrapped startups across Europe right now — including the ones that are now gearing up for their first rounds of investment. 

Maija Palmer has all you need to know. 

You've heard it before: VCs who invest early stage are investing in people, not businesses. 

That means they want to really understand who they're investing in, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. 

So how can you best prepare yourself — and your team — for a VC evaluation? 

Golden tips here. 

Crowded, expensive Berlin has an unlikely new competitor for the title of Germany's startup hub. It's a picturesque town on the border with Poland and has just 56,000 residents. It's called Görlitz.

Under a new project, startup employees can road-test working in the city and take advantage of free flats and coworking spaces. 

It seems to be having a big impact.

Miriam Partington dives into how Görlitz and other European cities are turning to tech for regeneration. 

It may be small, but with some 11k tech companies and counting, the Netherlands is taking the European startup world by storm. What’s next for the Dutch tech landscape? What obstacles stand in its way, and where will it grow next?

Find out here.

🍳 No need to crack some eggs for breakfast. Finnish startup Onego Bio has come up with a way to produce egg whites in a lab. And it's just raised €10m to take its powder to market. Mimi Billing has the details.

💰 From BNPL to food delivery. Klarna founder Sebastian Siemiatkowski has a listed fund called Flat Capital, which he's previously used to invest in Klarna (obviously) and Kry. His latest investment? €4.4m into grocery delivery startup Getir.

🌟 Backed gets more backing. London-based VC firm Backed has raised a fresh €150m fund to invest in Europe, with a focus on the gaming sector (it's previously backed unicorns Thought Machine, Sky Mavis and Immutable X) and seed-stage investments. 

👢 Bootstrapped no more. After coasting with some £110m in funding from its multimillionaire serial founders over the last eight years, UK digital identity company Yoti is finally opting to take in some outside investment. It's looking to raise £8m-20m from a number of wealthy tech entrepreneurs, ahead of bigger Series B plans later in the year. 

🧠 This startup is building a “pocket neurologist”. You wouldn't necessarily think of Snapchat as the go-to inspiration for a mental health app, but it was for Mindstep. It uses the same technology that tracks eye movement to power Snapchat filters to diagnose and treat key indicators of conditions like dementia, depression, anxiety and brain fog. It's just raised £2.5m to help it do so. Kai Nicol-Schwarz finds out more. 

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