Stéphane Paillard
Covering European fundraising, first-time fund managers, and the founders behind the rounds. Previously built event and community products across the French tech ecosystem; now runs Sesamers and hosts the Sesame Summit.
Latest from Stéphane
313 articles
What is a seed round? The European founder’s guide to seed funding
A seed round funds the search for repeatable demand - here is what European seed rounds look like, what happens to your cap table,…
The best startup events in Europe 2027: the complete calendar
Every major European startup event in 2027, organised by quarter - with verified dates clearly separated from expected slots, and a framework for picking…
European accelerators and incubators: the complete guide
What accelerators, incubators and studios actually cost, why Europe's equity-free programmes change the maths, and how to evaluate any programme before you sign.
What is pre-seed funding? Cheque sizes, investors and how it works in Europe
Pre-seed funding is the first outside capital a startup raises to prove the team and the problem - here is what European rounds look…
QuantumLight Closes $500M Fund II – and Algorithmic VC Stops Being an Experiment
Fifteen months after its first fund, Nik Storonsky's QuantumLight has closed an oversubscribed $500M Fund II - deployed by an algorithm, not a partnership.…
The EIF’s €15B ETCI 2 Is Europe’s Biggest Bet Yet on Fixing the Scaleup Gap
The European Investment Fund's ETCI 2 is a €15B fund of funds built to back around 100 growth-stage VC vehicles and unlock up to…
How Re.Snack Turns Trade Shows Into Revenue
The founders behind NUAGE, the sugar-free cotton candy rated Nutri-Score A, share their playbook for event strategy, budget, and pipeline ROI. If you’ve walked…
Belfast’s Cloudsmith Raises $72M Series C to Secure the AI-Era Software Supply Chain
Belfast’s Cloudsmith has raised $72M Series C led by TCV, with Insight Partners participating, to expand its artifact management platform and secure the AI-era…
Berlin’s VREY Raises €3.3M Seed to Unlock Rooftop Solar for Multi-Family Buildings
Berlin’s VREY has raised €3.3M seed led by Rubio Impact Ventures to roll out rooftop solar software for Germany’s multi-family buildings.
TheStorage raises €3.6M seed to scale sand-based thermal energy storage
Finland's TheStorage has raised a €3.6M seed round led by Voima Ventures, with Superhero Capital, 2C Ventures and Momentum Partners, to commercialise its sand-in-motion…