Sifted buys Onstage to extend its events business into demo days

Sifted has acquired Onstage, the European startup events business behind Demo Day and Deploy, in its first acquisition. The company did not disclose the purchase price, deal structure, revenue contribution or any financial terms.

The move gives Sifted a founder-facing events product earlier in the company-building cycle than its Sifted Summit, which is aimed at scaleup founders, operators and investors. For a media company serving European tech, it is also a bet that events tied to fundraising access can sit alongside journalism and larger conferences as a commercial line.

Onstage was founded in 2020 by Hector Mason, a general partner at Episode 1, and Taos Edmonson, a partner at DMG Ventures. Issie James later joined as cofounder. Its Demo Day has become a known fixture in Europe’s seed-stage fundraising circuit, according to Sifted.

More than 2,000 founders apply for each Onstage cycle, with selected companies pitching to a network of more than 330 venture firms. That investor group includes Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, Balderton and LocalGlobe, according to Sifted. Companies that have appeared at Demo Day have subsequently raised more than £500 million, though Sifted did not break out how much of that capital was directly connected to the event.

Onstage also runs Deploy, an annual event for venture firms and the limited partners that back them. That gives Sifted exposure not only to founders seeking capital, but also to the GP and LP side of the European venture market.

What changes after the deal

Sifted said Onstage will continue to operate under its existing model. Demo Day will remain free for founders, with no application fees, participation fees or equity requirement. Startup selection will continue to be handled by an independent board, according to the company.

The next Demo Day is scheduled for October. James will remain involved to manage the transition after the acquisition.

The Onstage Fund and related special purpose vehicle activities were excluded from the transaction and will continue as separate operations. That boundary matters because Onstage’s events sit close to fundraising activity; Sifted is buying the events business, not the investment vehicles attached to the Onstage brand.

Why Sifted is buying earlier-stage access

Sifted CEO Florencia Schiavon said the company has historically focused on scaleups through its editorial coverage, events and business model. She said the period between startup formation and scaleup status has shortened, creating a case for Sifted to reach founders earlier.

James said Onstage had already built a venture network around Demo Day, but needed a larger audience to expand. Mason said Sifted’s reach in the startup market should help Onstage attract both stronger founders and investors.

The strategic logic is straightforward. European tech media companies are under pressure to diversify beyond advertising and subscriptions, while founders and VCs continue to pay attention to curated access points around fundraising. Sifted is using M&A to add a product with existing founder demand and investor participation, rather than building a demo-day franchise from scratch.

What remains undisclosed is the commercial profile of the asset Sifted has bought. The companies did not provide Onstage’s revenue, margins, team size, attendee numbers for Deploy, or any targets for growth under Sifted ownership.

This story draws on original reporting from Sifted.