News

So Energy tops Citizens Advice supplier rankings table

Challenger supplier and Which? Recommended Provider, So Energy, has today topped Citizens Advice’s latest domestic energy supplier rankings with a score of 4.6. The quarterly rankings table (covering Q2 2020) scores suppliers out of 5 for overall customer service and considers complaints data, call waiting times, bill accuracy, bill timeliness and switching timeliness.

The way you hire from the EU is changing

The Home Office has launched a new campaign to ensure businesses are ready for the introduction of the UK’s new points-based immigration system as free movement ends.

Six in 10 SMEs relied on accountants for pandemic survival

Small businesses are heralding accountants’ increasingly critical role in keeping them running since COVID-19 arrived, considering them to be among the ‘key workers’ of the post-pandemic economic recovery according to new research.

Partnership to Provide Integrated Anti-Money Laundering solution

Israeli blockchain cyber startup, GK8 has announced a partnership with Chainalysis, the blockchain analysis company, to help financial institutions identify high risk activity including terrorism financing, money laundering, scamming, and more.

Tech startup shakes up traditional public affairs industry

For too long successful lobbying has been the exclusive realm of companies and organisations with deep pockets. That is about to change with the launch of PolicyMogul, which provides free access to political updates, parliamentary proceedings and the wider policy-making environment via a feed, powerful search tools and email alerts.

Advisory platform provides IP resources for startups

Intellectual Property firm, Mathys & Squire has announced the launch of its Scaleup Quarter, a one-stop microsite resource focused on smaller and growing businesses, including startups, scaleups and SMEs, to harness their passion and energy for innovation and provide crucial IP services that are dynamic and energetic, adding value and supporting businesses as they grow.

Pollinate platform expands its global reach

The National Australia Bank (NAB) is partnering with Pollinate to transform their merchant acquiring offering for Small and Medium Sized Businesses (SMEs) across Australia.

New opportunities for tech startups based in Abu Dhabi

Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s global tech ecosystem is launching a new webinar series in association with Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED), Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), and Ghadan 21.

Translations increase as UK businesses expand outside EU

New data suggests a surge in UK business growth in territories such as Africa and Eastern Europe, with business materials being translated into languages such as Zulu, Afrikaans, Serbian and Macedonian at least 2,000% more than three years ago.

Boost for small businesses as new support tour launches

Small businesses across the UK are being offered a major new package of support and mentoring, as Small Business Saturday UK launches the UK’s first online roadshow for towns and cities affected by the pandemic.

The Young Women’s Trust

Our latest issue, Women in Tech and Female Founders is just around around the corner, so for our next event, which is now going to be held digitally on Thursday 15th October, we will be donating all profits to the Young Women’s Trust a feminist charity set out to help young women. We spoke to Laura Perkins, Director of Fundraising at Young Women’s Trust to find out a little more about the organisation.

Kefir entrepreneur empowers women to set up their own business

With the government furlough scheme ending on 31st October, many people will no doubt be worried about job security. One study by the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex suggested more than 6.5 million jobs could be at risk.

Wellness app raises £6m and triples crowdfunding target

On-demand wellness app, Urban has raised £5.9m on investment platform Seedrs, tripling an initial target of £2m. This is Seedrs’ third largest raise this year, and with over 800 investors, ranks in their top 20 in terms of investor numbers.

Local authorities and business networks play a key role in SMEs success

A new study, commissioned by business bank, Allica Bank, shows that a high level of engagement and interaction with external institutions and resources, is central to SMEs’ prospects of success.

LinkedIn announces new design and member experiences

LinkedIn has announced a new visual redesign to help people connect with their network and community, and to make their LinkedIn experience as easy, enjoyable, safe, and inclusive as possible. Every element of the visual refresh has been designed with LinkedIn members in mind.

Help businesses bounce back by leaving positive reviews

According to research from outsourcing provider, Woven, more than three-quarters (78%) of consumers trust online reviews when it comes to making a purchase. As UK businesses continue to manage the fallout from lockdown, customer service experts from Woven have revealed the significant impact that positive reviews could have in helping small businesses recover.

Women in Electronics announces global expansion efforts

Women in Electronics (WE) has announced they are going global, with chapter expansions into Europe beginning this month. This will be the first international chapter for the three-year-old professional association with a focus on women in the electronics industry.

Smarthome startup looks to hire reformed burglar to assist with product testing

The smarthome security startup, Boundary Technologies is launching its first self-service system in October, and looking to hire a reformed burglar to assist with consultations surrounding home thefts, alongside extensive product testing.

Mouro Capital leads $26m financing round in Uncapped

Mouro Capital, the $400m successor fund of fintech-specialist Santander, InnoVentures, has led a $26m financing round including debt and equity in Uncapped, a company changing the way growing online brands fund marketing and inventory.

Helping SME manufacturers adopt digital technologies

Made Smarter has launched an innovative, streamlined process to enable more SME manufacturers to speed up their digital transformation.