Features
Recent data from The Global State of Digital indicates that a total of 4.88 billion unique user identities engaged with social media platforms over the past 30 days. This accounts for a whopping 60.6% of the world’s entire population, underscoring a significant milestone in the global adoption of social media.
Look the word ‘impact’ up in a dictionary and you’ll find two definitions – the first about one object coming into forcible contact with another. The second about the creation of a ‘marked or visible effect’. While that might sound fairly general, in the investment world ‘impact’ has come to mean something more specific.
From supply chain disruption to rising levels of inflation, today’s businesses are having to navigate an increasingly challenging economic environment. On top of this, consumer expectations are also changing, meaning corporates must find ways of driving growth and staying competitive on smaller budgets.
In early 2023, UK startup Britishvolt, filed for administration after struggling to raise funds for a major electric vehicle (EV) battery factory in northern England. The episode is classed as another damning blow to the UK’s hopes of building a home-grown battery industry, with the country falling further behind in the global race to build batteries. Here, Roger Brereton, Head of Sales at steering parts manufacturer Pailton Engineering, explores the reasons why startups often struggle to bring vehicles to market.
In the fast-paced world of finance, established companies often prioritise large, lucrative markets, driven by the pursuit of scale and profitability (think Revolut and its pursuit of its UK banking licence). However, amidst this focus on the mainstream, there are overlooked opportunities in smaller, niche markets that may seem too small and undeserving to bigger financial players.
The brain is the most complex part of the human body. It has 86 billion neurons that allow people to feel, taste, smell, and see. It controls thoughts and memories, interprets emotions, and makes sense of the world around us. And, in cases of extreme emotions or pain, it can even disassociate from a situation as a protective mechanism.
As a startup, you might already know the value of knowledge and learning new things. Yet, if I were to ask you what is Web3, only the shrewdest might be able to answer. A study released in early 2023 showed only 18% of male and 7% of female respondents have heard the term. But, if we were to ask the same question about NFTs, that number jumps substantially. Yet things like NFTs, that have already generated millions of dollars, work closely with and promise to be a big part of this ‘next iteration of the Internet’.
Are you a marketer feeling apprehensive about the rise of artificial intelligence? I was in the same boat just six months ago. As my LinkedIn feed became inundated with AI-related articles and updates, I couldn’t help but worry about its implications for my role. Would AI render me obsolete? Would it create a massive skills gap if I failed to embrace it, much like the digital and social revolution of the noughties?











