On 10th October it is World Mental Health Day, a day to remember how deeply mental wellness shapes our lives, our communities, and our work.
This World Mental Health Day, I really want to reach out to the entrepreneurs, founders, and business builders out there. The ones chasing big visions while carrying invisible weight. The ones who know they’re capable of more but feel stuck, overwhelmed, or plagued by self-doubt. The ones who, on the outside, look successful, but inside are battling procrastination, imposter syndrome, or constant pressure to “do more.”
Over the last 20 years, I’ve worked with a wide range of young people and businesses and it’s clear that there’s a hang up around the word networking and what that means. There’s a belief that it’s having to sell, or awkwardly exchange business cards, and that it’s an ‘old fashioned’ way of doing business. Yet when I worked at Professional Liverpool on LeadHere, for those in the earlier stages of a business or career, I saw how a simple introduction could super-charge the career of a younger person.
Sitehop, the startup building UK sovereign encryption to future-proof networks against quantum-powered cyber attacks, has raised an additional £7.5 million led by Northern Gritstone, bringing the total raised to £13.5 million.
More than 170 small business founders gathered at Hyde Park Corner to take part in a founders’ ‘walk and talk’ event during Mental Health Awareness Week in May earlier this year. Organised by the not-for-profit, Virgin StartUp in collaboration with mental health service Self Space, the event encouraged business owners to take a break from their busy lives and tap into start-up support and connect with their peers.
Financial wellbeing is now the top priority for employees, with new data showing stability, security, and fair rewards matter more than ever.
Attention.inc, the startup developing a desktop-native AI assistant that continuously learns from real workflows, has announced an uncapped $1.25 million pre-seed raise.
When the global telecom industry gathers in Paris for Network X 2025 (October 14 – 16), attendees can expect more than keynote speeches and panel debates. This year’s edition unites the sector’s most influential players under one roof with an interactive expo floor and new event features. From AI-powered broadband networks and 5G monetisation to sustainable infrastructure and satellite connectivity, leading technology sponsors, live demonstrations and dynamic stage presentations will showcase the innovations shaping Europe’s digital future.
As Prime Minister Keir Starmer leads an international trade delegation to Mumbai this week alongside India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, new efforts to boost export opportunities for Britain’s 5.6 million small businesses are also high on the agenda.
e-Residency Estonia was introduced in 2014 as a way to provide non-residents secure access to its digital public services and transparent business environment. Since its launch, the programme helps over 110,000 people and their businesses operate regardless of location, and has generated over €213 million in revenue for the Estonian state budget from taxes and state fees.
EQONIC Group has announced its battery technology that addresses the three critical challenges facing energy storage: cost, safety, and sustainability.
Dragonfly has announced the close of a £2.6 million pre-seed round alongside the public launch of its conversational AI tool. Founded in December 2024 by Zego alumni Sean King and Sven Sabas, the round was led by Episode 1, joined by Dreamcraft and Portfolio Ventures, with angel investors including QuantumBlack founder and CTO Sam Bourton, and Bolt founder and CEO Markus Villig.
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has revealed plans to launch the first IP-backed loans for high growth businesses in Scotland – allowing them to access vital funding using the value of their Intellectual Property as collateral, instead of traditional physical assets.
Cyberwave, the startup building the operating layer between AI agents and real-world machines, has secured a €7 million funding round led by United Ventures with participation from The TechShop.
The hiring landscape is about to experience profound change. New research warns that by 2030, as many as one in ten CVs could be entirely AI-generated. While AI offers promising efficiencies for candidates to craft their applications, this shift brings significant implications for how employers attract, assess, and ultimately hire top talent.
The findings of the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) latest report quantifying the career and earnings impact of motherhood in England are sobering. According to the data, the average mother loses an estimated £65,618 in earnings over five years after having her first child. For a second child, the figure rises by another £26,317, and for a third, £32,456 more is lost.
No matter which retail executive you talk to, the reaction is the same: “I didn’t think that was possible yet.” While most headlines in tech are dominated by copilots, a quieter but deeper shift is happening in enterprise AI: the rise of agentic systems that don’t just assist, but act. And it’s catching many executives off guard.
The UK and India-based medical travel startup, The Medical Travel Company (TMTC), has raised €3.8 million to bring a new full stack medical solution, offering UK patients world class and affordable treatments in India.
A study released today (7th October 2025) reveals the core traits shared by billion-dollar startup founders across the UK, Europe and North America. Developed in partnership between VC firm Ada Ventures and behavioural scientists at Synaptiq, the study analysed how founders communicate to find a clear psychological profile behind unicorn success. These findings stand to reshape how VCs assess potential, making it easier to spot talent fairly and consistently, without bias towards background or identity.
Workplace mentoring and coaching are now essential drivers of business performance, staff retention, and employee wellbeing in the UK, according to a major new report from the Association of Business Mentors (ABM). The findings show that over two-thirds of businesses have seen a positive impact on overall business performance from their mentoring and coaching programmes, and a further 60% attributed an improvement in employee wellbeing to their programmes.
