Procurement’s Role as Protector of Profit

Despite the UK’s headline inflation rate decreasing from 11% in 2021 to 2% in June 2024, businesses are not resting easy. In a recent survey by consulting firm The Hackett Group, procurement leaders identified inflationary pressures on profit margins as a major concern for 2024. For startups, protection against market volatility is critical to ensuring longevity and growth.

Creating a Gold-Standard Workforce in the Age of RTOs

As the Paris Olympics is well underway, athletes from all over the world have prepared to compete at the highest level. It takes skill, dedication, and perseverance to be a gold-standard winner, as the British cycling team demonstrated during the London 2012 Olympics.

OpenAI co-founder John Schulman leaves for Anthropic

John Schulman, a key figure in the creation of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, has announced his departure from the company to join Anthropic, OpenAI’s primary competitor. Schulman’s exit marks the latest in a series of high-profile departures from the prominent AI company in recent months.

Muon Space secures $56M Series B, surpasses $100M in 2024 contracts

Muon Space, an end-to-end space systems provider specialising in mission-specific low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, recently completed a successful Series B funding round, raising $56.7 million.

Democratising venture investing through a mobile app

Axevil Capital’s mobile app is breaking down barriers for venture capitalists and aspiring investors. The app enables users to quickly invest in companies that analysts have thoroughly vetted and recognised, read all necessary information about every startup, and monitor reports. You conduct the entire process and documentation electronically, directly from your phone.

Employers must step in to help lonely employees around the globe

Towergate Health & Protection has emphasised the need for employers to actively address the issue of loneliness, which affects 20% of employees worldwide, according to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report. This report highlights that one in five workers experience daily loneliness, calling for robust health and wellbeing support from employers.

PHINXT Robotics Secures £2M to Enable Robotics Automation at Scale

PHINXT Robotics, an AI-driven robotics software company, has secured £2 million in an oversubscribed funding round. This round was led by Sure Valley Ventures and included participation from Ada Ventures, Heartfelt, and Atlas Ventures.

Air quality monitoring firm EarthSense secures NatWest loan using IP as collateral

EarthSense, a Leicester-based scaleup specialising in air quality monitoring technology, secured a £264,000 loan from NatWest by leveraging its intellectual property as collateral.

I experienced online harassment as a startup owner – here are the business lessons it taught me

The impact of social media on our business can’t be underestimated: it can amplify authentic voices and help brands reach a whole new audience (even if the constant rebranding and changes are annoying, I’m looking at you X!). We’ve never been closer to our customers, whether that’s through daily behind-the-scenes Instagram stories or WhatsApp for business chat, but this can also be a double-edged sword.

HR leaders can help teams beat summer burnout and boost wellbeing

HR leaders and wellbeing professionals should implement practical strategies to combat summer burnout and alleviate anxieties about taking paid time off (PTO) throughout the year. This guidance comes from Sonder, an early intervention platform focused on employee health, safety, and wellbeing, which aims to shift companies from a reactive to a proactive and preventative approach in supporting their staff.

Define your endgame – the secret to startup success

The journey from a humble garage startup to a sustainable business is fraught with challenges – most startups don’t survive their initial years. While challenges like funding or product-market fit are common hurdles, a critical – and often overlooked – factor is lack of a clear vision for what they want their business to be in the future.

Zoom launches AI-Powered Zoom Docs to revolutionise workplace collaboration

Zoom has introduced Zoom Docs, an AI-first collaborative document solution designed to enhance productivity and seamless teamwork within Zoom Workplace. Powered by the generative AI assistant, Zoom AI Companion, Zoom Docs is available at no additional cost to help streamline various work processes.

Kelpi unveils new kilo-lab facility

Kelpi is making waves in the sustainable packaging sector. The startup harnesses the power of seaweed to create bioplastic materials that challenge traditional, fossil-fuel-based plastics. These seaweed-derived coatings excel in providing robust barriers against water, oxygen, grease, and acids, making them ideal for a diverse range of packaging applications. 

 

Top proptech startups building the future

The proptech sector has seen remarkable innovation in recent years, which addresses the issues currently seen in the property market. These startups are leveraging advanced technologies to streamline construction, property management, enhance transparency, and improve the buying, selling, and renting experience.

Murf AI unveils Murf Speech Gen 2: Customisable, human-like voice technology

Murf AI, renowned for its text-to-speech innovations, unveiled Murf Speech Gen 2, its latest and most sophisticated speech model. This new iteration marks a notable advancement in AI voice technology, blending lifelike realism with extensive customisation features designed to cater to the complex demands of modern enterprises.

Dr Nadine Hachach-Haram on the future of healthcare and Proximie

Dr Nadine Hachach-Haram is the Founder and CEO of Proximie, a global healthtech platform digital connecting surgical operating rooms (ORs). Alongside her entrepreneurial venture, she is also a practising NHS surgeon, specialising in plastic surgery at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London.

Revolut vs Starling: the digital banking battle
Revolut vs Starling: the digital banking battle

Revolut vs Starling: the landscape of digital banking has seen a significant transformation, and picking the right bank for your needs has become a complicated affair with so many innovative new players in the market. This article provides a detailed comparison of these two financial powerhouses, examining their services, fees, user experience, and security measures.

Cognizant & Oxford Economics’ report shows strategic shifts in enterprises adopting AI

Cognizant has unveiled a companion analysis to its 2023 comprehensive study with Oxford Economics. The new report, “New Work, New World: Quantifying Global Gen AI Momentum,” highlights cautious optimism as a key driver for the current market adoption of generative AI across various industries and regions.

Aloha Browser launches private AI assistant

Aloha, a startup based in Cyprus, has unveiled its privacy-centric AI assistant, integrated directly into the browser and available across Windows, macOS, iOS, iPad, and Android platforms, thereby reaching millions of users globally.

Top 10 Artificial Intelligence Trends for 2024

The emergence of AI has brought with it unusual professional and business development opportunities, but it has also revealed the importance of tackling new socio-economic and regulatory challenges. International leaders from more than 41 countries participated in the eighth edition of Digital Enterprise Show (DES), the largest European summit dedicated to exponential technologies held in Malaga, Spain.