News

New fintech platform launched to transform investment sector

A North-East based fintech firm has been launched with the aim of digitally transforming the way private equity firms, venture capital funds and angel investment networks currently manage the end-to-end investment process.

Edtech startup announces $35m Series-B funding round

Edtech marketplace, Preply, has secured an additional $35m of funding, a sum that exceeds the platform’s cumulative fundraising efforts since 2013. The round was co-led by Owl Ventures and Full In Partners, with participation from previous investors Point Nine Capital, Hoxton Ventures, as well as EduCapital, All Iron, Diligent Capital and Evli Growth Partners.

Tech startup explores new marketing methods to increase sales leads 

Influencer marketing. An ideal channel for a brand looking to raise awareness and grow its consumer base, but can influencer marketing work in a B2B setting? According to Yorkshire-based tech startup, socialsendr, yes it can, with the business seeing an immediate increase in platform sign ups following a campaign with a nano influencer on TikTok.

The VCs that founders need to know

After another record-breaking year, in which VC investment surpassed more than €38bn in Europe, Dealroom has released its annual ranking of the Most Prominent Venture Capital Investors for 2021 – and this time, it’s gone global.

Europe’s first FemTech accelerator announces spring 2021 cohort

FemTech Lab – Europe’s first independent accelerator that helps the rising stars of FemTech take their products to market – has announced its carefully-selected spring 2021 cohort of startups within the women’s healthcare and wellbeing space.

Business growth agency bolsters SEO services with neural network model

A London-based business growth agency has set up a neural network to help enhance its Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) services.

Xero celebrates accountants, bookkeepers and app partners supporting SMEs through COVID

Xero accounting and bookkeeping practices and app partners across the UK and Ireland were honoured at the annual Xero awards. Hosted by Gary Turner, Xero UK & EMEA Managing Director and comedian, Henry Paker in an online ceremony, the awards showcased the achievements of those supporting small businesses through one of the toughest years. 

Mind the gap! Women fall foul to business reporting complacency
This article is part 23 of 24 in the series IWD 2021

UK businesses are at risk of losing employee trust through choosing to abstain from reporting their gender gap figures, following on from the EHRC’s second deadline extension. Government figures show that nearly half of 10,000 eligible employers chose not to submit their pay gap figures last year – equalling to nearly 5,000 businesses that possibly have something to hide.

Supporting women-led businesses with free business support programme
This article is part 24 of 24 in the series IWD 2021

To mark International Women’s Day, University of Bristol-led tech incubator, SETsquared Bristol, are opening applications for Enterprising Women 2.0, a pre-incubation programme for women-led businesses, in partnership with NatWest.

UK small businesses using tech to harness post-pandemic spending boom

Following the government’s latest support measures for SMEs, new research from Xero shows that many firms acknowledge they will make more use of technology to capitalise on the post-lockdown bounceback, with the potential for a £16.6bn productivity boost.

PropTech startup has more than doubled its team since lockdown

Innovative property technology company, Vouch has confirmed that their team has more than doubled since March 2020, marking a 118% workforce increase despite the lockdown. Designed and built by letting agents for letting agents, Vouch delivers a referencing solution designed for the 21st century.

Angel Business Club: Carving Out Investment Success in 2021

Angel Business Club will lift the lid on the secrets to investment success when the club’s Insights Series returns on Wednesday 17th March.

Oscar-winning founder of motherhood app wins innovation award
This article is part 21 of 24 in the series IWD 2021

The founder of LatchAid, a FemTech startup using innovative technology to revolutionise breastfeeding and early parenting support, has won the prestigious Women in Innovation award.

500k women from female-led scaleups to be digitally upskilled by January 2022
This article is part 16 of 24 in the series IWD 2021

Digital Boost, a new platform connecting organisations with digital skills founded by serial entrepreneur Sherry Coutu CBE, has today set out a bold ambition to digitally upskill 500,000 women from female-led organisations by January 2022, with 200,000 of those from BAME backgrounds.

Sodexo Engage drives gender equality with SheWorks Programme
This article is part 13 of 24 in the series IWD 2021

To mark International Women’s Day 2021, Sodexo Engage UK is offering women an opportunity to join its job shadowing program, SheWorks.

Accelerating the West Midlands’ tech revolution in professional services

Generating £27.8bn gross value added annually, and employing more than 360,000 people, the West Midlands is the UK’s largest centre for Business, Professional and Financial Services (BPFS) outside London. Now, business leaders from Shoosmiths, Wesleyan, Bruntwood, CBRE and Birmingham Law Society, amongst others, are working with the region’s just under 12,500 leading tech and digital companies to see how they can integrate AI and advanced technology into their everyday activities.

Startups pioneer low carbon innovation with 5PRING

Ten exciting startups are pioneering new green technologies with support from 5PRING and its Green Innovation Challenge programme, set-up in partnership with Suez, a large utilities company, and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) last year.

Applications close soon for CRL’s latest accelerator programme

The Central Research Laboratory (CRL) is seeking applications for its 8th world leading accelerator programme, supporting early growth stage product pioneers.

E:VENT Virtual & Hybrid Solutions to revolutionise the face of events and remote working

Retail Marketing Group (RMG), a UK-based marketing agency, has announced the launch of E:VENT Virtual & Hybrid Solutions, a virtual world experience that enables businesses to bring people and teams back together. Designed to keep employees, visitors and customers safe whilst working from home, the new E:VENT solutions provide a bespoke virtual environment for exclusive, secure and innovative events, and offers intimate board meetings to full-scale conference productions, as well as interactive learning, employee engagement, and celebratory experiences.

New digital platform to help fitness trainers launch online businesses

Class-ify, a new digital platform ‘powered by human connection’, has been launched by former Just Eat employees to enable fitness instructors to build their own businesses online. Set to revolutionise the fitness industry by providing a workout experience ‘powered by human connection’, Class-ify helps independent health and fitness instructors monetise their audience and build a global community, all from the use of a laptop or smartphone device.