Good morning Nick,

When German rocket-maker Isar Aerospace made its long-awaited maiden launch this weekend from Norwegian Andøya, onlookers celebrated the success — despite the vehicle crashing after 30 seconds.

Alongside other rocket hopefuls including France’s Latitude and Germany’s Rocket Factory Augsburg, Isar Aerospace is entering a very challenging market where US competitor SpaceX already has a big head start.

European rivals are “10 years behind,” says Latitude cofounder Stanislas Maximin to Anne Sraders and Éanna Kelly, who are diving into how Europe can close this gap.

Elsewhere:

• Europe’s largest all-women led VC Revaia closes €250m growth fund
• 11 family offices for startups to tap into in the Nordics
• England captain Harry Kane backs ticketing startup Seat Unique

Look who’s talking: Sifted Summit

Introducing the first 30 speakers for Sifted Summit 2025. From the page to the stage: meet 200+ founders, VCs and operator speakers covering the biggest trends for high growth businesses. With more names to be announced soon — here’s the first look!

Secure your super early bird ticket before they go.

🇫🇷 Paris-based Fairmat has raised a €51.5m Series B: €26.5m equity and €25m debt funding. The company says it has developed a technology to recycle carbon fibre composites almost infinitely.

🙋‍♀️ Europe’s largest all-women-led VC, Paris-based Revaia, has closed its second fund at €250m. Launched in 2023, the fund backs European and Israeli startups at Series B and beyond, focusing on B2B companies with a commitment to sustainability.

⚽ England men’s football captain Harry Kane has invested in premium ticketing platform Seat Unique, as part of a wider round that values the London-based startup at over £100m.

🚀 Europe gets a rocket boost with Isar Aerospace launch — but ‘we’re still 10 years behind SpaceX’.

👪 11 family offices for startups to tap into in the Nordics.

🤦‍♂️ My startup job offers keep falling short. Am I asking for too much? If you want to join a startup, but aren't getting offered the kind of compensation you need, Sequoia's Zoe Hewitt has some advice for you.

Sifted Talks | Online. Customer trust is the ultimate competitive advantage in fintech but how do you build and maintain it while scaling? On April 23, fintech reporter Tom Matsuda will speak with industry experts about how fintechs can turn transparency, security and compliance into growth drivers. RSVP here.

Sifted Talks | Online. AI is transforming workflows across industries, pushing startups to innovate faster than ever. On April 30, senior reporter Kai Nicol-Schwarz will discuss with our expert panel where AI is delivering real value, the common pitfalls founders should avoid and how startups can integrate AI responsibly for long-term success. RSVP here.

Startup founders, this one’s for you

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London-based Zepz, which specialises in digital payments, raised €101.7m in credit facility from HSBC Innovation Banking and €50.8m from HSBC Private Credit.

Paris-based WeeFin, which helps financial institutions implement sustainability strategies, raised €25m in Series B funding. BlackFin Capital Partners led the round and was joined by investors including Iris, Asterion Ventures and Ring Capital.

Sheffield, England-based Phlux Technology, which develops infrared sensors, raised €10.7m in Series A funding. BGF led the round and was joined by investors including Octopus Ventures, Northern Gritstone and Foresight.

Birmingham, England-based Limitless Travel, which is a travel platform specialising in accessible holidays, raised £6.5m in Series A funding. Beringea led the round and was joined by investors including Social Impact Enterprises, Adjuvo, Active Partners, Miroma Ventures and Nigel Wray.

Berlin-based Montamo, which specialises in heat pump installations, raised €6m in seed funding. Alter Equity led the round and was joined by investors including Rethink Education, Project A Ventures and Firstminute Capital.

Pisa, Italy-based Next Generation Robotics, which specialises in robots which operate within railways, raised €4.5m in Series A funding. CDP Venture Capital led the round and was joined by investors including Avm Sgr, Kilometro Rosso, Simest, Pariter Robotics and RoboIT.

London-based Flagright, an AI-native, no-code compliance platform, raised $4.3m in seed funding. Frontline Ventures led the round and was joined by Y Combinator, Pioneer Fund and Moonfire.

Vantaa, Finland-based Fiberdom, which specialises in sustainable plastic substitutes, raised €3.5m in funding. Heino Group, Nordic Foodtech VC and Holdix Oy participated in the round.

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Sifted 100: UK & Ireland Leaderboard

Our regional ranking is back, spotlighting 100 startups scaling fast across the UK and Irish ecosystems based on revenue growth. Find out which companies are making waves and setting new benchmarks for growth and the investors backing them.