News

Employer NIC contributions hit decade high of £114Bn, further increase on the cards

Latest research from The Global Payroll Association (GPA) reveals that UK PAYE employees paid £252 billion in income tax in 2024, Meanwhile, businesses paid £114 billion in employer National Insurance Contributions, a total which is set to grow significantly in 2025 following changes set out in Labour’s Autumn Budget.

Defence Builder launches second batch of defence startup accelerator programme

Defence Builder, Ukraine’s defence tech accelerator supported by the Ministry of Defence, is starting an open call for applications for its second cohort. Building on the success and insights from the first batch, the programme will equip promising startups with mentorship, grants, and pitch opportunities to scale their solutions for the battlefield and beyond.

2025 Bupa everywoman in Technology Awards Entrepreneur Award finalists announced

The Bupa everywoman in Technology Awards have announced this year’s finalists, representing outstanding contributions and achievement at all stages of the career journey; from girls and young women still in education to tech entrepreneurs, from apprentices to C-Suite executives.

UK’s AI Security Institute to protect against AI risks to national security

The UK’s AI Safety Institute has been recast as the UK AI Security Institute, bolstering protections against AI risks facing national security and crime, and delivering a key pillar of the government’s Plan for Change.

Data protection undergoing landmark changes this year

Businesses will have to navigate increasingly complex requirements when handling people’s data and contend with technologies that make privacy violations easier and more widespread. According to Krete Paal, CEO of the Estonian data protection startup GDPR Register, regulatory oversight of data protection is becoming stricter, with higher penalties for non-compliance.

Enterprise Nation appoints SME supplier diversity champion ahead of Procurement Act

Enterprise Nation has appointed one of the UK’s most accomplished SME inclusive sourcing experts ahead of the Procurement Act coming into force later this month.

Discovery Park welcomes 11 oncology startups for business growth programme

Eleven early-stage companies working in oncology have started ‘Discovery Spark’, a free seven week development programme hosted by leading science and innovation campus Discovery Park, in Sandwich, Kent.

MedTech World Dubai: $2,854.00M Medical Devices Market Takes Centre Stage

As the medical devices market in the United Arab Emirates is projected to reach $2,854.00M in 2025, MedTech World is set to host its Dubai event, bringing the global and local MedTech communities together at the InterContinental Festival City Hotel on February 23 and 24, 2025.

tozero achieves industrial-scale graphite recovery for lithium-ion batteries

tozero, a European startup in sustainable lithium-ion battery recycling, has achieved a major breakthrough by producing battery-grade recycled graphite at industrial scale. For the first time, this 100% recycled anode material has been successfully used in battery cell production, proving its viability for commercial applications.

AI adoption hesitancy: 57% of businesses hold back despite growing regulatory pressures

A new industry report on compliance in the UK reveals a striking paradox: while 58% of businesses cite manual processes as their biggest challenge, 57% still haven’t adopted AI to ease the burden. As regulatory pressures mount, AI is positioned to play a transformative role in compliance practices – but many businesses remain hesitant.

Deputy Prime Minister endorses Responsible Business Accreditation on 5th Anniversary

The Good Business Charter and its 1,000+ accredited organisations received a welcome boost as it celebrated five years of championing a clear commitment to responsible business practices towards people and planet.

Jarvis & Finity simplify pension management for the growing temporary workforce 

Jarvis has partnered with Finity to simplify pensions management for businesses in the recruitment industry. This integration will also act as a platform for direct access to pension data through a unified system.

The Future of Capitalism competition 2025

The second Future of Capitalism Competition, founded by The Leo Lion Company, took place on the 12th February at The Shard in London. The Startups Magazine team went along to the evening to learn more about the startup finalists of this year’s competition, and to celebrate with the finalists and winners.

The UK is the unicorn hub of Europe

Global research group, the Hurun Research Institute, has released Hurun UK Unicorns and Future Unicorns Index 2024, showcasing 137 outstanding startups competing on the world stage and driving the UK economy to new levels.

The BIG Cornish Tech Showcase: powering innovation, inspiring the future

Tech Cornwall’s flagship event, the BIG Cornish Tech Showcase, is returning on February 27, 2025, at The Atlantic Hotel, Newquay, from 10am to 5pm. This free-to-attend event is the biggest opportunity of the year to connect with Cornwall’s thriving tech community, meet innovative suppliers, and gain insight from some of the most exciting names in technology.

JFrog and AWS agreement to help enterprises unlock value from software supply chains

JFrog, the Liquid Software company and creators of the JFrog Software Supply Chain Platform, has announced it has signed a strategic collaboration agreement (SCA) with Amazon Web Services (AWS). The agreement empowers enterprise customers to swiftly migrate workloads to AWS to maximise the value of their cloud-based, software supply chain investments.  

72% of executives to embrace AI in 2025, a quarter targeting specialised tasks like translation

DeepL, a global Language AI company, has unveiled its latest whitepaper, “The language revolution: how AI improves the way businesses communicate.” Based on findings from a new DeepL survey of EMEA and US business leaders, as well as external sources, the report explores the intersection of language and AI in business, covering critical topics ranging from global corporate AI adoption trends, to the financial impact of poor communication on international businesses, and the real-world impact and value of Language AI tools.

Government should embrace creativity and ambition of high potential businesses to grow economy

The UK government should draw on the creativity and insights of Britain’s ambitious small business community if it is to achieve its “number one mission” to grow the economy, says a new report published by Goldman Sachs.

Leap Venture Studio launches cohort of accelerator for pet care startups

Leap Venture Studio & Academy, the pet care startup accelerator, has announced the launch of its ninth accelerator programme. The studio offers pet care startup founders a highly customised, hybrid programme tailored to support and provide resources to early-stage startups, in addition to $200,000 in funding. The newest cohort kicks off in Nashville on February 24, and will culminate with a Demo Day in London on May 16.

DSIT launches AI Playbook to drive public sector efficiency

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has launched a new AI playbook, guiding the ‘safe and effective’ use of AI in the public sector.