Startup Europe — The Sifted Podcast

This week, in Eleanor's absence, we were joined by a special guest host… journalist-turned-Zapp VP of Strategy, Steve O’Hear! We discuss The Family, France’s most famous incubator whose cofounder has been accused of embezzlement. We also chat to journalist Tim Smith about his reporting on the toxic workplace allegations made against delivery startup Glovo. Finally, we’re discussing journalists’ relationships with tech companies — and one very explosive tweet that started the conversation.

This week, we’re talking about Getir, the speedy delivery company which has raised a massive $768m Series E round at a $11.8bn valuation. We ask, is the company really worth all that cash? We’re also speaking to reporter Mimi Billing about social shopping — or shopping-turned-social game — and the Finnish startup trying to bring the Chinese craze to Europe. Finally, we’re discussing our latest coverage on the war in Ukraine, including how Russian founders are reacting.

An episode with no audio issues? It’s true! This week, we’re discussing startups hiring ethical advisory boards — will it help them avoid Big Tech’s big mistakes? We’ll also be speaking to reporter Freya Pratty about how Brexit is squashing the UK’s edible bug industry, and discussing Sifted's most controversial story of the week.

We're back with episode 2 of the new season of The Sifted Podcast. Cursed by the audio gods, this was a second, DIY attempt at recording the podcast after a studio malfunction, so we apologise for the slightly suboptimal quality this episode (next time will be better, we promise). We didn't want to stop that from sharing some of what's been going on at Sifted this week, including discussion of how our women-led newsroom thinks about diversity, the European startups trying to end Europe's reliance on Russian fossil fuels, and human stories from the tech community in Ukraine.

We’re back with season two — but we now look a bit different. Each week, Sifted editor Amy Lewin and deputy editor Eleanor Warnock will bring you the latest news coming from Europe’s tech and startup sector. In this first episode, we’ll be discussing the events unfolding in Ukraine and how they’re affecting local businesses and the people that work for them. We’ll hear from Ivan Babichuk, VP engineering of tech company EduNav, based in the western Ukrainian town of Lviv, and our journalists who've been looking into how Europe's tech community are responding to the crisis. 

For years, squeamish — and typically male — VCs have avoided the topic of women’s sexual health. But a new wave of women-led audio erotica startups are here leading a quiet revolution in the world of pleasure and sexual wellbeing. In episode 4, we’ll hear from Sifted’s Germany correspondent Miriam Partington, Julie Lepique, cofounder and CEO of sensual audio platform Femtasy, and Andrea Oliver Garcia, founder of audio intimate wellbeing startup Emjoy. We’ll also hear from an audio advertising startup founder who will try to convince 5-year-old Eliza to invest in his business in the latest edition of Baby Shark Tank.

Europe’s millennials are starting to get rich — with many cashing in on the continent’s fast-growing tech sector — and entrepreneurs are seeing dollar signs. In episode 3, we take you on a journey into the minds of the next generation of high-net-worth individual, and hear what they want from a digital bank. Think Coutts, oak-panelled walls, cigar smoking financiers, Switzerland — but all in one handy app on your phone. We’ll also hear from a less-than-impressed Eliza in Baby Shark Tank, who grills a Swiss digital private bank founder on how he’s really going to make all her dreams come true.

Psychedelics aren’t only about getting high, and a new wave of startups is here that’s all about using natural and synthetic drugs to tackle the globe’s growing mental health crisis. In episode two, we’ll speak to Sifted Iberian correspondent Tim Smith about how psychedelics got from Ancient Greece to the VC boardroom. We'll also hear from a founder who took his employees off on a team-building psychedelic retreat that almost went very, very wrong. Finally, 5-year-old Eliza will grill a magic mushroom startup CEO in our second episode of Baby Shark Tank.

Oranmore is just like any other sleepy Irish town — except for the fact that everything is delivered by futuristic drones. During lockdown, Oranmore became the testing bed for Manna Aero, a drone delivery startup that promises candy, curry and hot coffee to your door in a matter of minutes. In this first episode, we’ll hear from Sifted innovation editor Maija Palmer, Manna Aero founder Bobby Healy and the Oranmore locals who are the guinea pigs for this frontier technology. You’ll also hear from 5-year-old Eliza, who will grill Healy on his business model in our first episode of Baby Shark Tank.