Sifted is Europe's startup and VC newswire — not a general tech title. Its AI coverage is judged on one question: what does this mean for European founders and the people funding them?

With 8+ active journalists on the beat, the competition for coverage is real. This guide shows how to pitch the Sifted Ai reporters who matter, and what to skip.

Sifted covers AI as a business story: who raises, who scales, who exits, who gets regulated. Product features and model benchmarks are background, not the story.

The newsroom prizes the European angle above all. A US launch matters only if a European challenger, customer, or regulator is in the frame.

Expect scepticism. Sifted's AI desk has written repeatedly about hype cycles, "AI-washing," and funding that outpaces revenue — so a pitch that ignores the counterargument reads as PR.

What reliably lands: exclusive data, first funding confirmation, and stories that complicate the narrative rather than repeat it.

Our directory lists Mimi Billing, Martin Coulter, Daphne Leprince-Ringuet and Tom Nugent as representative writers. All four touch AI, but from different entry points — funding, policy, deep tech, and applied enterprise use.

Treat any Sifted Ai reporters list as a living document. Rebuild it monthly: bylines, newsletter authorship, and who broke the last five AI funding stories.

Routing logic:

• Capital and deal stories → the reporter covering VC and startup funding.
• Regulation, EU AI Act, policy friction → the policy-leaning writer.
• Applied AI, enterprise adoption, deep tech → the specialist correspondent.
• Fast-moving breaking news → whoever has covered the company previously.

Sifted Ai journalists respond to numbers they can't get elsewhere. Give them the figure in the first sentence, then the context.

Angles that work:

• The funding gap: round size vs. European peers, valuation step-up, and who didn't invest.
• The adoption reality check: survey or usage data showing European enterprises stalling or accelerating.
• The talent story: hiring data, salary shifts, brain drain to US labs.
• The regulator effect: how the EU AI Act is changing product roadmaps or deal terms.
• The incumbent threat: what happens to a European category when OpenAI, Anthropic or Google enters.

Data that earns a reply: internal benchmarks, customer counts, churn, pipeline, or a dataset you can share exclusively.

Data that gets ignored: market-size forecasts from analyst firms, "AI will add $X trillion" stats, and anything already on your website.

Always offer a named, quotable founder — and a second source who will disagree with them.

Accessing Sifted Ai journalists contacts is straightforward: most are reachable by email, and many are active on LinkedIn and X. Verify current addresses before sending — Sifted staff move between desks.

Protocol:

• Email first. One clear subject line, pitch in the body, no attachments.
• Subject formula: [Exclusive] European AI startup X raises €Ym to [specific outcome].
• Lead in two sentences. The news, then why it matters for European startups.
• Offer the embargo. Pre-brief three to five days out; never break your own embargo.
• Timing: Tuesday–Thursday, early morning CET. Avoid Friday afternoons and funding-news Mondays.
• One follow-up. After 72 hours. Then move on.
• WhatsApp or Signal only after you have an existing relationship.

What kills a pitch: mass BCC, AI-generated press releases, "just checking in" chains, and asking to "jump on a quick call" before sharing the news.

Run this before every send:

• Is there a European angle in the first sentence?
• Do I have one hard number nobody else has?
• Is the news genuinely new — not a repackaged blog post?
• Have I named a founder available for interview within 24 hours?
• Is there a credible outside voice who can add tension?
• Have I checked who at Sifted covered this company or category before?
• Is the subject line under 12 words with the news in it?
• Have I offered exclusivity or an embargo explicitly?
• Is the pitch under 150 words and free of attachments?

Sample subject lines:

• Embargo 12 Mar: [Company] hits €Xm ARR selling AI to European banks
• Exclusive: EU AI Act compliance is delaying 40% of deals, survey finds
• Data: European AI hiring fell X% in Q1 — first drop since 2022

Pitch the business story, bring the number, and respect the desk's scepticism. That is how you get replies from Sifted Ai reporters.