News

Sustainable reward scheme raises 86% of £600k funding target

Bagboard, the creation of former credit trader Ben Ayres, and advertising executive Ashleigh Bishop, are launching a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for the first sustainable rewards scheme that marries major brand campaigns and environmental impact, with a mission to make sustainable shopping the norm. 

$16.9m awarded to help local entrepreneurs and small businesses

A team of entrepreneurs just awarded $16.9m in Business Scholarships to help local entrepreneurs and small business owners across North America and Europe, and they’re not stopping there.

New features added to Tractive app to help keep pets fit

Tractive, a company which has designed a GPS tracking for cats and dogs, has announced the launch of a new activity monitoring feature, allowing pet owners to ensure that their pets stay fit, as well as safe.

F3 Tech announces third annual accelerator program

F3 Tech, a commercialisation program for early-stage companies, has announced its 2020 F3 Tech Accelerator Program will provide funding and executive support for portfolio companies to expedite commercial sales and prepare them for potential investment or acquisition.

Best of British small biz crowned at 2020 small awards

A host of small businesses from across the country have been crowned winners at this year’s  Small Awards, which celebrates the smallest and greatest firms in the UK, across all sectors.

Benchmark report for startups showing the path to success is in CX

Zendesk has released the Zendesk Startups CX Benchmark Report, documenting how early-stage startups that invest in customer experience (CX) outperform their peers. The data shows that while there is no one-size-fits-all approach, startup success stories have one thing in common: the ability to provide more holistic support to customers from the beginning.

Potential crucial funding for innovative companies as country emerges from crisis

British Patient Capital has commented on the British Business Bank’s Small Business Equity Tracker which reveals UK VCs currently have a record amount of dry powder ready to deploy.

Xero meets with Small Business Minister to call for SME support

The Managing Director of Xero today has argued for a national campaign to help the UK’s 5.9 million small firms bounce back post lockdown.

Real estate tech scale up programme to open applications soon

NAEA Propertymark has partnered with REACH UK, a scale up programme, to help its members navigate through the world of technology by selecting the best startups and launching them into the marketplace.

Kennet raises fifth fund for investment in ‘bootstrapped’ software companies

Kennet Partners Limited (Kennet), a leading European technology growth equity investor focused on bootstrapped and capital efficient companies, has raised $250m (€223m) for its fifth fund, Kennet V in partnership with Edmond de Rothschild. The Fund exceeded its target and secured new investors from across Europe and Asia.

British startups secure place on shortlist for sustainability competition

This year’s shortlist for one of the world’s largest annual competitions in sustainability, Postcode Lotteries Green Challenge, has been officially revealed today. The international top 25 organisations now edge closer to being crowned the overall Postcode Lotteries Green Challenge winner and receiving €500,000.

Tech uses AI to improve motion tracking

Focal Point Positioning (FocalPoint), a UK-based startup has built and showcased software that solves the accuracy problems that plague sports and running wearables.

London startup is bringing together the racket sports community

London-based startup, RacketPal is on a mission to help more than one billion racket sports players and enthusiasts meet their perfect playing partners. The team is excited to announce the successful closing of its first pre-seed funding round worth £150,000.

Workspace Demand Soars in Oxford-Cambridge Arc Post-COVID-19

Property consultants, Bidwells latest research has revealed that up to 20 million sq ft of new lab and office space will be required in the Oxford-Cambridge Arc within the next two decades to keep pace with soaring demand, twice the volume of the previous 20 years.

The pandemic is changing payment culture as we know it

COVID-19 is changing the way SMEs take payments, with the use of cash payments having halved and online card payments rising by a quarter during the pandemic, according to the latest independent research from Close Brothers Asset Finance.

Free ‘Wellness in Action Plan’ to alleviate anxiety around returning to work

Workplace wellbeing expert, Kate Bishop is offering a free Wellness in Action Plan for all UK employers and workers to help tackle the rising levels of anxiety felt by those returning to work after months of working from home or furlough.

Techstars Summer Startup Fellowship responds to COVID obstacles

With all the doom and gloom currently out there, especially for a lot of startups and small businesses, Blackstone LaunchPad powered by Techstars created the Summer Startup Fellowship this year in response to obstacles created, and elevated, by the coronavirus pandemic for current college students and recent graduates. The Fellowship program was developed in March of this year in response to the impacts of coronavirus on student job, internship, and entrepreneurship opportunities (50% – 60% of which were dropped or rescinded).

More tangible social impact and outcomes for communities post COVID

‘There is not a common, comprehensive definition of what counts as social value, to frame understanding, benchmarking or reporting, and aid comparison of tenders and to determine best practice. This has given rise to significant disparities in what counts as social value activities, and no requirement to focus on improving the wellbeing of those who are most disadvantaged.’

Tech startup to disrupt the divorce process with £488k investment

amicable, the tech startup disrupting the family law sector, has raised £488k in funding from existing and new angel investors. The news comes just a few months after a high court judge ruled in favour of amicable’s approach to divorce and separation that focuses on supporting couples through the process and removes the need for couples to instruct two separate lawyers.

Helping construction SMEs get back on their feet

Boris Johnson has announced a £12bn affordable homes programme, providing up to 180,000 new homes over eight years, a slight retraction on his original five year target. Alongside this pledge however, is a sweeping liberalisation of planning regulations, which the Government are quoting to be the most radical since the end of the Second World War.