News

Digitally-led orthodontic chain Impress raises $50m Series A round

Spain’s Impress, the new generation of orthodontic chains in Europe, has raised a $50m Series A round. This marks the biggest Series A round in Southern Europe.

sTARTUp Day unveils the programme for this year’s hybrid event

Business festival sTARTUp Day has announced the programme of this year’s hybrid event. The festival brings to the stage over a hundred speakers in the course of two festival days and one side event day. On 25th-27th August, the Estonian National Museum in Tartu will become a meeting place for all the startup-minded people, with performers sharing their experiences on four stages, dozens of practical seminars, sTARTUp Pitching Powered by EstBAN, and many side events.

Small business workers fear missing out on the hybrid work opportunity

Workers at small businesses across Europe fear they will be forced to return to the office because they are unable to focus on customer experience or growing the business while working remotely.

Stress-free funding round for wellbeing tech firm

Thrive Therapeutic Software has closed its latest round of funding in a record ten days, raising a total of £2.5m in funding and signifying one of the fastest investments of its kind for a UK company in the digital health sector.

Novus teams up with Railsbank and Visa to launch new digital banking app

Next-gen banking and impact app, Novus has teamed up with Visa to launch a unique mobile banking application that rewards conscious consumers for sustainable purchasing choices in a bid to generate positive impact from everyday payments.

Sky launches enhanced £2m support scheme for UK small businesses

Sky Media, the advertising sales arm of Sky, has announced the return of SME100, a £2m support scheme for small businesses, giving them free access to the power of TV advertising through AdSmart as they recover from the pandemic.

GEICO partners with Tractable to accelerate accident recovery with AI

GEICO, the second-largest auto insurer in the US, is partnering with Tractable to accelerate its auto claim and repair process. Tractable’s proprietary computer vision technology, trained on millions of historical claims, assesses vehicle damage like a human appraiser. Inserting AI into the process, GEICO will be able to accurately review estimates within seconds while also reducing administrative overhead.

Smarthome security startup secures £1.5m from Skyscanner Co-Founder

Smarthome security startup, Boundary Technologies has announced that it has secured a £3.7m investment to scaleup following the successful launch of its first product, including £1.5m from Skyscanner’s Co-founder, Gareth Williams – his biggest angel investment to date.

3D printing startup Satori launches Kickstarter campaign

London-based startup and innovation house Satori is excited to launch its brand new, big volume, high precision, industrial-grade 3D printer via a Kickstarter campaign launching on 25th May at 1PM BST.

Provider of mental health and employee wellness services acquires mental health startup

ICAS World Ltd (ICAS), a global provider of mental health and employee wellness services has acquired the NHS-commissioned mental health tech startup, Hello Tomo.  The acquisition is the first major milestone for ICAS as it rolls out its new global digital health strategy, tapping into the $121bn mental wellness market and expanding its support for the 790 million people around the world currently affected by a mental health condition.

Overture Life Secures $15M in Series B Funding Led by Octopus Ventures

Overture Life, the IVF process automation startup, has announced that it has raised $15M in Series B funding, bringing its fundraising total to $37m as it continues to attract investments in its mission to democratise In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF).

Helping you stand out from the crowd

“My ‘lightbulb’ moment came when I was wedged into someone’s armpit. Now I want to help other people avoid this and get back to work safely…”. A commuter left frustrated at constantly having to travel on crowded trains has invented an app to help people move around more safely. 

Disruptive Food Tech Startup Doubles Fundraising Target

UK-based business, Cook My Grub, has exceeded its initial fundraising target by 150%, raising over £750,000 in just four weeks after receiving major investor interest. The challenger brand, which was conceived and launched within only seven months, is expected to shake up the food industry with a revolutionary platform that provides hungry local diners with access to home-cooked food that isn’t available on the high street.

UK small businesses plan to step-up international and national trade post-pandemic

More than half (57%) of SME owners plan to expand trade to new territories outside the EU and at home after the pandemic with the help of online tools, according to global small business platform, Xero.

Women’s Business Awards Call for Entries

The Women’s Business Awards has launched the call for entries for its annual competition. The Women’s Business Awards features over 20 categories including Businesswoman of the Year, Employer of the Year, and Diversity & Inclusion Award.

Top 10 startups shortlisted for 2021 Future Hamburg Award

The finalists of the Future Hamburg Award, Hamburg’s international startup award, have been announced: ten European startups with smart solutions for the city of the future have qualified for this year’s award shortlist.

Smart sensor helps businesses maintain social distance in post-COVID offices

PointGrab, a maker of smart sensors that help businesses maintain social distancing in post-COVID offices, has completed a £3.4m equity raise led by specialist venture capitalist EMV Capital.

Huckletree’s event named success with Lily Cole as Headline Speaker

On 19th May, creative workspace and accelerator, Huckletree hosted Earthrise Summit, a virtual festival uniting sustainability leaders, politicians, and innovators from key cities including New York, Wyoming, Amsterdam, Paris, Dublin and London to inspire people to take action.

83% of UK businesses achieved growth goal last year

Despite the trials and tribulations of last year over three quarters (83%) of UK businesses met or surpassed their growth target according to a new study by Oracle NetSuite, the same percentage as a similar report conducted prior to the pandemic.

Consumers feel brands don’t supply enough information to guide conscious purchasing decisions

A massive 74% of consumers believe that retailers don’t supply enough information to help guide conscious and ethical purchasing decisions, according to new research by lifestyle and impact-driven banking app, Novus.