Is Europe Having a Glow-Up?

I must start with apologies to my dedicated readers (all five of you and that's pushing it) for the delay in my deep tech mini-series. I'll be back on it next week with the next instalment. But after two days at Sifted Summit 2025, I just couldn't find the time (poor excuse). Being surrounded by founders, investors, and operators shaping Europe's future — it's hard not to feel optimistic about where things are headed. Plenty of panels, a buzzing crowd, and flashes of brilliance on the main stage with three speakers standing out the most. I'd love to see startup booths next year! Nothing beats five minutes with a founder, hearing what they're building and seeing that spark of belief first hand. Those quick conversations give a vibrancy that's unmatched — a little bit of "old-school" sales energy that I love: genuine people making genuine connections. 🔑 Key Themes AI (no surprise there) DeepTech Defence Tech — and interestingly, it was the first time "defence" appeared as a filter option on the event program at a major generalist event. We must be doing something right! Insightful as always, Hermann Hauser dropped one of the most powerful stats of the summit: UK pension funds allocate just 0.007% of their capital into venture. Yes, you read that correctly and no, I didn't add a zero by accident. If we matched the US's 0.5% (a 70x jump), it would unlock billions in funding. He also touched on his work with the EIC, which could revolutionise the deep-tech ecosystem and provide the capital to unleash the next generation of European unicorns, something I'll definitely be watching closely. If executed right, it could be transformative for Europe's funding landscape. You could feel Greg Jackson's passion from the first word. He wasn't just talking about growth — he was talking about impact, about helping everyday people save money and driving a cleaner, fairer energy future. His authenticity really stood out in a sea of scripted narratives. Sarah Kunst's honesty and optimism hit differently. Her "say it how it is" approach was a refreshing change of pace. It's exactly the kind of energy I resonate with — especially in deep tech and dual-use where politics is another added layer of complexity for these early stage startups. I met with 10+ founders and interacted with over 25 people across two days — from early-stage innovators to seasoned operators. The side events, as always, were the highlight. Special shout-out to Linda Hong Cheng for hosting. Those smaller sessions are where you meet the truly brilliant people building tomorrow's unicorns. And check out David Gelberg — he is seriously cracked. Finally, a special mention to Ricardo Mendes from TEKEVER, one of the most humble and insightful founders I've met. His round-table on dual-use tech was a genuine highlight of the event. So… is Europe having a glow-up? Between AI, deep tech, and defence finally getting serious airtime — maybe, just maybe, it is.