News

Activity among SME manufacturing businesses saw a decline in September, although confidence in future growth remained high, according to the latest NatWest SME Growth Tracker.

SKL.vc is set to debut its B2C Launch Camp, a programme designed to give aspiring entrepreneurs a risk-free environment to explore their business ideas without dipping into personal savings.

Canvas Offices, a leading provider of flexible workspaces in the UK, has announced its latest project in partnership with real estate powerhouse Hagag Group. Slated to open in spring 2025, this new development marks Canvas Offices’ largest undertaking yet, building on the success of their restored period property at 88 Kingsway, Holborn.

The third edition of South Summit Industry & Energy, co-organised by South Summit and Bizkaia, will return on 21 and 22 November to the international entrepreneurship centre B Accelerator Tower (BAT) in Bilbao. The meeting for the entrepreneurial ecosystem focused on Industry 4.0, Energy Transition, and Mobility will bring together the most prominent leaders, startups, and investors in these sectors in the capital of Bizkaia to discuss the future trends, opportunities, and challenges they face.

French space startup Skynopy, specialising in satellite connectivity, has announced a new partnership with satellite IoT operator Kinéis to launch its own network of antennas and enhance its turnkey satellite connectivity services. This collaboration addresses the increasing demand for space industry solutions.

Rare Founders Demo Day wasn’t just an event; it was a celebration of entrepreneurial energy. Organised for the second time this year by entrepreneur Vasily Alekseenko, Rare Founders, London’s Largest Demo Day has quickly become the highlight of the UK startup calendar.

Startups working to strengthen trust in carbon markets across sectors such as farming, ocean health, and cotton have been selected for the second year of an accelerator programme run by BSI and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL).

UK-based spacecraft propulsion startup, Magdrive, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Orbit Fab, a specialist in spacecraft refuelling. The partnership, announced at the 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Milan, aims to develop satellite refuelling technologies that promise to reshape space sustainability.

TravelPerk, a global business travel management platform, has released new findings on how UK professionals feel about the potential use of AI avatars in the workplace. Despite some reservations, 91% of respondents said they would be open to delegating meeting tasks to an AI avatar.

Glovo, the multi-category app, has revealed its largest product overhaul since 2016, setting itself apart by blending social media elements with food discovery. This update seeks to enrich the customer experience and push forward innovation.

Heilbronn Slush’D, Germany’s only official SLUSH offshoot, announces the first confirmed speakers and pitch competitions. Over 15 speakers from various industries are ready to share their insights. The event, taking place on October 24, 2024, offers an international platform for fostering and collaborating with startups, discovering innovative applications and business models, and networking within the ecosystem.

Mollie, a rapidly expanding European financial services provider, has unveiled its new integration with HubSpot, the customer platform for growing businesses. This integration allows UK businesses to initiate and track payments directly within HubSpot, streamlining CRM payment processing and significantly reducing time spent on administrative tasks.

Hormony (Prelude Health), a startup in the femtech space, has been honoured as the winner of the inaugural FemTech category at the Global Tech Awards 2024. This accolade recognises Hormony’s technological innovation and significant impact on women’s healthtech.

Qlik has released a new study involving 250 C-suite executives and AI decision makers across the UK. The research highlights key challenges slowing AI progress in the country and offers insights on how to overcome these obstacles.

Keep, a Y Combinator-backed open-source AIOps platform, has raised $2.7M in a Pre-Seed funding round led by Runa Capital, with additional support from key industry entrepreneurs and venture firms. Participants include Firestreak and Y Combinator, as well as prominent angel investors like Shay Baron (Elastic CTO and Founder), Andrew Miklas (PagerDuty Co-Founder), David Cramer (Sentry Co-Founder), Maxim Konovalov (NGINX Founder), and Nizam Shapira (Epsagon Founder).

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) announces Martin Lundstedt, President and CEO of Volvo Group, as a keynote speaker for CES 2025, along with several influential guests. Volvo Group will highlight its vision for a 100% safe, 100% fossil-free, and 100% more productive transportation and infrastructure.

Intuit’s September 2024 Small Business Index has revealed a slowdown in the UK job market, based on data from 25,000 small businesses with one to nine employees. The report shows a decline of around 1,400 jobs and fewer vacancies across the sector, indicating a cooling labour market.

A recent poll commissioned by iwoca, one of Europe’s major lenders to SMEs, revealed that almost half (49%) of small businesses have not seen any benefits from the decrease in inflation this year. The survey, published ahead of the ONS’s upcoming inflation data, highlighted that the cost of running a business remains unmanageable for 50% of the UK’s 5.6 million SMEs.

Technology plays a key role today in optimizing the operations of tourism businesses and destinations and improving the customer experience. In this context, the new edition of Tourism Innovation Summit 2024 (TIS), to be held October 23-25 in Seville, Spain, will bring together CIOs and IT managers from companies such as AR Hotels, Vueling, Catalonia Hotels, Renfe, Ilunion Hotels, and Lopesan, among others, to discuss and learn about the latest trends and technological innovations for the tourism industry. Thus, the CIO’s Summit agenda will address how AI, big data and digitalization can redefine the future of tourism.

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA), owner and producer of CES, the world’s most powerful tech event, announces Accenture Chair and CEO Julie Sweet will share her insights on the keynote stage at CES 2025 on January 8 at 2 p.m. in the Palazzo Ballroom at the Venetian. Accenture is a long-standing CES exhibitor, showcasing how businesses can leverage emerging technologies, including AI, to enhance customer experiences and operational efficiency.