Sifted

What Sifted does

Sifted is a London-based media brand and subscription intelligence platform serving the European startup ecosystem, backed by the Financial Times. Founded in 2018, the company publishes daily editorial coverage spanning 40+ European countries and operates a portfolio of proprietary data tools — Deals Tracker, Investor Tracker, Market Tracker, and M&A Tracker — built on a proprietary dataset covering 100,000+ European startups. Sifted also produces the Sifted 250, regional Sifted 100 leaderboards (UK & Ireland, France & Benelux, Southern Europe), AI 100, B2B SaaS Rising 100, and Consumer 100 rankings, which function as ecosystem reference standards.

The company monetizes through a tiered subscription model: a free tier for registered users and startups (with the Sifted for Startups program requiring quarterly data contributions), a Pro Single Seat tier at £1,750/year offering data tools and exclusive intelligence, and a quote-based Enterprise tier with custom onboarding and dedicated account management. Additional revenue streams include digital advertising, newsletter and event sponsorships, and paid tickets for the annual Sifted Summit and virtual Sifted Talks. The audience — 4.5M average monthly website visits, 500,000+ email subscribers, and 3.39M combined social following — is concentrated at 98% senior decision makers across investors (94% of audience overlaps with startups/scaleups).

Sifted's distribution channels combine owned editorial, six email newsletters, podcasts, virtual events, and the Sifted Summit. Strategic partnerships include the Financial Times (flagship backing and editorial), Statista (co-development of the FT European Start-up Hubs ranking), and a broad sponsor base including Nebius, Box, Marriott Harrison, Sapphire, Lazard, Redalpine, N47, and AVP. Sifted raised £4M in seed funding from ScaleUp Capital in November 2021 and has not announced further priced rounds.

Name

Sifted

Legal name

Sifted (EU) Ltd

Website

https://sifted.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sifted is a London-based media brand and subscription intelligence platform for the European startup ecosystem, backed by the Financial Times. It provides editorial coverage, proprietary data tools (Deals, Investor, Market, M&A Trackers), regional rankings, and tiered Pro subscriptions serving investors, founders, and corporates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Media and Market Intelligence

akta.pro primary industry

News & Content Aggregation Portals (BPAMAAAI)

Keywords

• European startup media
• Venture capital intelligence
• Market intelligence subscriptions
• Tech news platform
• Startup data tracking

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Pro Subscriptions: Annual subscriptions providing access to intelligence reports, data tools, and exclusive newsletters. Single seat at £1,750/year, Enterprise tier priced on request.
2. Advertising and Sponsorships: Digital advertising, branded content, newsletter sponsorships, and event sponsorships targeting senior decision makers, startups, scaleups and investors in the European tech ecosystem.
3. Free Tier Access: Limited article access and newsletter delivery to registered users, creating pipeline for paid subscriptions.
4. Events Revenue: Paid tickets for Sifted Summit and other events including networking opportunities, stages, and exhibition spaces.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Sifted operates a subscription-based media and intelligence platform delivering news, analysis, and proprietary data tools focused exclusively on the European startup ecosystem. The core product is Sifted Pro, offering verified data on early-stage startups, investment-grade sector briefings, and downloadable tracker tools covering deals, investors, markets, and M&A activity. The platform is supported by editorial coverage, newsletters, virtual events, podcasts, and the annual Sifted Summit conference.

Product overview

Sifted is a media brand and intelligence platform for the European startup ecosystem, backed by the Financial Times. The core offering is Sifted Pro, a subscription-based platform providing investment-grade research, verified startup data, and market intelligence tools. Sifted Pro is available in tiers for individuals (Single Seat, £1,750/year), teams/companies (Enterprise, price on request), and free tiers for registered users and startups. The product portfolio centers on Sifted Pro alongside complementary content products: Sifted Briefings (research reports), Sifted Rankings/Leaderboards (fastest-growing startup rankings by region and sector), data tracker tools (Deals, Investor, Market, M&A Trackers), Sifted Reports (in-depth thematic reports), newsletters (Daily, AI & Deeptech, Fintech, Startup Life, Up Round, Pro Deals), Sifted Talks (virtual events), Podcasts (Startup Europe, Sifted Studio, The Oppawtunity), and the annual Sifted Summit conference. All products are accessible through the web platform at sifted.eu, with intelligence targeted at investors, corporates, consultants, founders, and service providers in the European startup ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sifted Pro Subscription-based intelligence product for European startup ecosystem participants. Available as Single Seat at £1,750 per year and as Enterprise for teams (quote-based, multi-year). Provides exclusive market news and intelligence powered by Sifted's proprietary data, access to a library of investment-grade briefings, verified data on early-stage startups, full access to downloadable Deals Tracker, Market Tracker, Investor Tracker, and M&A Tracker, exclusive Deals newsletter, early access to leaderboards, and Summit ticket discounts. Enterprise tier adds custom Deals Tracker alerts by country/size/sector/stage/round, a dedicated account manager, and tailored onboarding.
• Sifted for Startups Free subscription tier for startups at all funding stages. Provides unlimited article access, the Startup Life newsletter, quarterly industry barometer polls, and 10% off Sifted Summit tickets. Startups are required to update their company data every three months as a condition of participation.
• Sifted Briefings Investment-grade research briefings providing data-driven sector, geographic, and thematic analysis on Europe's startup ecosystem. Pro subscribers can explore existing briefings and request custom briefings on specific topics such as battery supply chain sustainability.
• Sifted Rankings Curated rankings of Europe's top startups and investors, including the Sifted 100 (fastest-growing startups by region such as France and Benelux, Southern Europe, UK and Ireland), the Sifted 250, AI 100, B2B SaaS Rising 100, Consumer 100, and investor activity rankings across sectors. Includes unicorn trackers and leaderboards.
• Sifted Reports In-depth intelligence reports on transformative trends in European tech across sectors, themes, and geographies. Available for free or Pro download. Recent examples include reports on European Dynamism, the Rise of AI Agents, and the Sifted AVP Transatlantic Founder Index.
• Sifted Talks Virtual events and expert panel discussions on topics including AI adoption, scaling strategies, fintech, climate tech, and venture capital. Typically one-hour sessions available live or on-demand, often sponsored by partners such as Box.
• Sifted Podcasts Audio content including the Startup Europe podcast (monthly long-form interviews with European tech leaders), Sifted Studio (partner-produced content), and The Oppawtunity (pet tech focus). Distributed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.
• Sifted Summit Annual in-person gathering for Europe's scaleup leaders, bringing together Series A+ founders, operators, and investors for paid-ticket conversations about scaling companies. Includes stages, exhibition spaces, and curated networking.
• Sifted Newsletters Curated email newsletters including Sifted Daily (Mon-Fri essential European tech news), AI & Deeptech (Mon), Fintech (Tue), Startup Life (Wed), Up Round (Fri), and the Pro-exclusive Deals newsletter (Mon). Over 125,000 total newsletter subscribers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4.5M+ average monthly website visits
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NebiuscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 October 2025Nebius sponsors multiple Sifted reports including Sifted 100: France & Benelux 2026 and Sifted 100: Southern Europe 2026 leaderboards, providing funding for intelligence content production.
• BoxcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 October 2025Box sponsors Sifted Talks virtual events and 'The Rise of AI Agents 2026' report, engaging with Sifted's audience of startup founders and operators for brand positioning around AI and automation topics.
• Marriott HarrisonminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 October 2025Marriott Harrison sponsors multiple Sifted 100 regional rankings including UK & Ireland leaderboards.
• Sapphire and LazardminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 October 2025Sapphire and Lazard co-sponsor the B2B SaaS Rising 100 report.
• RedalpineminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 October 2025Redalpine sponsors the 'European Dynamism' report on key sectors where Europe can win.
• N47minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 October 2025N47 sponsors the Sifted AI 100 2025 report.
• StatistacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2025Statista partnered with Financial Times and Sifted to develop the 'FT Ranking: Europe's Leading Start-up Hubs 2026', providing research methodology and data verification.
• AVPminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 October 2025AVP sponsors the '2025 Sifted AVP Transatlantic Founder Index' report.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• PitchBook: A market-leading private market data platform owned by Morningstar, providing deep VC, PE, and M&A intelligence. Competes with Sifted Pro's investor and M&A trackers while serving a broader institutional finance audience.
• Fortune: Established business media brand covering technology, finance, and startups including rankings (Fortune 500, etc.). Comparable as a legacy business publisher expanding into digital subscription intelligence for senior executives.
• CB Insights: A global market intelligence platform focused on private companies, technology markets, and emerging trends. Overlaps with Sifted's intelligence briefings and tracker products for enterprise customers.
• Bloomberg: Global financial and business media giant with extensive startup, VC, and tech coverage. Competes at the high end of Sifted's senior decision-maker audience and has substantially greater resources for international coverage.

Emerging players

• Tracxn: A startup and venture capital intelligence platform with global coverage of funding rounds, investors, and sectors. Comparable to Sifted Pro's data tracking capabilities with a more productized SaaS model.

Direct peers

• The Information: Subscription-based tech and startup news outlet targeting senior professionals with deep, paywalled reporting. Closest analogue to Sifted Pro's tiered subscription model and senior decision-maker positioning, though US-focused.
• Dealroom.co: European-headquartered startup and venture capital intelligence platform providing deal data, market sizing, and investor tracking. Directly comparable to Sifted Pro's data tools and overlaps in European VC customer base.
• TechCrunch: The dominant global startup and venture capital news outlet. Both Sifted and TechCrunch serve founders, VCs, and operators with daily startup news, analysis, and events, though TechCrunch is US-headquartered and broader in scope.
• Crunchbase: A leading subscription data platform tracking startups, funding rounds, and investors. Crunchbase directly overlaps Sifted Pro's Deals, Investor, and Market Trackers and serves the same enterprise customer base of VCs and corporate development teams.
• Beauhurst: UK-based high-growth company tracking and intelligence platform serving investors, corporates, and government. Closely comparable to Sifted for UK-focused startup data and tracker functionality, though less pan-European.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/siftedeu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzX2FpneYwA5Z3t7KqCbQ4g
• Facebookfacebook.com/siftedeu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/siftedeu
• Instagraminstagram.com/siftedeu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sifted