Miriam Partington

German startups rally behind new government’s bid to water down AI Act Tech companies across the EU have pushed for the regulations to be relaxed

German startups join other voices in Europe in pushing for a loosening of the EU's AI Act.

"The AI Act has to go", as it “is stalling the very innovation it aims to regulate," one founder tells Sifted.

sifted.eu/articles/ger...

NEW: updated long-run gap in voting between young men and women in Germany:

Gender divide continues to widen, but contrary to what is often assumed, young men continue to vote roughly in line with the overall population, while young women have swung sharply left.

www.ft.com/content/29fd...

German voting appears to be high..charts here from the FT live blog on the elections www.ft.com/content/b60d...

What German tech founders want from the election: ‘I care less about getting rid of bureaucracy than stopping war’ Ahead of Germany’s snap election on Sunday, founders reflect on their hopes and fears for the next government.

“Some applicants have asked us: ‘Is Germany safe for foreigners?". Ahead of Germany’s snap election on Sunday, tech founders reflect on their hopes and fears for the next government sifted.eu/articles/wha...

Liberal tech workers weigh up moving to Europe after Trump victory Americans seeking a better quality of life may move to Europe, but founders needing capital and connections will likely stay.

Can Europe become a haven for disillusioned US tech talent? While Europe has its own issues – economic uncertainty and rising right-wing extremism, for example – some say benefits like universal healthcare and employment rights outweigh living under a second Trump term. sifted.eu/articles/us-...

European startups brace for Trump tariffs rollout: ‘We’re completely in the dark’ Leadership teams discuss relocating headquarters and expanding operations to the US

As Donald Trump’s second White House term gets underway, European startups are drawing up contingency plans for a potential rollout of import tariffs.

sifted.eu/articles/tru...

Looks like the Trump and Musk bromance is going well according to this report in Politico. White House staff are furious about Musk's criticisms of Stargate

www.politico.com/news/2025/01...

“This must be a wake-up call for Europe”: Tech leaders urge EU to match Trump’s $500bn AI investment plan Founders and investors underscore the need for Europe to put more money behind AI

The US' $500bn AI investment plan has got European tech leaders all riled up. European tech leaders say the bloc needs to up investment in AI if it wants to remain competitive in the field. sifted.eu/articles/eu-...

How to continue doing DEI work despite the political backlash Here's how to ensure DEI remains a priority, despite political backlash

Great piece from my colleague @anisahob.bsky.social on how to continue doing DEI work amid political backlash: “We just need to focus on the North Star of building an equitable society — and startups are in a unique space to do that and gain from it.”

sifted.eu/articles/how...

‘We need a DOGE for Europe!’ Elon Musk’s White House takeover inspires – and divides – Europe’s tech leaders The Tesla mogul's White House takeover has stirred division among Europe’s tech elites, prompting some to pick a side.

Elon Musk’s rise to the role of “chief buddy” under Donald Trump’s second White House administration has stirred division among European tech leaders, with some calling for the EU to adopt his deregulatory agenda.

sifted.eu/articles/elo...

One depressing side-effect of the new era in US politics is that phrases like "FUCK YOURSELF in the face" now appear in the pink pages

Does Europe need to be more like the US? In 2024, the squabbling on LinkedIn about which place was better to start a business seemed to be taken up a notch.

Does Europe need to be more like the US to build global champions? The debate has intensified at a time where Europe's economic progress has stagnated and countries are battling to dominate the next wave of critical technology. More in the Sifted Daily: sifted.eu/articles/eur...

Maga vs the billionaires Trump’s fragile coalition is already splintering over immigration

Maga vs the billionaires

https://www.ft.com/content/b7694d70-2c5a-4531-b8d0-446ee12a489a

Inside Gloucester Circus: the family office which managed to catfish London’s VC ecosystem Although the VCs, family offices and even the lawyer that often accompanied Ian Slater were real, his promises of money were often not.

Ian Slater set up a family office called Gloucester Circus to invest in VCs at time when fundraising was tough. But while the VCs circling him for cash were real, his promises of money were often not. We tell the story of the man who catfished the VC ecosystem.
sifted.eu/articles/glo...

N26 reports first profitable quarter after customer limit lifted The digital bank forecasts a 40% increase in gross revenue in 2024 — but didn’t disclose expected losses

German neobank N26 reported its first ever profitable quarter in Q3 after regulators lifted a limit on customer numbers imposed on the company in 2021 for failing to impose effective money-laundering controls.

sifted.eu/articles/n26...

Former Lilium CFO joins Volocopter — as both companies hunt for a lifeline Electric aircraft startup Volocopter previously flagged it is at risk of insolvency, while competitor Lilium filed for insolvency in October.

✈️ Germany's Volocopter has hired Oliver Vogelgesang — who held the role at fellow German electric aircraft startup Lilium until earlier this year — as its new CFO.

Volocopter previously flagged it was at risk of insolvency, while Lilium filed for insolvency in October.

sifted.eu/articles/vol...