News

The pandemic has inspired long-term digital transformation projects, with UK businesses set to increase IT spending and hiring in the year ahead, new research from Studio Graphene has revealed.

Nearly three quarters of employers (73%) believe the pandemic will mean long-term changes in the way they support the health and wellbeing of staff, according to research undertaken on behalf of GRiD, the industry body for the group risk protection sector.

Banco Santander (through Santander Universities) and Oxentia Foundation are launching the Santander X Global Challenge | Helping Businesses Prosper for entrepreneurs with innovative, scalable solutions to help SMEs – the main driver of economic growth, job creation and social unity – digitalise and be more efficient.

The application of artificial intelligence to automate diagnostics is one of the solutions that are already being implemented. DES2021, in collaboration with EIT Health, has brought together experts from companies such as T-Systems Iberia, Novartis and Ferrer to analyse the impact of technology on the health and pharmaceutical sector.

Reactive Reality, the leading augmented reality (AR) company increasing sales and brand loyalty for fashion e-commerce brands by enabling them to offer virtual fitting rooms to their customers, has announced the opening of a new office in Minato-ku, Tokyo along with the appointment of their Japan Country Manager, Keiichi Iwamoto. This move continues the company’s international expansion, adding to offices in Graz, Austria, and Milpitas, California.

Swedish tech startup, Staccs, has launched its brand new, premium streaming on-demand service for filmed music concerts in the Nordics. Opening the doors to a world of iconic and legendary concert moments, Staccs is providing fans the opportunity to relive their favourite gigs, on demand, advert free – and in the highest quality possible. It also opens up new revenue streams for the music industry, whereby legacy video content can be marketed in a new and innovative way – benefiting the content owners. The new home for concerts on demand, Staccs presents a new and unique commercial opportunity for the industry.

Mobility technology company, WhereIsMyTransport is set to successfully close the second funding round for capital to expand its already impressive portfolio of mobility data and solutions for emerging-market megacities. This will bring the total raised by the company during its Series A funding to $22m.

Kavida.ai, a supply chain resiliency startup, founded in 2020, has secured £300,000 ($425,000) in pre seed capital from strategic investors. The company provides enterprises with decision intelligence tools to prevent and mitigate supply chain disruptions in a range of sectors including apparel, FMCG, food, retail and pharma.

Businesses are divided over the future of remote work and employee training over the next 12 months, new research from Soffos.ai has revealed.

People management platform, Employment Hero has revealed new data on how employees and employers are managing mental health support in the workplace.  

Suss Ventures has sourced a six-figure sum for sports engineering startup, E-Nano which will support their current raise. The robotics startup uses its cloud platform to measure, analyse and feedback real time data to sport field managers and groundskeepers.

The competition enforcer’s new regulator for Big Tech risks damaging competition and innovation in the UK, argues a report from The Entrepreneurs Network and the International Center for Law and Economics (ICLE). The report argues that by limiting acquisitions, and implementing a series of burdensome regulations around product changes, the regulator will decrease the amount of funding going to startups, and hurt Big Tech firms’ attempts to compete with each other.

UK workers are putting in an additional 20 working days per year by skipping all or some of their lunch breaks, new research has found. The data from flexible office specialist, Workthere, has analysed the UK’s lunchtime habits, both before and during COVID restrictions.

We know that when starting out it can be very daunting and you may need a little help when it comes to direction, discipline and planning. That is why we have decided to create another version of the extremely popular Survival Guide. Brought to you by Startups Magazine and Digi-Key Electronics, this second edition of the Survival Guide brings you resources in the ten step entrepreneurial journey.

Majority (83%) of UK cities are interested in acquiring office space, indicating an increased demand in returning to the physical workplace, according to insights from Orega Offices. The findings were based on data obtained from 18 cities across the UK, analysing average keyword monthly search data to reveal ‘the cities where office space is most-in demand’.

Penfold, the pensions challenger making saving for the future easier today, has announced the close of a £6m investment round to accelerate growth and expand its team.

The NatWest Accelerator supports and empowers UK entrepreneurs and business owners to scale their businesses to the next level. Through our specialist Accelerator programmes we provide wrap around support and access to expertise, removing barriers and providing more opportunities to help customers grow.

Event Tech Live (ETL) will make its debut in the States and Canada next week from June 8th until the 10th.