News

Research agency urges businesses to consider accessibility

Thursday 3rd December marks International Day of People with Disability (IDPD), originally created by the United Nations and designed to bring awareness and celebrate the diversity of the global community. This years’ theme is ‘not all disabilities are visible’, something Leeds-based behavioural research and UX consultancy, SimpleUsability, is keen to encourage businesses to consider when interacting with their customers.

Agreement marks historic partnership for respiratory care

Kaia Health and Chiesi Group, an international research-focused healthcare group, have announced that they have entered into an exclusive partnership to commercialise the Kaia Health Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Pulmonary Rehabilitation app in Europe.

Christmas comes early, with 40% of employees expecting to extend the festive period

With a third of UK employees having more than half their holiday allowance left to take, e-days the absence intelligence company, has found that 65% intend to use this up before the end of the year. With less than a month until Christmas, this raises some significant concerns over staffing resources for the remainder of the year.

Apprenticeship reform could create more opportunities for young people

Co-op CEO Steve Murrells opened a round-table on 26th November with representatives from the Department for Education, National Apprenticeship Service, National Society of Apprentices and Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. The conversation focused on a brand new report, commissioned by the Co-op group, into the national apprenticeships programme with recommendations on change to government policy.

Webinar to explore financing for SME fashion brands

Fashion production software company, SupplyCompass, will be hosting its next webinar on 9th December at 12pm GMT: ‘Financing for Fashion Brands’. Teaming up with MarketFinance, SupplyCompass’s webinar will navigate the world of financial planning through the lens of fashion, specifically for SME brands.

Top tips to help small businesses through winter

As Britain’s high streets prepare to return to life in time for Christmas, small business owners have been given tips for coping with a still uncertain winter. This year’s Small Business Saturday – an annual celebration that encourages consumers to ‘shop local’ – couldn’t be better timed, with 5th December falling three days after the English national lockdown lifts.

Virtual event series launched to help businesses conquer COVID

A cloud-based CRM provider has announced a new virtual event series, designed to help UK businesses conquer COVID and rebuild revenue for 2021.

A startup in style

The social marketplace with the cult Gen Z following, Depop has been shaking up the fashion industry over the last few years. Starting up in 2011 as an incubator in Milan, Depop founded its HQ in London in 2012 and has fitted in with the smart hipster tone of Shoreditch ever since.

Accelerating technology processes to help households in COVID-19 crisis

HOBEEN is the first startup in the home energy consumption model. It has accelerated its technological process to land as soon as possible in homes and help families save on their bills in face of the crisis caused by COVID-19. It is an APP that connects several smart devices that are installed in homes to offer personalised energy advice that helps reduce waste. In this way, a minimum saving of 30% in water, electricity and heating bills is expected.

A quarter of tech companies may not survive no-deal Brexit

One in four London tech companies fear they would not survive the economic impact of a no-deal Brexit, according to new research released today by Tech London Advocates, the independent network of more than 9,000 tech leaders, experts and investors.

Small businesses unprepared for increased HR demands since COVID

New research from HR and people management platform Employment Hero shows a worrying lack of support for staff by UK small and medium sized businesses since COVID. 

The photo-sharing platform for those who care about photography

YouPic is a free-to-use social platform from Sweden transforming photography-sharing by enabling a global community of over 3.7 million users to build an audience, gain insights about their portfolio, and share their passion for photography.

Waze Launches Outreach Campaign To Support Small Businesses

It has been a challenging year for the small business community, with many companies having to reduce staff numbers or pause operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the forthcoming holiday season, owners have an opportunity to try and rebuild their businesses.

Ethical Christmas Gift Guide from Startups on Santa’s Nice List

With one month to go until Christmas, social impact accelerator and mentor network, Impact Central, has released its top fifteen picks for ethical Christmas gifts for this season – from planet-friendly stocking filler snacks to sustainable menswear staples.

London Offices Entering Biggest Period Of Change

First Office Hub, the global workspace broker, which has just helped a tech company to expand from a traditional leasehold property into a 20,000 sq ft managed office space, describes the London office scene as extremely active with companies of all sizes and across all sectors researching offers and looking to secure the right deals ahead of 2021.

Hatch Impact Accelerator focuses on ‘building back better’

The 14 founders have been chosen to join Hatch’s Impact Accelerator Programme. The latest programme cohort were drawn from businesses all across the UK and specifically those that are producing maximum positive impact across underserved individuals, their communities, and the broader environment.

New version of the safe social network for analogue seniors

No Isolation, the company bringing people together through the use of warm technology and the application of specialist knowledge, today launches a new version of KOMP, its one button computer designed specifically for use by seniors. The new model, boasting a wider screen and in-built internet, has been launched in direct response to user feedback following an increase in demand brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, No Isolation has sold 4,300 KOMPs, and the app is currently being used by around 30,000 people across the globe. This means that on average, each KOMP is connected to approximately 7 family members.

Start Up Loans partners with The Open University to offer free business courses

The government-backed Start Up Loans scheme has partnered with distance-learning provider, The Open University to give its customers – and other small business owners across the UK – the opportunity to take free Open University business learning courses.

Startup replicating insect brains to control autonomous vehicles raises £2.1m seed

Natural intelligence startup, Opteran has raised £2.1m in seed funding. Opteran will use the funds to pioneer its radical lightweight, low cost silicon-based approach to autonomy called Natural Intelligence and expects its technology will significantly expand the potential addressable market for autonomy in machines and robotics.

Tech overtakes engineering as Bristol’s fastest-growing industry

Tech is now Bristol’s dominant industry, boasting the most jobs and higher-than-average salaries across the board according to new data by Tech Nation, the UK network for ambitious tech entrepreneurs, and job search engine Adzuna.