UK hospitality tech scaleup Embargo raises £2.6M

UK hospitality tech business Embargo has raised $3.5 million to accelerate its growth across Europe and beyond.

SurrealDB gives AI agents secure, real-time memory

SurrealDB, the developer-first multi-model database company, announced the launch of SurrealMCP, the official Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for SurrealDB and SurrealDB Cloud.

UK SMEs say they’ve been abandoned

UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are losing faith in the government’s ability to support them – and it’s threatening the country’s economic future.

Academic excellence doesn’t guarantee spinout success

After working with over 50 university spinouts, I’ve seen a consistent pattern: many scientifically impressive technologies struggle commercially, whilst seemingly ‘simpler’ innovations can capture massive markets.

Casual dress codes the norm in UK jobs

The days of the strict suit-and-tie are waning in the UK workplace, as new data from hiring platform Indeed reveals a tenfold increase in job postings mentioning “casual dress” since before the pandemic.

Tech-friendly jurisdictions: why startups choose Cyprus and the UAE
Tech-friendly jurisdictions: why startups choose Cyprus and the UAE

Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates are among the jurisdictions increasingly considered by technology companies as launchpads for business. The demand for these countries is rising due to a combination of tax incentives, fast business setup, flexible corporate governance, and dedicated startup support programmes.

Phoebe raises $17M to build first software ‘immune system’

As AI accelerates the creation of new software, fixing live systems has remained stubbornly manual. Phoebe’s AI agents continuously monitor and react to live system data, diagnosing emerging issues and generating code and infrastructure changes to resolve them. The company has announced $17 million in seed funding led by GV and Cherry Ventures and the public launch of their platform, which is already live with engineering teams from early access customers such as Trainline and PPRO.

Top 7 AI detection tools compared: which one should you choose?

AI detectors promise clarity in a noisy landscape, yet results can mislead when used without context. If you review essays, manage a newsroom, or run content operations, you need tools that surface risk without turning guesswork into verdicts. This comparison focuses on real workflows rather than hype.

SPARK 1.0 incubator reveal first cohort

King’s Entrepreneurship Lab (King’s E-Lab) and Founders at the University of Cambridge have revealed the 24 startups that will join King’s College’s first-ever incubator programme designed to turn research-backed ideas from University of Cambridge students and alumni into investable companies.

PhovIR raises £4M seed round led by Northern Gritstone

Northern Gritstone has announced a combined £4 million seed round investment into the optical sensor startup PhovIR. Northern Gritstone is co-leading the investment alongside deeptech specialist SCVC, in what was an oversubscribed round.

Midas secures $80M Series B, marking Turkey’s largest fintech investment

Midas, a Turkish investment platform, has raised $80 million in its Series B funding round, the largest investment ever secured by a Turkish fintech company. This brings Midas’ total funding to date to more than $140 million.

Grow London, London Stock Exchange & The Global City partner with London FinTech Summit to connect global finance capitals and drive cross-border collaboration

London FinTech Summit, part of Fintech Week London, has announced strategic partnerships with Grow London (London & Partners), the London Stock Exchange, and The Global City – three of the most influential institutions driving London’s financial and business leadership. The partnerships position the newly launched Summit as a key moment for the UK’s FinTech sector and a powerful platform for global engagement.

Fuelling growth: the case for fractional CFOs for startups

Scaling a business is one of the most exciting milestones on any entrepreneur’s journey. But it’s also a common point where things can start to unravel. The truth is, what gets you to one level of success rarely takes you to the next. And that can include your team.

Gen Alpha is at the door – is your workplace ready?

Born from 2010 onwards, Generation Alpha is the first to be raised entirely in the 21st century. They’ve never known a world without smartphones, AI, or social media. They understood ‘Skip Ad’ before they could read, were using global gaming platforms before they became teenagers, and they’ll begin entering the workforce from next year.

Why your project costs are higher than they need to be

The project manager stares at the spreadsheet in disbelief. What started as a $200,000 software development initiative has ballooned to $340,000, and they’re only 70% complete. The client is furious, the team is demoralised, and the company’s reputation hangs in the balance.

Where are they now? – Bioniq

The health and wellness space is undergoing a huge transformation. Scrolling through Instagram and TikTok yields a whole host of advertisements from influencers flogging the latest supplement that promises a variety of miracles.

Qunova closes $10 million Series A funding round

Qunova Computing, a developer of software applications designed with the goal of bringing quantum advantage to the chemical, pharmaceutical, and industrial engineering sectors, has raised a $10 million Series A funding round.

Maven invests in advanced laser systems innovator PowerPhotonic

Maven Capital Partners has invested £2.6 million in PowerPhotonic, a provider of precision optics for high-power laser systems.

Industry overview: medtech

Medtech is an exciting industry, with constant innovation that will genuinely change the lives of humans as we know it as we will see in the this issue of the magazine, startups are at the forefront of changing the medical landscape. From surgical robots, advancements in diagnosis, and the creation of semiconductors for neural implants, advanced technologies are overhauling traditional healthcare.

Startup hotspot: Boston

The USA is a hub of startup activity, and according to Startup Genome’s Global Startup Ecosystem Ranking (2020-2024), nine out of the top 20 startup ecosystems globally can be found in the USA, and Boston ranks sixth worldwide.