Top 10 universities that produced tech startup founders during the last recession

During the Great Recession in the UK (2008/2009), 35% of tech startup founders went to the University of Cambridge and to the University of Oxford.

$71m raised to accelerate expansion of finger-prick blood analyser

The company behind the first FDA-cleared direct-from-fingerstick Complete Blood Count (CBC) analyser, Sight Diagnostics has announced it has raised $71m in Series D funding with participation from Koch Disruptive Technologies, Longliv Ventures and OurCrowd.

Business leaders cite ‘digital agility’ as the biggest opportunity for survival

Economic recoveries from crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic come in many shapes. The hope everywhere is always that they will be V-shaped, but U shapes are the next best thing. A volatile W and the dreaded L are worst-case scenarios.

Entrepreneur pivots fresh produce to PPE in fight against COVID

A Birmingham-based serial entrepreneur has ‘pivoted’ the strategy for his fresh-produce business to the supply of high grade Protective Personal Equipment (PPE), to support the fight against COVID-19.

Why hospitals need to embrace IT projects post-COVID-19

UK newspaper, ‘The Guardian’ reported last month that hospital trusts across England urgently need more equipment to prepare for an upcoming wave of operations and procedures deferred by COVID-19. The article highlighted that hospitals need ‘staff and space to deal with a huge backlog of scans for cancer and other conditions, as more than 600,000 people await CT, MRI and other scans amid the coronavirus crisis.’

Virtual networking in lockdown and its role in economic recovery

The coronavirus pandemic has sent shockwaves through the business world and left many struggling to stay afloat and, with the future still uncertain, many business owners are turning their attention to how they can pivot their way through this difficult time.

Global hiring market shows momentum towards recovery

New hiring data from LinkedIn suggests the global labour market is improving and continuing its early momentum towards hiring recovery. Progress observed in June held through July, although it did start to plateau towards the end of the month as some countries saw viral caseloads rise and shutdowns come back.

New app enables companies to return to the office safely

Global technology company, Zoho that offers the most extensive suite of business software applications, has announced BackToWork, a fully comprehensive modular solution enabling businesses and organisations to safely transition back into the workplace. Free for the remainder of 2020, BackToWork, powered by Zoho Creator, is the latest programme to be introduced as part of the company’s ongoing relief efforts, which support businesses impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.

The most popular summer reads for UK business leaders

Business leaders across the UK have experienced one of the most turbulent years on record, as the Coronavirus pandemic surged across the world, Brexit finally happened, and the possibility of an economic depression looms – the world ahead seems uncertain and daunting at best.

SMEs need to focus on innovation and tech to succeed post-COVID-19

Business bank, Allica Bank has combined data and insight from over 1,000 UK SMEs with a multiple regression analysis to determine what factors most closely aligned with an SMEs’ chances of success and separated the highest performing businesses from their peers. These ‘rules for success’ have been compiled from the research data to support British businesses as they look to chart a course to post-COVID-19 recovery.

FedEx Express backs student-run startup, Echooo

FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corporation, has awarded its signature FedEx Access Award to student-run company Echooo, from Belgium at the JA Europe Company of the Year Competition, hosted as a virtual event for the first time on 22nd-24th July 2020.

Top 10 universities with the highest number of under-35 tech entrepreneurs

Of those who graduated between 2000 and 2019, the University of Oxford counts more tech founder graduates who started their business aged 35 or younger than any other university in the UK.

Four tips for wellbeing in the new workplace

With productivity and profits affected, businesses might not be considering wellbeing as much as how to move fast and regain ground, from a quarter that was terrible for much of the economy. There are some under-used but patently obvious wellbeing tips that will help boost productivity, reduce employee turnover and increase engagement that are well worth looking into.

AI is no match for human kindness, but it can certainly bring it to life

The debate around the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and what it means for humanity is very much alive. It probably has been since 1927, the year Metropolis was released. If you haven’t seen it, the film stars a humanoid robot intent on world domination and human slavery. As you can imagine the robot doesn’t go down too well, and so began our difficult and ever-evolving relationship with AI.

Everything Your Business Needs to Know About Carbon Offsetting

Global pollution levels continue to be an issue that needs addressing. While the worldwide lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may have lowered our air pollutants, before the outbreak there were seven million deaths each year due to pollution.

Top tips to strengthen your recruitment process with video

As employers embrace video call tools such as Zoom and Skype for day to day work communication, recruitment is no different as recruiters turn to virtual interview processes to source out the best talent. For recruiters looking for a way to build a more engaging recruitment process video, Laura Webster, Global Marketing Manager at HAYS Talent Solutions shares tips and advice into how employers can build a seamless virtual recruitment process through video.

£5M Series A round closed to build the Pan-European Tax Service

TaxScouts, the company making tax preparation effortless for the UK market, has announced a Series A investment round of £5m to further its mission to build a Pan-European Tax Service. The company is expanding into its first market outside the UK and is establishing a team in Spain, following the appointment of a Country Manager.

Pandemic increases support for small businesses

From the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme to Eat Out to Help Out, small businesses in the UK have received a significant amount of Government support during the Coronavirus pandemic. Another important area of support has come from consumers themselves, many of whom have taken it upon themselves to seek out local small businesses instead of global entities likely to survive anyway.

The UK universities that produce the most female tech entrepreneurs

Between 2000 and 2019, the London School of Economics and Political Science has seen 18 female graduates found a tech company after studying at the university. That’s more than any other UK university.

What will women in business look like in the next decade?

BusinessFibre has analysed the top 10 companies across 15 different industries in the Fortune 500 to find which are leading the way in gender equality. In addition, the data highlights what industries pay their CEOs the most and how salaries compare between men and women.