Retailer agnostic digital receipt app Slip announces £750k pre-seed fundraise

London-based retailer agnostic mobile app Slip announces its £750k pre-seed fundraise to revolutionise the retail experience for both consumers and retailers ahead of its summer launch.

Creating an effective remote employee training and development programme

In the words of Zig Ziglar: “The only worse thing than training employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.”

Hylo Announces £2.5m Series A Raise

Hylo, an athletic footwear startup based in the UK, has raised a Series A round of £2.5m. The round was led by Eka Ventures, with participation from Redrice Ventures and angel investors including Patrick Bamford, Leeds United and England footballer.

Defender specialist Twisted expands operations in the Middle East

Leading Land Rover Defender specialist Twisted has taken the next step in expanding operations in the Middle East, with the opening of a new assembly workshop in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Twisted USA-LLC Group division of North Yorkshire-based Twisted Automotive, was launched by entrepreneur and CEO Tom Maxwell in April 2020 and owns the licenses for Twisted North America, Twisted Middle East and Twisted EV.

Edition VII of Europe-wide Female Founder Office Hours announced

On Tuesday 26th April, 2022, Playfair Capital and 125 of the world’s leading venture capital funds, including Accel, Atomico, Balderton, Cherry, Creandum, Dawn, Notion, LocalGlobe, Point9, Octopus and Seedcamp will be holding remote office hours for more than 300 female founders from across Europe.

Who is TestMe and what are they doing for the EdTech industry?

The vision for TestMe was initially born out of a frustration with the state of play in the education sector. We’re living at a time where we are constantly overwhelmed by new knowledge – we receive news alerts on our cell phones instantaneously, and we can source boundless information using search engines. This begs the question: how do we process all of this information? Generally, the sector has struggled to keep pace with these new developments. I believe that the way we share and consolidate knowledge should reflect the needs of the modern world.

Teaming up with established industry to accelerate growth and development

I have always considered startups an underutilised asset in manufacturing when it comes to furthering technological innovation. A survey of 100 manufacturing leaders by the Digital Catapult last year found that only 25% said that collaborating with start-ups was a priority in their short- and long-term business strategies, despite 82% reporting that they considered working with startups a way of accelerating digital transformation. In many situations startups offer access to a level of out-of-the-box thinking that is harder to come by in-house, and this is increasingly relevant in my industry.

A Guide to Software Penetration Testing

A surprisingly large number of people live convinced that their desktop is secure. They have an antivirus program, they don’t visit sketchy websites, and they keep their software up to date- so what could go wrong? As it turns out, a lot. In this blog post, we will discuss the basics of software penetration testing and show you how easy it is for a hacker to gain access to your computer. We’ll also give you advice on ways to defend yourself from such attacks. So please read on and learn how to keep your desktop safe.

An economic storm is brewing – how can startups keep funds flowing?

Economies around the world are in the throes of sky-high inflation. Interest rates are creeping up. There is a historic crisis in Europe, energy prices are rocketing, and supply chains are clogged. It’s a scary time to start a business. 

The Benefits of Federated Architecture

Startups face a raft of administrative obstacles they need to overcome quickly and cost-effectively. Adopting a federated approach to system architecture is an excellent example of a solution which is particularly appropriate for fledgling firms.

AI-startup shortlisted for ‘Startup Tech Company of the Year’

iKVA, the Cambridge-based AI-enabled knowledge management software solutions company, has been shortlisted for this year’s National Technology Awards ‘Startup Tech Company of the Year’, in recognition of its pioneering data discovery technology which helps businesses to operate more efficiently.

Interlocking Sales, Marketing, and Product Management from day one

A common pain point for many SMEs is the misalignment between the Sales, Marketing, and Product functions. It usually grows with time and the company’s size: Product Management gets attracted by features and technology, Marketing by social engagement, Sales by “quick wins”. The ones who lose are the Customers, with a spiralling effect on the company performance.

76% of organisations suffered downtime and data loss in 2021

Acronis, the global leader in cyber protection, has released its annual Cyber Protection Week Global Report 2022 timed to this year’s World Backup Day.

Blockchain startup celebrates one year

Disruptive blockchain technology company StrikeX has hit a major milestone with the celebration of its first anniversary. Started in the depths of the UK’s third Covid-19 lockdown in March 2021 by co-founders Joe Jowett, CEO, and Kishan Vadgama, CCO, StrikeX was born with a vision to democratise the investment industry and empower retail investors.

Reframing finance

I’ve been in more pitching sessions – raising money myself but more often as a potential investor – than I can remember. And the question that so often goes unanswered is this: Why on Earth is it that most of the entrepreneurs who are pitching just don’t have their heads around finance?

Global hospitality platform Otolo wins £3.8m 2-year programme to reboot the industry

Founded by James Lemon in 2020, the global hospitality platform Otolo helps professionals from the industry connect, learn from each other, share knowledge, attend events and now sign up for accredited coaching and mentoring CPD courses.

Female founders are breaking the glass ceiling in Germany

Germany has proven to be a fertile ground for the foundation and development of startups, but women are still getting a small piece of the pie.

The Perks of Saying Yes

One of the most common pieces of advice you get when you start a business is to find a niche. The narrower the better. And while that works for some, it’s not the only way forward. Over the course of my career, both as an independent designer and the co-founder of a design studio, I’ve learned that my expertise has nothing to do with sticking to a narrow kind of work. That’s how I’ve ended up designing for clients ranging from Pfizer to the Bronx Museum of the Arts to Tribeca-based rooftop bar Happy Be.

Vaarst raises $20m to drive next-gen technology adoption in marine industries

Cloud robotics specialist Vaarst has announced that it has closed on the first $20m of its Series B round led by energy transition investor Legal & General Capital, alongside the venture capital arm of the international energy company Equinor.

Setting up in the NFT space

I still have to pinch myself when I think about the AlphaBetty Doodles NFT project turning over £3m. I’m a mother of two who didn’t think I was good enough to illustrate the children’s books I had written…and yet I’ve been able to donate tens of thousands of pounds to children’s causes after the initial sale of my ‘Betties’ on the AlphaBetty Doodles NFT project.