Sifted’s Post

This is a great report by #Sifted on the fastest-growing startups in the UK and Ireland in 2024, and an interesting read for anyone in the start-up/scale-up ecosystem.

Another amazing milestone for Investment Readiness Alumna Nina Briance, founder of CULT MIA! 👏👏 Nina was part of Cohort II of our Investment Readiness Accelerator, we are now recruiting for Cohort VII! If you want to set your business up on the same path of success you need the best Female Founder Playbook! Want to know more? Come along to our AMA with graduates of the Accelerator this Thursday! 🗓 Thursday April 4th ⏰ 10am PST/ 6pm UK Grab your ticket here! - https://lu.ma/2zihbckz #fundraising #investmenttips #investment #funding #pitching #femalefounders #startupgrowth #womeninbusiness #investmentstrategy #investmentaccelerator #startupsupport⁠ Andrea Sommer Christina Nesheva Caroline Hughes Emma Bell Mariette Ferreira Denise Celeghin Subha Sivaraman Jessica Clucas Viktoria Vrbiniak, MBA, MCMI ChMC Nufar Segal Bareket

We’re really excited to introduce the Sifted 100: UK & Ireland leaderboard and research report — a ranking of the top 100 companies on a high-growth trajectory.    The highlights?      🏆 Allica Bank (digital banking) takes the top spot, followed by Artios Pharma (drug discovery) and Zilch (payments).   🏦 Fintech is the most dominant sector, followed by B2B SaaS then healthtech.    🚀 80% of the companies are headquartered in London.      Delighted that so many of the companies that we have worked with are in the list. See who made the list: https://lnkd.in/e9QsQkcZ      Or download the report to explore the factors that have helped the cohort’s rise and read David Strong's foreword - 📖 https://lnkd.in/dEDtFHjC     #startups #founders #tech #investors     

Yesterday we launched our first Sifted 100: UK & Ireland leaderboard and research report. We’ve ranked the top 100 companies across the UK and Irish ecosystems on a high-growth trajectory — they’re reinventing medicine, finance, autonomous driving, data analysis and more. Some highlights: - Allica Bank (digital banking) takes the top spot, followed by Artios (drug discovery) and Zilch (payments). - Fintech is the most dominant sector, followed by B2B SaaS then healthtech.  - 80% of our companies are headquartered in London. See who made the list: https://lnkd.in/e9QsQkcZ Or download our report where we examine our cohort for telling trends, characteristics and surprising names. 📖 https://lnkd.in/dEDtFHjC We'll be covering other geographies over the rest of year!

Really insightful sessions with Dealroom.co and HSBC Innovation Banking and LocalGlobe at Phoenix Court to discuss the UK innovation economy, plus a look ahead to 2024. Latest UK report below. Highlights, despite a tough year overall: ✅ The UK remains the #3 tech ecosystem in the world (after the US and China) and #1 in Europe ✅ UK attracted more technology venture capital investment than Germany and France combined ✅ Investment is at an all-time high (yes, record highs) in UK climate tech & AI Thanks to Dealroom.co for inviting me to join the panel hosted by Orla Browne along with Simon Bumfrey, Ashley Ramrachia, Alex Craven and Saul Klein to discuss various questions from the audience too – such as: ✳ Is a $100Bn valued tech business in the UK company even possible? ✳ Why bother setting up a tech company in the UK versus the US? ✳ Why isn’t the London Stock Exchange performing better, and what can be done about it? ✳ Does deep tech investment need a different Venture Capital model, given the dynamics? ✳ Is AI regulation at this stage a good thing for entrepreneurship in the EU or the UK? Why does the position of both entity matter at present? ✳ Has the intersection of private and public money been optimised for UK tech entrepreneurship, given the early drivers of Silicon Valley's development with Government defence spending on Research and Development? Plus much more...feel free to add your thoughts to these questions below. Science backed innovation will be a key driver in the UK’s innovation economy over this coming decade. Which is why at Founders at the University of Cambridge we want to empower venture scientists and entrepreneurial academics to commercialise their important work to solve some of humanity’s most complex issues -- such as reducing polluting plastic, carbon dioxide and harmful diseases. With over 50% of the world's top 20 science and technology clusters on our doorstep here in Europe, building strong tech and impactful companies ought to be possible - who's into marrying the mindset of Silicon Valley with Europe and the UK's values to lead our greatest challenges? https://lnkd.in/gczf8hCS #entrepreneurship #UKtech #innovation #FutureOfTech #VentureCapital #AI #ClimateTech

Celebrating Our Portfolio Companies in the Sifted 100 UK & Ireland Leaderboard We're thrilled to announce that some of our standout portfolio companies: Moneybox, Curve and HelloSelf have been recognised in the prestigious Sifted 100: UK & Ireland leaderboard. This accolade celebrates the top 100 high-growth companies transforming industries like medicine, finance, autonomous driving, and data analysis across the UK and Ireland. Top 10 Sectors _____________________ The sectors leading the charge in innovation and growth include: 1️⃣ Digital Health 2️⃣ Digital Banking 3️⃣ Wealthtech 4️⃣ Digital Lending 5️⃣ Payments 6️⃣ Insurtech 7️⃣ Mobility 8️⃣ Extended Reality 9️⃣ Regtech 🔟 Fintech-as-a-service This recognition underscores the vision and hard work of our portfolio companies and their teams. We're proud to support these game-changers who not only drive forward technological advancements but also create significant economic impact. Discover more about these inspiring companies and the trends shaping our ecosystem by visiting the Sifted 100 list and downloading the full report. Let's celebrate the achievements of these innovators who are setting new benchmarks for success in the tech industry. https://lnkd.in/eam4an3H #OxfordCapital #Sifted100 #Innovation #TechLeaders #StartupSuccess #VentureCapital

The "InsurTech Europe 2023 Full Year In Review" is here! Thank you Florian Graillot and astoryaVC for sharing with us! Here are top 5 findings extracted from the report: 1. Total Investments in InsurTech Europe: In 2023, there was a total investment of €700 million in European InsurTech startups, which represents a 54% year-over-year decrease. 2. Investment Trends: The report suggests that the overall investments are either down or returning to normal levels. It compares this trend with other startup industries, indicating a similar pattern across sectors. 3. Valuations: There has been a correction in public market SaaS valuations, with a decline from 19.4x revenues in 2020-2021 to 7.8x revenues in 2022-2023. 4. Major Funding Rounds: In 2023, the largest deals in the InsurTech space accounted for 52% of total investments, with six deals being particularly significant. 5. Distribution and Business Lines: Distribution deals once again made up over 50% of all announced deals. Enterprise software surged, accounting for almost half of the deals, and Commercial Lines were almost equal to P&C in terms of deal activity. Discover the full report here: https://lnkd.in/dPye7Nhh #insurtech #insurtecheurope #insuranceadvisors

🚀 Join us for an exciting event hosted by our EiR, Tim Deeson, featuring three LSE Generate founders currently fundraising. Each founder will pitch their business, followed by an engaging Q&A session. This event is perfect for interested #investors, #mentors, and #LSE founders looking to learn more about fundraising. Featured Startups: 🌟 be/impact Upskilling employees for a better society by bridging the gap between education and application. Our B2B learning platform improves corporate learning outcomes by 300% and accelerates CSR goals 7x faster. 🌟 adclear.ai: Automating marketing compliance for fast-growing D2C brands in regulated sectors. Our GenAI-powered co-pilot helps marketing and compliance professionals stay ahead of evolving regulations. We're raising our pre-seed round to fuel growth and attract strategic investors in B2B SaaS, Fintech, and AI. 🌟 somosfin: Closing the financial knowledge gap with personalised support to empower financial wellbeing. Our subscription service provides tools and human guidance to help you make informed financial decisions and achieve your goals. 🗓️ Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with innovative startups and industry leaders. Save the date and join us! Link in the comments.

InvestorHub raises $4 million in a new funding round to disrupt capital markets #InvestorHub, a direct-to-investor #fintech platform, has successfully secured $4 million in an extension funding round led by EVP. This marks a significant milestone for the company, which has seen its revenue triple over the past 13 months, sparking considerable investor interest and leading to an oversubscribed round. An additional provision for $1 million invites further strategic investors, potentially bringing the total raised to $5 million. Originally known as Fresh Equities, InvestorHub has rebranded and expanded its influence, now serving 4% of ASX companies, including notable names like Retail Food Group. The UK market, accounting for about 10% of its clientele, is identified as a key area for potential growth, highlighting the company's international ambitions. The newly acquired funds will be instrumental in broadening InvestorHub’s market share both in Australia and globally. The company aims to double its year-over-year revenue by introducing advanced AI and machine learning capabilities. These technological advancements are set to enhance product efficiency, bolster prediction modeling, and deliver insightful, timely information for businesses and investors. Co-founder and co-CEO ▲ Ben Williamson emphasized the transformative impact of this capital influx. He noted that historically, markets favored intermediaries, creating a disconnect between companies and investors. However, technology is now bridging this gap, providing access to new types of investors who significantly influence liquidity, share price movement, and capital raise outcomes. Williamson also highlighted the substantial impact of 'long tail' investors, who represent a significant portion of trading volume and can greatly enhance their shareholding value when effectively engaged. Justin Lipman, Partner at EVP, expressed strong support for the partnership with InvestorHub, praising the impressive growth since their initial investment and the potential for future expansion. This latest funding round positions InvestorHub to continue its disruptive trajectory in the capital markets, expanding its footprint in Australia, the UK, and potentially other international markets such as Canada and North America. The article on FinTech Global in the first comment. Want to stay up to date with the market? Here my newsletter: - Linkedin: https://lnkd.in/d4h8zqKA  - Substack: https://lnkd.in/dzfGJzmW

Great update from Gerard Grech on the UK innovation economy. Highlights: ✅ The UK remains the #3 tech ecosystem in the world (after the US and China) and #1 in Europe ✅ UK attracted more technology venture capital investment than Germany and France combined ✅ Investment is at an all-time high in UK climate tech & AI