News

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.

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.

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.

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.

$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.

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.

A review of the business loan scheme statistics

In light of the business loan scheme statistics out today, Stephen Kelly, Chair of Tech Nation has shared his thoughts.

SMEs plan to make COVID-19 innovations permanent

New research from Santander UK reveals that a third (32%) of the UK’s SMEs who implemented changes plan to make their COVID-19 adaptations a permanent feature post-pandemic as almost half found they not only survived, but actually grew their customer base during COVID-19. The study – which polled 2,050 senior leaders in UK SMEs – suggests that the pandemic has driven long-term change to the way businesses operate.

LACROIX Group acquires IoT startup eSoftThings

With the acquisition of eSoftThings, an expert in the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI), based in Cesson-Sevigne (Rennes metropolitan area, France), LACROIX Group has consolidated its R&D division already present in Brittany in the area and strengthened its positioning in the industrial IoT and AI, particularly in the field of connected vehicles.

Medtech startup to develop novel respiratory monitoring device

Israeli medical startup, NanoVation has been awarded a €2.5m grant as part of the European Union’s prestigious Horizon 2020 EIC Accelerator program. The Haifa-based company is developing a new respiratory monitoring device, based on its proprietary nano-sensor technology.

The thriving state of student startups

Creator Fund, the university-focused venture capital fund, has released its “State of Student Startups” report, which gives a comprehensive national picture of what the UK’s best young minds are starting, and how to best support them. The report found that more than half of UK campus ventures have a foreign student founder.

Smart home security startup completes £1.7m funding round

Edinburgh-based startup, Boundary is preparing for the official launch of its smart home security system in August, and will use the funding to complete product testing and for its post-launch operations.

Optimising silage harvesting and ensuring consistent dry matter intake

Ag-tech startup, Consumer Physics, is introducing SCiO Cup – according to the company it is the world’s fastest, portable, lab-grade forage dry matter analyser. The smartphone-operated device transforms feed analysis by enabling frequent dry matter analysis. SCiO Cup enables on-farm decision making ensuring consistent dry matter intake and reducing feed leftovers. In addition, SCiO Cup can be used on-field for planning silage harvest timing at optimal moisture levels.