News

The percentage of small business owners predicting growth has fallen for the fourth consecutive Quarter to a new five-year low (25%) – and in every industry sector, the percentage of enterprises predicting growth is down on the start of the year – according to new tracking research from Novuna Business Finance.

As the global digital finance evolution accelerates, Future Blockchain Summit x Fintech Surge returns to Dubai Harbour from 12th – 15th October 2025, convening international innovators, startups, regulators, investors, and tech leaders during Expand North Star, the world’s largest startup and investor connector event powered by GITEX GLOBAL.

OmniShelf, a startup from Singapore, has been named Global Winner of the Startup Competition at South Summit Korea 2025, co-organised by IE University, the Gyeonggi Provincial Government, GBSA (Gyeonggido Business & Science Accelerator), and Unimotto.

New insights from American Express’ Merchant Barometer reveal that nearly two-thirds (65%) of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) say customer expectations around payment choice are higher than ever, with over half (52%) planning to improve their online checkout experience in order to reduce levels of cart abandonment.

A critical financial skills gap is undermining the resilience and growth of small businesses across the UK, according to new research by Xero.

The UK Government has announced fourteen flagship projects funded under its new Regional Tech Booster programme, aimed at stimulating tech ecosystems and creating job opportunities across Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and in all English regions. The £1 million initiative will support businesses, founders, and communities through training, mentoring, networking, and scaling support, designed to spread tech-led growth beyond London and the South East.

Digital twin implementation challenges in the energy sector, smart operations for sustainability and the use of robotics – all in an agenda powered by advanced technologies. 

Beyond Aero has reached Technology Readiness Level 6 (TRL6) for its hydrogen-electric powered aircraft. This achievement is validated by a full-scale propulsion system test campaign in a representative environment, a critical milestone moving Beyond Aero from laboratory promise to real-industrial viability.

This autumn, Vienna will once again become a global epicentre where culture and technology join forces to bring positive societal changes. From 22nd – 23rd October, the CultTech Summit returns for its highly anticipated second edition. Set in the Aula der Wissenschaften, the Summit will transform this historic venue into a high-energy hub for startups, investors, and innovators at the cutting edge of culture and technology. Following last year’s sold-out debut with over 650 attendees, the 2025 edition will host 1,000+ participants ready to explore how emerging technologies are reshaping the creative industries – and how startups can lead the charge.

This October, Vienna will once again become a global hub where culture and technology join forces to bring positive societal changes. From 22nd – 23rd October, the CultTech Summit returns for its highly anticipated second edition, building on the success of last year’s sold-out debut, which gathered over 650 pioneers from across the cultural and tech sectors.

South Summit Industry & Energy returns to Bilbao on 26th – 27th November 2025, to celebrate its fourth edition. Co-organised by South Summit and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, the event will once again bring together leading experts, corporations, investors, and startups in Industry 4.0, the Energy Transition, and Mobility sectors at the BAT – B Accelerator Tower.

The British Business Bank’s Debt Funds programme has made a positive impact on the UK debt market and finance ecosystem, according to an independent evaluation published today.

Cyber Runway, the largest cyber accelerator in the UK, is back and bigger than ever. The entrepreneurship support programme returns for its fifth edition as part of the Cyber Growth Action Plan – a component of the wider Plan for Change. 
 

Defence tech startups are booming, led by an influx of former UK armed forces personnel, but critical venture capital funding gaps remain, according to a new report from Dealroom and Resilience Media. The report highlights that despite the overall trend of increasing investment in defence technology, failure to match the US on key technologies, including space tech and semiconductors for AI, could impact future growth and security in the region. 

SageMaster, co-founded by brothers Moyn Islam, CEO, and Ehsaan Islam, CTO, has been named the winner of Best Trading Solution at the Entrepreneur Middle East Tech Innovation Awards 2025, held in Dubai last night.

Pleo recently unveiled Pleo Embedded, a new solution that empowers businesses managing large networks of SMB customers to offer real-time financial intelligence via spend and cash management capabilities directly from their own platform.

New analysis from Sustainable Ventures has examined the potential for AI to accelerate growth in climate tech startups, who play a key role in the race to meet net zero targets. The research has found that AI-related climate tech investment in startups is bucking the market downturn.  Whilst wider climate tech funding has flatlined, capital has instead flowed into AI-focused startups. However, the response to AI in the climate tech community is uneven – with the vast proportion of this investment going into software-based climate tech startups. Hardware developers who are critical to solving 80% of global emissions are potentially being left behind by the current investment ecosystem.

New findings from the ‘2025 Global State of AI at Work 2025’ Report reveal a workforce caught between ambition and reality.

Synthesized has raised a $20 million Series A round led by Redalpine, with participation from IQ Capital, Mercia Ventures, UBS and Seedcamp. Deutsche Bank, who invested previously into the company, has deepened its strategic relationship with Synthesized after deploying the platform.

Snowflake (NYSE: SNOW), the AI Data Cloud company, today unveiled Snowflake for Startups at the grand opening of its Silicon Valley AI (SVAI) Hub. An evolution of the Powered by Snowflake program, Snowflake for Startups serves as a launchpad to help founders build and scale enterprise-grade AI applications on Snowflake’s AI Data Cloud, delivering new product capabilities, strategic relationships with key venture capital firms and coworking opportunities.