Sifted

NEW: Since 2021, investment firm Future Planet Capital (FPC) has secured more than £100m in public funds without any competitive bidding process. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and the UK Space Agency are among the government departments and agencies to have contributed to the £110m UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund (UKI2S). Midven, a VC firm based in Birmingham, was awarded the contract when UKI2S first launched in 2002, helping the British government invest tens of millions of pounds in fast-growing companies. That changed in 2021, when FPC bought Midven — making it the de facto manager of the funds. Since FPC's takeover, however, business partners and government officials have raised questions over the company’s suitability for the project, sources say. "Future Planet Capital is proud to manage UKI2S on behalf of the government,” Sakura Holloway, investment director at UKI2S, tells Sifted. “Accountability and responsibility are fundamental to what we do — as is backing the UK’s most ambitious innovators and helping them change the world for the better." 📖 Article by Freya Pratty and Kai Nicol-Schwarz

I am over the moon to share that we've oversubscribed our initial target and completed our second close at £18.2 million ($23 million) of our £20 million ($25 million) Arāya Super Angel Fund and that British Business Investments has committed £5million, the first time they've committed to a solo GP. So many people to thank but firstly, I am grateful to every investor that believes in what we're building at Arāya Ventures. A special thank you to the team at British Business Investments Mark Barry, Nancy Liu, Jasleen Haer & Jay Coulson. I'm excited about the founders and teams we've already backed and the value we've been able to provide from day one to some of our portfolio companies. Founders 👉🏾 we back all founders and write £150k - £450k cheques to consumer and B2B businesses at pre-seed and seed in Health, FinTech, Commerce and Future of Work. Investment opportunities can be sent to hello@araya.ventures. Thank you to Miriam Partington at Sifted for covering the fund close (link in comments) 👇🏾

As a reporter covering industries like deeptech and defence, I’ll admit, it can be frustrating to see so many men at conferences, on panels and, yes, quoted in my own stories.    Gender diversity is a big problem for the European tech and VC ecosystems, and those inequities can feel particularly extreme in areas like defence tech. But I’ve spoken to or heard about a number of women investors making their mark in the defence tech niche — and, after interviewing a few of them recently, I decided to highlight several women investors in defence that the rest of the VC world should have on their radar. Know someone I've missed? Send me a message. Sifted https://lnkd.in/ePd3bpkx

The results are in — founders are “exhausted”, run down and lacking in hope. Sifted surveyed 138 founders across Europe on how they have found the last year — as the tough economic climate continues to bite, many founders are experiencing physical or mental health issues. What can be done to improve the current state of founder mental and physical health? 🫂 Explore the findings from those founders surveyed and read our articles on supporting founder burnout in the comments below >> https://lnkd.in/eXt32ucj

A new ranking by Sifted, Financial Times and Statista has spotlighted the 150 leading startup hubs across Europe. Munich and Paris-based centres dominate, claiming four of the top five spots — with UnternehmerTUM finishing first for the second year in a row. Scores were based on alumni ratings, industry perception and the track record of companies which have gone through the hubs' programmes. More about the top 10 here: https://lnkd.in/eCn-U7CM And the full list here: https://lnkd.in/eMeb9usE UnternehmerTUM | STATION F | Start2 Group | HEC Paris - Innovation & Entrepreneurship Institute | Founders Factory | Venture Kick | Lanzadera | SSE Business Lab | STARTUP AUTOBAHN powered by Plug and Play

Sifted Connects presents: Dinner in London! 🍷 Powered by Remote, we kicked off the evening with a fireside chat between Anisah our startup life reporter and Andrina L., global director of people partners. Our topic of the evening — Fast growth, strong culture: How to find the right balance. After the discussion, dinner was served with a three-course meal hosted by Bob Bob Ricard. Thank you to everyone who joined us for a fabulous evening to wine, dine and connect! 🗓️ If you missed it we are hosting our second dinner in London on March 26 — sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eajPW6BS

In the last few weeks, VCs, operators and other tech people have mentioned the Swedish AI agent startup Lovable in passing. One in particular told me it is "the biggest story of the moment." (This was before the reports on the startup's $15m pre-Series A yesterday.) So, what is it that makes this startup so different from all the rest? I visited the offices in central Stockholm to find out. Thank you Nad Chishtie and Fabian Hedin for taking the time. More here: https://lnkd.in/dXJjXFXy

⏳ The countdown is on! ⏳ Sifted Summit tickets drop next week—are you ready? 🎟️ 🎪 Prepare for two days of unfiltered insights, bold ideas and 3,000 of Europe’s most exciting founders, investors and operators—all in one place. 📅 Mark your calendars, prep your teams and get them before they are gone. #SiftedSummit

NEW: As the results of the German election roll in, the nation’s tech elites have called on the new government to lead Europe into a new era of self-sufficiency — rejecting US president Donald Trump’s ultimatums and boosting support for startups at home. More here: https://lnkd.in/d-bZSw5h

📣 Fund F reaches its final closing at €28M! Incredibly proud to announce that Fund F has closed its oversubscribed first fund with a mix of entrepreneurs, angels, family offices and institutional investors, including the European Investment Fund (EIF). 💥 Why does this matter? Because investing in diverse founders doesn’t just drive innovation - it reshapes entire industries. The earlier we invest, the more we can fuel a cycle where female founders build, scale, exit, and reinvest in the ecosystem. Thank you to everyone who has supported us on this journey - our LPs, founders, and community. This is just the beginning! The future of tech is equal, and Fund F is here to make sure it’s funded accordingly. 👉 If you're a female founder building the next big thing in Europe and looking for investors, reach out!! 📖 Read more in Sifted (link in comments) Best Fund, Best Thesis and Best Team 🦸♀️🦸🏻♂️ #FundF #FemaleFounders #VentureCapital #EIF #DiversityInVC #EarlyStage Lisa-Marie Fassl Nina Wöss Carina Roth Judith Schnaubelt Sebastian Gomes Alvaro Egido Maestre