Features
As new governments are elected in the US, UK, and France – three countries that are among the world’s most prolific producers of AI startups – it is time for general thinking about artificial intelligence to shift dramatically.
With significant economic disruption over the past few years, the ability to adapt to changing circumstances quickly has never been more important for businesses. Increasingly, there are instances of sudden pressure on organisations to adopt the latest technology, such as the push to move to cloud computing models or embrace AI.
The path to becoming a CEO in any industry is filled with hard work, determination and grit. Any leader will have highs and lows, successes and failures, and will learn plenty along the way.
In an era where disruption has become the norm, 2025 promises to usher in a new wave of startup innovation. As we’ve observed through our work with challenger brands across various sectors, successful startups aren’t just creating new products – they’re fundamentally reimagining entire industries.
At the current rate that AI is developing, it holds the potential to completely transform society, from revolutionising healthcare to creating millions of new jobs by 2025
Ever since OpenAI’s ChatGPT burst onto the scene towards the end of 2022, Generative AI has become one of the most talked about technologies – and potentially the most transformative – since the advent of the Internet. Although the field of AI research was first founded over 60 years ago and the technology has been through a number of ‘hype bubbles’ and ‘AI winters’ since then, only in the last few years has it truly gained momentum in a mainstream capacity.
For any business that’s looking to scale up, expanding through acquisition can open up a wide range of opportunities – whatever the current business size.
Venture capital investment in longevity startups has surged over the past decade. This trend signals promising prospects for age-extending technologies, particularly from a venture capital perspective, as investors recognise the potential for innovation in this emerging field to address the health and economic impacts of an ageing population.
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is a significant challenge, especially for family-owned businesses where family matters and business operations are deeply intertwined.
October’s Cyber Awareness Month may have heightened the awareness of digital threats, but the battle against cyber risks is far from seasonal. According to the UK government’s recent Cyber Security Breaches Survey, nearly half of all UK businesses experienced a cyber-attack last year – a sharp rise from 39% in 2022.
Building a regtech startup that not only survives but thrives in today’s regulatory climate requires more than a bright idea. It takes strategic foresight, meaning teams must keep a finger on the pulse of ever-evolving regulations. As with any business, having a deep understanding of the market that you’re either creating or addressing is critical – but with regulatory environments constantly tightening, the regtech sector takes this one step further.
AI skills are important in today’s knowledge economy – there’s no doubt about it. Roles requiring such abilities are growing 3.5 times faster than all other jobs combined, meaning that workers need to learn about AI to avoid falling behind their peers. This is especially true in the UK, where knowledge-intensive sectors like financial services, professional services, and technology dominate economic growth.
Growth is what we are all aiming for. In fact, it is the number one mission of the UK government. For founders and startups, the great success stories of the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) being preserved in the UK Budget was welcome news. As was the extension of the sunset clause of the EIS and Venture Capital Trust (VCT) schemes to April 2035 in the Autumn Statement.
The emergence of “death tech” is reshaping how society approaches end-of-life matters, transforming a traditionally sombre industry into one ripe for innovation and growth. Valued at £78 billion, this sector aligns with the burgeoning silver economy, which is projected to reach €5.7 trillion (a third of Europe’s GDP) by 2025.
2024 has proved to be a defining year for startups, with generative AI stealing the spotlight and sustainability taking centre stage in business strategies. It was also a year of stark realities: economic uncertainty forced many founders to rethink their models, while heightened consumer expectations demanded innovation that truly delivered value.
In law school, one of the first things we learned about negotiation came from Roger Fisher’s book “Getting to Yes” – the crucial difference between interest-based and position-based negotiation. Position-based negotiation is fighting over what each party says they want. Interest-based negotiation focuses on understanding why they want it.
Guy Hayler is co-founder of Blue Earth Summit, and Blue Earth Forum – annual events in London that connect 1,000s of climate tech and planet positive innovators, investors, campaigners and policy makers.
The holiday shopping extravaganza of Black Friday and Cyber Monday is fast approaching, and this four-day window isn’t just the busiest shopping period of the year, but a golden opportunity for e-commerce businesses to drive sales, attract new customers and supercharge their bottom line.
When Hermann Hauser, co-founder of Acorn Computers in the late 70s and Arm Holdings in the early 90s was asked about quantum computing’s potential recently, he drew a comparison to the early days of personal computing. Back then, the stakes were high, the technology unproven, and the promise uncertain and yet the rewards for those who took the leap were transformative.
Startup founders often make high-stakes decisions based on instinct and experience, and these qualities can be the difference between success and a missed opportunity. However, when business plans are developed in isolation, they risk being too narrow, with unchecked forecasts and untested strategies.
