\Opinion

Is the 'fintech vs big bank' culture war over?

For many years, the relationship between big banks and fintechs has been reminiscent of that scene in Finding Nemo with the vegetarian sharks (banks) torn between befriending fish (fintechs) and having them for dinner.

But now, as fintech has matured, big banks want to harness their power and work in unison instead of against each other, thinks Sifted's senior reporter Isabel Woodford. (Well, most of them at least.)

Here's why.

This column first appeared in our fintech newsletter. To get more of this directly into your inbox each Tuesday, sign up here!

\Our latest report Fintech Unwrapped 2.0

Everything you need to know about fintech’s future

Sifted’s Fintech Unwrapped 2.0 Intelligence report reveals the startups powering change in the consumer payments sector.

Read the report here.

\For Members European Tech

Europe's next IPOs: who's getting rich?

Despite a slow year for European tech floats in 2020, the market is showing signs of heating up again.

We've seen European tech successes raise record growth rounds in recent months, which totalled $14.3bn in Q1 2021, up 202% year over year. This raises the stakes for a second half of 2021 rife with possible European tech IPOs.

But who is looking the most likely to list? And who's going to get the €€€?

Sifted has dug into the market to find out.

Want to read more in-depth articles like this and attend exclusive member events? Sign up to Sifted Membership to get full access.

\Startup Life

How to figure out what stock options to offer

In startup land, it's become relatively common for companies to give their employees stock options, which can be converted in to shares at a pre-agreed price.

But how should companies decide how much equity to set aside for the team? Who should have a piece of the pie? And how do you budget equity?

Michelle Coventry, VP of people operations at FiveAI shares her words of wisdom.

\News

Dark kitchen startup Curb raises €20m as the sector heats up

European startups have been keen to get in on dark kitchens over the past few months — Deliveroo's doubling the number of its dark kitchens and so is Glovo, while French dark kitchen startup Taster took home $37m in April.

Now Swedish startup Curb has come into the fray — backed by big investors like EQT Ventures — and is turning its focus towards heaps of hard data to narrow down exactly what customers want.

Freya Pratty reports.

\Sifted Talks

Why the open banking space is soaring beyond revenues

Join our next online Sifted Talks event on Thursday June 9 to hear the following from the experts:

• What does open banking innovation in payments look like?
• What issues need to be addressed before open banking payments become mainstream?
• Who are the fintechs to watch in this space?

Sign up here.

Sifted Suggests

🤑 Capchase raises Series A amid alternative financing heat. We spoke to the Spanish-US startup, which received backing by Klarna investor QED Investors, on its more unconventional model for alternative financing.

🌐 Northzone and Web 3.0. This Slush podcast is worth a listen and features two partners from VC firm Northzone. They discuss what Web 3.0 is, why digital decentralisation is important and why Europe’s role in this sector is crucial.

💡 Preemptive funding offers: a guide. Founders, what should you do when an investor delivers a term sheet to you without jumping through the usual hoops, or you're told an offer exists without the actual offer being stated? Y Combinator’s guide offers help here.

💁‍♀️ Female founder advice: raising seed funding. Celine Halioua, founder of pet biotech moonshot Loyal, shares her experiences of raising $11m in seed funding. How did she do it? What mistakes did she make that you shouldn’t? Find out here.

Events [digital only]

Wearable tech: How patients are becoming more involved in their health | Online | June 9
How is wearable technology allowing users to be more involved in their own health? Find out in this event by Talent Garden Dublin.

The rise of corporate venture capital | Online | June 10
Sifted and Dealroom have teamed up to bring you an expert panel on the growing role of corporate investment in the venture industry.

Corporate startup collaboration: scaling beyond the pilot | Online | June 16
The Next Web invites you to join its panel — featuring c-suites from companies like Purina and Unilever — to get advice on tackling a pilot scaleup like a pro.

Do consumers really want same day delivery? | Online | June 23
Find out what’s real, what’s hype and who will come out on top in the last-mile delivery space during our next Sifted Talks.

Sifted Opinion

Fintech doesn’t need another banking app. We want software

How to scale a deeptech company

Startups, don’t be afraid to charge more than the competition

Tiger Global: what happens when ‘normal’ returns?

University spinouts: the system isn’t broken

Amy Lewin
Deputy Editor

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

Connor Bilboe
Editorial Assistant

Get in touch with him at connor@sifted.eu
He likes sustainability stories.

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