Diversity

ThisIsBlackGenZ Research Report 2023

The 2023 #ThisIsBlackGenZ report, the largest set of research into the experiences of Black Gen Z in Britain, has been unveiled for a second year.

Mandatory VC diversity policies – what’s the impact on growing businesses?

In a report published over the summer, the Treasury Committee recommended the government take swift action to promote diversity in the UK’s venture capital industry. With the proposed policies directly targeted at driving investment towards female and ethnic minority founders, as well as businesses outside of London, the report forms part of a growing momentum to expand access to venture capital (VC) in the UK.

Edition 10 of Female Founder Office Hours has launched

On Thursday 9th November, 2023, Playfair and 150 of the world’s leading venture capital funds, including Atomico, Creandum, Headline, MMC, Northzone, Octopus, Partech, Plug & Play, SpeedInvest, and TriplePoint will be holding remote office hours for more than 300 female founders from across Europe.

Amplify Venture Raises £1.4m to Empower London’s Diverse Businesses

The Amplify Venture programme has received £1.4 million from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This marks the launch of a free transformative two-year programme for ambitious and underserved founders seeking to scale and expand their businesses.

Businesses struggle to retain diverse tech talent

Ineffective diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies are risking businesses’ ability to retain diverse tech employees, with 64% of UK businesses reporting that they have lost employees from diverse backgrounds.

UK businesses are failing to measure their impact on diversity and inclusion

73% of businesses in the UK do not have a measurement framework for diversity and inclusion, new research has found.

‘Boss Up Programme’ Launched to Support West Midlands Startups

A Wolverhampton-based business duo has announced the launch of an interactive programme for aspiring businesspeople across the West Midlands.

Businesses are struggling to retain diverse tech employees

Ineffective diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies are risking businesses’ ability to retain diverse tech employees, with 64% of UK businesses reporting that they have lost employees from diverse backgrounds.

Number of Women in UK Tech Sector Declines

The UK tech sector has seen the number of female workers dip between the first and second quarters of 2023, according to figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

Celebrating the Achievements of Women in Technology

The annual everywoman in Technology Awards, celebrating the most inspirational women working in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), are open for nominations for 2024 and have announced their new title partner, Bupa Global & UK.

Essity Ventures joins forces with FemTechLab to support women’s health

Global hygiene and health company Essity has partnered with FemTech Lab to support startups in the area of women’s health, hygiene and wellbeing this Autumn 2023.

Championing minorities in business

It is vital to champion founders from underrepresented groups, especially in the tech startup ecosystem, as traditionally the tech space is majority made up of white males. According to “The Business of Tech Q4 2022 Diversity Report”, created by Dave Sobel, which examined diversity development in tech leadership, found that 88.92% of the tech industry’s leaders were white men.

Fibank’s Smart Lady programme continues support for female entrepreneurs

Back in 2018, Fibank (First Investment Bank) launched its special Smart Lady programme in support of Bulgarian businesswomen.

Free Ways to Support Diversity and Inclusion in Your Startup

Amelia Peckham, the CEO and Co-Founder of Cool Crutches & Walking Sticks personally knows the importance of genuine diversity and inclusion policies in the workplace. Having worked in a selection of startups throughout her career, she believes that they do in fact benefit from being smaller companies that can act faster. Decisions can be made quicker and red tape is minimal so it’s easy to pivot and adjust as things progress.

Digital Catapult and Sony Music UK unveil Black tech entrepreneurs cultivating innovation

Digital Catapult, the UK authority on advanced digital technology, and Sony Music UK, have announced a cohort of ten pioneering digital-first startups, to participate in the inaugural FutureScope Black Founders Programme. The programme will  support Black British entrepreneurs in the digital entertainment space, and encourage the successful commercialisation of their innovative new solutions. 

New Research Reveals Disabled Entrepreneurs Face Severe Funding Inequity

A groundbreaking research study conducted by campaign group Access2Funding, in partnership with leading organisations, has exposed the shocking disparities faced by disabled and neurodiverse entrepreneurs in the UK and the knock-on impact to the UK economy.

Resource Solutions Partners with InnovateHer to Close UK Tech Gender Gap

Resource Solutions, provider of workforce and advisory solutions, has announced a community-focused partnership with InnovateHer, a values-led social enterprise dedicated to addressing the gender imbalance in the tech sector.

Only 2% of VC Funding Goes to Female and Ethnic Minority Founded Businesses

The Treasury Committee is challenging the lack of diversity in the venture capital industry as only 2% of funding goes toward female founded and ethnic minority businesses, according to new report.

Diversity and Inclusion in Startups: Lessons Learnt from Academia

As a university professor and CEO of an EdTech company, I have experienced first-hand various challenges of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the two sectors. While systemic issues persist, there are opportunities for individual companies to adopt best practices. Here are three tips for startups.

Why black representation matters

Take the time to do some research, and you can quickly find the names of 50 leading UK-based black tech entrepreneurs, all highly respected and the powerhouses behind successful businesses.