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.

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.

Retail digital marketing strategies for startups

Starting a retail business in today’s digital age can be both exciting and challenging. With the rapid evolution of online platforms and digital marketing tools, startups have incredible opportunities to reach their target audience effectively. However, navigating the world of small business digital marketing can be overwhelming without the right strategies. This guide provides essential digital marketing tips for retail startups to establish a strong online presence, engage customers, and grow sustainably.

BSI publishes global standard to unlock innovation excellence

A new framework designed to guide businesses to introduce and implement new ideas, processes, products, or services that improve an organisation’s overall efficiency, productivity, or culture has been published by UK national standards body BSI.

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.

Startups redefining end-of-life

The emergence of “death tech” is reshaping how society approaches end-of-life matters, transforming a traditionally sombre industry into one ripe for innovation and growth. Valued at £78 billion, this sector aligns with the burgeoning silver economy, which is projected to reach €5.7 trillion (a third of Europe’s GDP) by 2025.

Can we improve SEIS and EIS to create more growth?

Growth is what we are all aiming for. In fact, it is the number one mission of the UK government. For founders and startups, the great success stories of the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) and the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) being preserved in the UK Budget was welcome news. As was the extension of the sunset clause of the EIS and Venture Capital Trust (VCT) schemes to April 2035 in the Autumn Statement.

Multi-million-pound investment will accelerate the development of ethical AI solutions

Trilateral Research, which investigates ethical AI solutions to address a range of complex social issues, has secured a £2.5 million investment from Growth Lending. The funds will facilitate the growth of the business as Trilateral Research accelerates the rollout of ethical AI products, which are designed to tackle complex social issues such as child safeguarding, modern slavery and public health.