News

Partnership allows startups gain fast access to flexible funding

Performance marketing agency, Journey Further, has teamed up with Europe’s first revenue-based finance provider, Uncapped, to offer performance marketing support to entrepreneurs, startups and scaleups across the continent.

European FX startup raises €21m in lockdown

Global financial services provider, iBanFirst which delivers solutions across banking borders, has announced that it will continue to expand with the help of venture capital funds Elaia and Bpifrance, through its growth capital fund Large Venture.

British Patient Capital invests in Quantexa as part of Series C funding

British Patient Capital has announced its participation in Quantexa’s series C funding round as Quantexa announces the close of the round at $64.7m (£51.2m).

Comau supports SMEs with a global solutions-based network

Comau has launched a global web-based networking platform designed to support general industry SMEs (Small Medium Enterprises) by creating a win-win ecosystem between ‘verified’ systems integrators and companies exploring automation opportunities.

When will the UK economy recover from the impact of COVID-19?

Four in ten (39%) small business owners believe it will take at least five years for the UK economy to fully recover from the impact of lockdown and COVID-19, according to a new poll.

Making transactions safer for retail and hospitality customers

Physical-digital payment platform, Thyngs has evolved its touch-free technology to deliver an instant order, pay and marketing solution that will help the retail and hospitality sector welcome customers back safely, and tackle the estimated £4bn loss expected across Europe, as a direct result of the global pandemic.

€3m raised to develop a paper-based sustainable energy source

Emerging from several years of academic research, BeFC is the inventor of bioenzymatic fuel cells based on papers and enzymes. The fuel cells offered by BeFC are naturally part of the renewable energy sector and have a low environmental impact.

Aberdeenshire company nominated for national award

Aberdeenshire startup company, Legasea, has been nominated in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, in the category of Disruptor of the Year.

£1m investment to help the nation get back on track after lockdown

Online toolkit for surviving modern alcohol-free society, One Year No Beer, has launched a £1.4m funding round on Seedrs. Already attracting £1.1m investment in the private stages of the round, One Year No Beer now opens its campaign to the wider public. The funding will be used to further develop the technology infrastructure of the business, allowing them to scale their lifestyle support system which facilitates sustained behavioural changes, through the power of community and connection.

Tech Entrepreneur Makes Six-Figure Investment in Manchester Startup

It’s a tough time for all businesses, but Manchester once again proves to be a hotspot for emerging new talent. Ambitious startup, The Shirt Society, has secured a substantial six figure investment from one of the city’s top tech investors: Scott Fletcher MBE.

No-deal Brexit fears trigger investors to seek international options

Growing fears of a no-deal Brexit will prompt an increasing number of British and international investors to move their financial assets overseas out of the UK, believes the CEO of a large independent financial advisory and fintech organisations.

Startup accelerator program integrates mental health support

Starting a company and being a founder is stressful – especially in the current COVID-19 environment. Last year, 19% of all European founders said starting a company had a negative impact on their wellbeing, and a global pandemic will not bring that number down. However, mental health issues are not widely discussed in the startup ecosystem and beyond.

Rise of the Homepreneur: Resourceful Brits Bounce Back

‘Homepreneurs’ are emerging across Britain during lockdown, as time at home and changing employment conditions have encouraged many to consider new opportunities and think creatively about the future.

Capita launches Retain Cloud to help SMEs optimise workforces

Capita plc (‘Capita’) today announces the launch of Retain Cloud, a software-as-a-service workforce planning and management solution, for small and medium-sized (SME) companies.

Dutch Fintech plays a key part in delivering COVID-19 payments

The Dutch Fintech that already checks over 90% of Dutch payments with the IBAN-Name Check, SurePay, has announced the successful implementation of its UK Confirmation of Payee solution. NatWest Group chose SurePay as a vendor and partner to implement Confirmation of Payee. The service is already checking 25% of UK online Payments.

UK is getting moving with new lockdown easing app

UK software company TAAP is helping companies small, medium and large businesses get up and running post lockdown with the TAAP Visitor Book app.  

GitLab selects Remote to help hire the best talent in the world

Remote, a self-serve platform for global employment, announced that GitLab will use Remote to employ the best talent in the world with full local legal compliance.

$2.5m investment round for supply chain platform

International Supply Chain (ISC) platform transforming the global supply chain by connecting global supply with global demand, Mercado Labs has closed a $2.5m funding round led by Ironspring Ventures and joined by new investor Supply Chain Ventures.

Businesses hit by rise in late payments

Many businesses in the UK are both getting paid – and paying – later, with the COVID-19 pandemic causing a surge in late payments. According to the latest independent research from Close Brothers Asset Finance, three in five UK SMEs have experienced delays in receiving payments, while a significant number of business owners have admitted to being forced into delaying paying invoices.

Big tech spenders: the cities that contribute most to tech

A new index by Business Fibre has analysed 34 of the world’s Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) capital cities to find 2020’s best cities to be a tech student. The index has analysed each city according to metrics such as the number of universities offering technology and engineering courses, total tech companies and employees in each city, the monthly living cost and the top cities investing in tech-related research. An infographic is available here.