The late payment problem continues to weigh heavily on UK small businesses, with new research from accounting software company FreeAgent showing that almost two-thirds (62.6%) of invoices sent by SMEs in the last year were paid late.
We’re living in a moment when technology cycles no longer stretch across decades, they compress into single-digit years. Cloud went mainstream in less than a generation, mobile rewrote consumer behaviour almost overnight, and generative AI stormed the enterprise in record time. But speed hasn’t equalled success. Scratch beneath the headlines and a sobering fact emerges: according to MIT, 95% of enterprise GenAI initiatives have yet to deliver measurable impact.
unlock VC, a global community promoting inclusion and empowerment for women in venture capital, announces its 18 female-founded startups to watch.
Since the global financial crisis of 2008, successive governments have placed high-growth companies at the heart of the UK’s economic strategy. The goal is to create an environment where innovative startups can grow into globally competitive businesses such as the fintech giants Revolut, Wise, Monzo, and Ebury.
AI is no longer just a trendy technology that companies promote as a value add; it has become a must-have for organisations aiming to stay competitive. This message is heard in many technology events and workshops during 2025.
Your startup’s story isn’t just a pitch, it’s the playbook for how you attract customers, talent, and investors. Here’s how to tell a story that sells your vision as much as your product.
In an exciting move for attendees of the world’s most innovative pro AV and systems integration event, Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) has secured Sol Rashidi as a Keynote Speaker for ISE 2026. Sol will take the stage at 13:00 on Wednesday, 4 February. Her participation perfectly mirrors ISE’s 2026 theme, ‘Push Beyond,’ inviting the industry to explore every opportunity and redefine what’s possible.
Jukebox is expanding its global creative footprint with the launch of Jukebox Ventures, announcing the launch of their Fund I which is raising up to $15 million dedicated to backing the next generation of startups at the convergence of music, technology, and culture.
Connected Places Catapult, the UK’s innovation accelerator for transport, the built environment, cities, and local growth, has announced the first project under the new Public Realm Innovation Lab.
The full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 posed unprecedented challenges to the nation’s startup ecosystem. Yet, against all odds, Ukrainian entrepreneurs have demonstrated remarkable resilience and innovation. From navigating funding shortages to adapting business models and entering international markets, Ukrainian startups have not only survived but thrived.
I spent eight years working for a small British manufacturer in Oxfordshire. The sort of outfit that, like so many brilliant UK manufacturers, makes astonishing kit in an unassuming shed tucked away in the beautiful countryside. I’ve lost count of the number of days I’ve watched vanish: chasing a work order hidden in someone’s desk, sitting in a meeting that should have been an email, or typing the same numbers into two systems that hate each other. So I started Mithryl with a goal to turn that chaos into usable knowledge and give teams their time back.
The future of work isn’t physical versus digital. It’s both, beautifully and intelligently intertwined. That’s the driving force behind Connected Realities, the newly announced theme for Workspace Design Show, taking place 25th – 26th February at the Business Design Centre, London.
In just over a year, AI funding went from explosive to cautious optimism. After the staggering $108 billion poured into AI startups in 2024, 2025 has shown the emergence of a new pattern.
Enterprise AI is facing a severe reality check. Amidst a massive rush of investment, a recent MIT study has delivered a sobering finding: 95% of corporate generative AI pilots are failing to progress to scaled adoption and deliver measurable financial returns.
A new Disability Trading Framework has launched to improve access to supply chains for disabled entrepreneurs and ensure that trading processes are fair and accessible to all.
Deel has announced a $300 million strategic investment, bringing its valuation up to $17.3 billion.
Wild Bioscience (Wild Bio), the Oxford University spinout that develops improved crop varieties using AI and precision breeding, has raised a $60 million Series A investment. This significant funding round was led by the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), with participation from existing investors Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE), Braavos Capital, and the University of Oxford.
Jack & Jill, the AI recruitment company, has raised $20 million in seed investment to build and expand in Europe and the United States. The round was backed by leading European early-stage firm, Creandum, as well as prominent VCs including Dig Ventures, Entrepreneur First, Ada Ventures, Firedrop, Repeat.vc, Episode1, Playfair, and over 75 high-profile angel investors, including Nico Rosberg, and from companies such as Lovable, Anthropic, and ElevenLabs.
Nila, the healthcare management startup helping expatriates care for elderly relatives back home, has closed an oversubscribed $2.4 million (£1.8 million) pre-seed round led by LocalGlobe. The investment enables Nila to scale its revolutionary care management platform which addresses the stress and challenges that accompany overseeing the health and wellbeing of older family members across borders.
UK SMEs say specific Government initiatives designed to help them survive and grow don’t go far enough, according to new research from Bibby Financial Services (BFS).
