December has a funny way of reminding us that speed doesn’t always equal progress. As founders, we often sprint toward the end of the year, trying to squeeze in every unfinished task, every last-minute goal, every ‘quick’ job that we meant to do months ago. But rather than hurtling toward the end of December at full speed, sometimes the most powerful, productive move you can make is to pause, plan, and realign before stepping into the new year. And for many startups, that moment of realignment starts with one pivotal decision – learning to delegate and onboarding the right support.
The startup playbook says: hustle harder, stay responsive, show up consistently, outwork everyone. For AuDHD founders, that playbook is a recipe for burnout. I know because I’ve watched it happen. I burnt out spectacularly as a teacher and now I coach women who are discovering their neurodivergence while trying to build businesses. The pattern repeats: brilliant, driven founders forcing themselves into productivity systems designed for brains that work nothing like theirs, then wondering why they’re falling apart.
Markets are breaking down, technology is shapeshifting beyond recognition, and ‘business as usual’ is becoming an increasingly unviable path. The fuels that once propelled businesses to success, scale above all else, mechanical efficiency, and unconditional growth, are now liabilities disguised as virtues. The next five years will demonstrate that the biggest threat to a healthy, functioning business isn’t competition, but irrelevance.
Yonda Tax, the global tax automation platform helping businesses stay compliant across borders, has announced its first institutional funding round, bringing total investment to $15 million. The round was led by Kennet Partners, with participation from NYO Capital and Portfolio Ventures. The funding will be used to enhance platform features and functionality, and to support its expansion into new industries and tax jurisdictions.
monday.com has released the UK findings from its latest World of Work report. Surveying 500 UK and US directors on what will shape AI adoption in 2026, the data reveals that 78% of UK directors do not expect AI to reduce headcount within their teams next year – and almost a third (32%) actually expect to hire more because of it.
A team of experts with over 15 years of experience in funding businesses has launched Aneli Capital, a fund to support early-stage startups in the Baltics, Poland, and other Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. The €35 million fund will primarily focus on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as well as robotics, space, photonics, and energy startups, with the goal of helping them grow and become ready for follow-on investors.
The agentic vibe-coding platform, Emergent, has announced a strategic investment from Google’s AI Futures Fund. Launched in May 2025, the fund supports AI startups with capital, early access to cutting-edge AI models, and direct support from Google’s experts. Emergent will leverage this investment and support to further accelerate talent acquisition, product development, and expansion of its platform across the globe.
Half-time at Old Trafford is always loud, but inside our dressing room it felt strangely focused. We were catching our breath, a few of the lads grabbing jelly babies and Jaffa Cakes, when one of the coaches slipped in and whispered something to Steve Coppell. Coppell called the room to attention and delivered the news straight: Rooney had gone off injured.











