Morning. For those inspired by the Olympics, check out the sport tech wearables and connected equipment startups helping track the performance of you, your team or your horse!

The rise of the decacorn funds

Europe has created 37 startups that have now reached decacorn status, or a $10 billion valuation, and they're multiplying fast. The UK is third in the world for decacorn creation after the US (134) and China (36), with 15, but eight of these have come from the first 6.5 months of 2021 alone.

Germany has produced seven in total, while Sweden has five. Add in the five in Israel and EMEA's tally comes to 42, or 13% of all the region's unicorns.

Of the EMEA decacorn backers, Index Ventures (who last week announced $2.9B in fresh funds) have backed 10 of them, more than any other investor.

Blockchain startups

Beyond memecoins, token crazes and headlines of volatile crypto prices, what's happening in blockchain innovation, and the startups applying the technology?

• Blockchain startup value is up 18x since 2016, to a combined €237B.
• But VC investment is only now hitting its stride. European blockchain startup investment increased 6x year on year in H1 2021 to €1.5B.
• US and Asian VCs are most active cross border, more likely to look overseas for opportunities in blockchain.

Following our panel event on the future of blockchain (watch again here), we've explored what investment data can tell us about blockchain's trajectory, and where the innovation is happening.

Also

🏖 Vacation season is upon us, and from carbon-offsetting to eco-activities, these are the startups working on sustainable tourism.

🦘 What's happening with startup employment in Melbourne and Victoria?

🌳 Yesterday was World Nature Conservation Day, and these tree-related fire detection, forestry management, bioengineered wood and tokenized conservation startups are doing their bit.

🎓 Europe's top 10 unicorn universities - Sifted, with Dealroom data

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