Richard Branson, Alan Sugar, Theo Paphitis – the roll call of dyslexic business leaders reads like a Who’s Who of British entrepreneurship. Yet for years, traditional business planning has remained stubbornly one-dimensional: linear, text-heavy, and distinctly spreadsheet-shaped.
Founded in 2017 by Co-Founder and CTO Dr Jim Bailey, PES Technologies has embarked on a journey to transform the agricultural sector.
At the current rate that AI is developing, it holds the potential to completely transform society, from revolutionising healthcare to creating millions of new jobs by 2025
In an era where disruption has become the norm, 2025 promises to usher in a new wave of startup innovation. As we’ve observed through our work with challenger brands across various sectors, successful startups aren’t just creating new products – they’re fundamentally reimagining entire industries.
Ever since OpenAI’s ChatGPT burst onto the scene towards the end of 2022, Generative AI has become one of the most talked about technologies – and potentially the most transformative – since the advent of the Internet. Although the field of AI research was first founded over 60 years ago and the technology has been through a number of ‘hype bubbles’ and ‘AI winters’ since then, only in the last few years has it truly gained momentum in a mainstream capacity.
Recent findings from the government’s Invest in Women Taskforce paint a concerning picture for female entrepreneurs in the UK. Private-equity investment in women-led businesses dropped to 1.8% in the first half of this year, down from 2.5% in 2023. This decline exacerbates an already challenging landscape, where fewer than 6% of active equity-backed companies have female founders.
One-in-four (24%) UK employees have taken time off work in the past 12 months due to stress, new research from Avilio has found.
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.
BOW, the universal robotics software company, has announced the appointment of Liz Upton, Co-Founder of Raspberry Pi, as Chair of its board.
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, 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.
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 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.
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.
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.
For any business that’s looking to scale up, expanding through acquisition can open up a wide range of opportunities – whatever the current business size.
SatVu, a global company in climate technology, has secured £20 million in strategic funding, comprising a £10 million landmark equity round co-led by European venture capital firm Adara Ventures and existing investor Molten Ventures, and an insurance payout.
Nearly half (46%) of IT and tech hiring managers planning to expand their teams with permanent, full-time employees, with technology hiring is expected to increase in 2025, according to recruitment firm Robert Half. Additionally, 25% aim to recruit contract talent for project-based needs and growth initiatives.
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is a significant challenge, especially for family-owned businesses where family matters and business operations are deeply intertwined.
