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.
Estonian startup Symmetrista has unveiled a bra specifically designed for women who have undergone breast reconstruction after breast cancer treatment.
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.
Belgian biotech startup AmphiStar, known for its sustainable surfactant innovations, has been awarded a €2 million non-dilutive grant from SPRIN-D, the Federal Agency for Disruptive Innovation. This brings the company’s total funding for the year to €10 million.
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.
Where You At (WYA), a female-founded app that enhances nightlife safety using indoor mapping and offline mesh technology to help users stay connected in crowded venues, has raised significant funding which has helped it make a huge impact in a short space of time.
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.
INSHUR, a global embedded insurance provider for the on-demand economy, has secured $19 million in its latest funding round. This round was led by Viola Growth, with contributions from MS&AD Ventures and existing backers, bringing INSHUR’s total funding to $78.5 million.
Fintech startups are a very hot topic among investors of any kind. Reports state that over the past nine years, they have been ranked as one of the top sectors for investing, especially for VCs. Numbers show that 12% of all VC investments go to fintech startups.
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).
With the Autumn budget just days away, investors and entrepreneurs are waiting nervously for news on the “painful choices” that are being made to plug a £22 billion gap in public finances.
In the age of thriving online shopping, with millions of people making purchases every day, choosing a product has turned into a challenging task. Endless lists of features, a sea of options, and an ocean of prices, how does one avoid drowning in this flood of information?
As AI reshapes all industries, the ability to effectively deploy it may become a critical focus for organisations striving to remain competitive. While AI offers the expectation of streamlined processes and enhanced efficiency, it is essential that we continue to recognise the skills that remain crucial in harnessing such tools.
Big companies are intimidating. They have seemingly unlimited capital, a small army of employees, and usually a global reach. In the early days of my SaaS startup, I often remember friends and family saying something to the effect of “how are you possibly going to beat them”? From the outside looking in, established market players are business elephants crushing startup ants.
Rare Founders’ second demo day was a huge success, with 100 founders across 14 sectors pitching their innovative startups to an audience of investors. Each startup was allowed a one-minute pitch, with a further three minutes for audience questions.
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.
Manigo, a fintech infrastructure platform based in London, has been acquired by the established investment firm Invex Ventures, known for its focus on the fintech sector.
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.
New research from emlyon business school and Bocconi University has revealed that family-owned businesses are over 3% less likely to license their patents compared to non-family firms. Instead, these businesses are more inclined to develop their innovations internally, with a 6% higher likelihood of commercialising their products in-house rather than through external licensing.
