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Hi Sifted Reader,

It's time for Episode 8 of the Sifted Podcast and this week Eleanor gets a new partner in crime as Amy heads to Paris to host our first non-UK IRL member event.

Contributing editor Éanna Kelly joins Eleanor as they speak to Sifted's cofounder John Thornhill about what it's like to launch a startup in your 50s, reveal founders' worst VC experiences and dive into how sustainable secondhand fashion marketplaces really are. Listen on Spotify and Apple, plus...

• Rosie Wood wants more money
• Is hydrogen good or bad?
• The student-led university deeptech fund

— Kai, reporter & Amy, editor

Fundraising is a part of the startup journey that few founders can avoid — and even fewer enjoy.

But what really happens behind closed doors when founders pitch investors? We asked Sifted readers about their experiences of raising cash to find out. 

Prepare yourself for some harrowing stories. 

Following her promotion last week, (fictional) partner at VC firm Mild Conviction, Rosie Wood, wants more money. 

So she gathered together a group of Gen Z VCs at Soho House in Paris (with free flowing champagne, of course) to find out how much everyone else was being paid.

Turns out Silicon Valley salary inflation isn't just a problem for engineers... 

Here's how it went. 

At ViennaUP's Smart Cities Summit, everything revolves around the question of making our cities liveable for our grandchildren. Get to know the projects — and the pioneers — by joining the event starting May 27.

More details here.

Hydrogen is a divisive topic in European tech. Its backers say it could pave the way for net zero, while critics say it's just a decoy advocated for by the fossil fuel industry that detracts from better sustainable options.

So who's right?

Freya Pratty investigates. 

Early-stage deeptech startups from UK universities should be rubbing their hands together after Creator Fund raised $20m for its investment vehicle this week.

The fund uses a team of 38 mainly PhD investors across 28 universities to scout out the next big thing — it's also planning an expansion into Europe. 

Tom Nugent finds out more.

The Dutch tech scene is doing pretty well for itself. It's got a crop of well funded startups, ambitious founders and lofty ideas for the future.

But, there's just one problem: opportunities for women are few and far between. So why are they being left out and what's being done to remedy the situation?

Sifted takes a look and the Netherlands' diversity troubles. 

💰 Deeptech is having a good week. Madrid-based VC firm K Fund has announced the first close of its new fund to invest in B2B startups with a deeptech component. It's raised €175m of a €250m target and if it hits that will be the largest growth fund in southern Europe. 

📦 Europe's first parcel locker unicorn. Swedish startup Instabox has just snapped up a hefty $190m in a growth round led by Verdane, as it sets its sights on the German market. It comes as investors increasingly bet big on parcel lockers to solve the unsustainable last-mile delivery problem.

🥾 From bootstrapped to VC backed. Customer success platform Planhat has snapped up VC funding after going it alone since launching in 2014. Yesterday, the Stockholm-based startup announced a $50m Series A, and it isn't the only bootstrapped startup that's recently decided to take investors' cash in pursuit of growth.

💔 Dating app for Muslims Muzmatch loses lawsuit. The startup may now have to change its name after a judge ruled in favour of dating giant Match in the trademark battle. The Hinge-owner argued that Muzmatch infringed on its intellectual property, and the ruling follows the two parties appearing in court back in January.

♀️ How to market a female health brand. We get some top tips from Anne Butterworth, the founder of Ultra Violet — a creative and trend forecasting agency specialising in femtech. From educating your audience to avoiding social media censorship, here's what she said. 

Amy Lewin
Editor 

Get in touch with her at amy@sifted.eu
Or tweeting at @amyrlewin

Kai Nicol-Schwarz

Reporter

Get in touch with him at kai@sifted.eu 
Or @NicolSchwarzK

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