Why venture investors are more interested in age-extending startups than ever

Venture capital investment in longevity startups has surged over the past decade. This trend signals promising prospects for age-extending technologies, particularly from a venture capital perspective, as investors recognise the potential for innovation in this emerging field to address the health and economic impacts of an ageing population.

Raspberry Pi Co-Founder, Liz Upton, joins Robotics Software startup BOW

BOW, the universal robotics software company, has announced the appointment of Liz Upton, Co-Founder of Raspberry Pi, as Chair of its board.

Small Biz wish for share of UK’s £20.4bn Christmas spend

Over £20 billion could be spent by households across the festive season in the UK this year, as small businesses prepare to target a fifth of Christmas spend – equating to approximately up to £4.4 billion.

Volter raises $3.2M to accelerate solar energy generation for real estate

Volter, the operating system for commercial and industrial (C&I) rooftop solar, has secured $3.2 million in pre-seed funding. The round was led by Transition, with participation from Seedcamp as well as Neptunia, a prominent real estate investor.

Kixy and British Wrestling partner to empower communities

As part of its mission to empower customers across the UK and beyond to meet their financial needs while fostering a sense of community and connection, financial services platform Kixy has announced an exciting new partnership with British Wrestling Association (BWA).

Litera acquires Office & Dragons to bolster its drafting and transact offerings

Litera has announced the acquisition of Office & Dragons, the platform for mass drafting and editing, which leverages intuitive automation and generative AI to streamline document workflows for lawyers.

Rivero advises banks to brace for spike in cardholder disputes as Black Friday and Cyber Monday near

In anticipation of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, European Visa Fintech Partner, Rivero is urging banks, neobanks, and financial institutions to prepare for a potential spike in cardholder disputes.

Europe’s VC scene needs to evolve, but we shouldn’t lose sight of what makes it unique

Mario Draghi’s recent EU competitiveness report is a stark reminder of what needs to change in Europe’s wider venture capital (VC) scene. The report argues that insufficient venture capital has limited the growth of European tech and economic growth more widely; estimating that an additional €800 billion in annual investment, mostly from the private sector, is needed for the continent to catch up with the US and China.

Maintaining control over your small business’s brand in the digital age

Today’s digital landscape provides a fertile ground teeming with opportunities for small businesses to grow by reaching global audiences through online platforms. Emerging platforms, such as TikTok shop, are especially lucrative, with SMEs on the platform contributing £1.63 billion to UK GDP in 2022.

YouLend Data: UK SMEs embrace embedded financing for Black Friday and Christmas

YouLend, the global embedded financing platform, has reported that a growing number of UK SMEs are turning to embedded financing to secure vital capital ahead of the most important sales period of the year – Black Friday and Christmas.

Holiday season shopping surge: UK consumers will spend more

Black Friday 2024 is almost upon us, and new data from Criteo shows it promises to be a significant moment for retail. With UK consumer spend set to rise year-on-year, the insights demonstrate that tailored product recommendations, omnichannel experiences, and discounted offerings will be key to attracting high-intent shoppers.

Argil secures €4.9m to enable anyone to become a creator with their own AI video clone

Argil, the video engine for the creator economy, has announced it has raised €4.9 million in pre-seed and seed funding as it emerges from the Y Combinator incubator. The company raised €3.9 million in a round led by EQT Ventures and with participation from renowned youtuber Kwebblekop, who has over 15 million subscribers and uses Argil to grow his own Youtube channel, and Charles Gorintin, Co-Founder & CTO of Alan, Co-Founding Advisor of Mistral AI.

CTA Announces CES Innovations Awards 2025 Honourees

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) is announcing its CES Innovation Awards 2025 honorees. The 2025 awards program received a record-breaking number of submissions, over 3400, a 13% increase from CES 2024. The CES Innovation Awards annually recognises and honours exceptional designs and engineering in technology that tackle global challenges and drive meaningful change.

Creating pathways for refugee youth: a new certification opens doors to education and employment

In January 2020, I co-founded Alsama Project with Kadria Hussein, herself a Syrian refugee living in Lebanon. Based in the Shatila Refugee Camp in Beirut, we provide innovative education solutions for out-of-school refugees. Today around 880 students are enrolled across four non-formal education centres in camps in Lebanon.

SiriusXM CEO Jennifer Witz to Deliver C Space Keynote at CES 2025

The Consumer Technology Association (CTA), owner and producer of CES, the world’s most powerful tech event, announces Jennifer Witz, CEO of SiriusXM, a leading audio entertainment company in North America, will keynote at CES 2025. During an event at McIntosh Group’s House of Sound this afternoon, CTA shared the news that Witz will take the stage alongside Ashley Flowers, the #1 female podcaster in the U.S., host of the hit podcast Crime Junkie, and Founder of audiochuck, a leading media company. Witz and Flowers will participate in a fireside chat on the evolution of audio and what they believe is next for the industry.

Origin wins  €4.5M European Defence Fund Grant

Latvian defence tech startup Origin has secured €4.5 million from the European Defence Fund (EDF) to develop a man-portable ISTAR drone (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance) with target laser designation capability.

Mastering the regulation maze: what it takes to launch a successful regtech startup

Building a regtech startup that not only survives but thrives in today’s regulatory climate requires more than a bright idea. It takes strategic foresight, meaning teams must keep a finger on the pulse of ever-evolving regulations. As with any business, having a deep understanding of the market that you’re either creating or addressing is critical – but with regulatory environments constantly tightening, the regtech sector takes this one step further.

A flight to recovery: Vertical Aerospace secures vital funding

Bristol-based aerospace startup, Vertical Aerospace, has announced a major funding injection, after financially struggling in recent times.

UK digital diagnostics startup PocDoc secures largest pre-A funding round

The UK’s largest ever pre- A funding round for a digital diagnostics company, has been announced by Cambridge-based healthtech startup, PocDoc.

Battery startup Molyon raises $4.6M to create a new future for sustainable batteries

Molyon – the spinout developing next-generation batteries with double the energy density of current lithium-ion batteries – has raised $4.6 million in its first funding co-led by IQ Capital and Plural. The funding will kickstart manufacturing at its pilot facility in Cambridge through expansion of the core team including battery engineers, material scientists and operations staff.