Supporting London’s underrepresented tech founders

An organisation supporting underrepresented Founders in London and connecting them with opportunities in tech called OneTech has launched a new Founders stories campaign to show the face of startups, and has shared an update on the work achieved by the programme since it began. 

Partnership allows startups gain fast access to flexible funding

Performance marketing agency, Journey Further, has teamed up with Europe’s first revenue-based finance provider, Uncapped, to offer performance marketing support to entrepreneurs, startups and scaleups across the continent.

European FX startup raises €21m in lockdown

Global financial services provider, iBanFirst which delivers solutions across banking borders, has announced that it will continue to expand with the help of venture capital funds Elaia and Bpifrance, through its growth capital fund Large Venture.

British Patient Capital invests in Quantexa as part of Series C funding

British Patient Capital has announced its participation in Quantexa’s series C funding round as Quantexa announces the close of the round at $64.7m (£51.2m).

And the winner for Best UK Startup goes to… Tractable

A startup who in my opinion is a very deserved winner, and one of the best UK Startups we have come across. If you have read the last issue you may be familiar with Tractable, a company that uses AI for accident and recovery, and although it focuses primarily on car accidents, there is potential for that to grow to cover natural disasters too.

The co-founder ‘pre-nup’ – why every business needs a breakup plan

Much like any relationship, co-founders start their journey together full of optimism and excitement for the future. Falling out is far from their minds. But, with research showing that as many as 65% of promising startups fail because of founder disputes, smart founders should put a plan in place to deal with disputes.

Back to work: Safety and Productivity in a Post-COVID Office Space

Commercial real estate, HR and technology professionals are focused on finding innovative ways to meet the challenges of a post-COVID workplace through safe and effective back to work strategies. John Williams, Head of Marketing at Instant Offices, considers what this means for businesses heading back into the office.

Why fast-growing retailers need a ‘think big, plan ahead’ mentality

As the UK high street continues to battle for survival in the aftermath of lockdown, new data shows that online retail sales are up 72% year-on-year in the UK. It’s the latest evidence that our retail future is going to be online-first, and hence it’s no surprise that, across the country, many independent retailers are shifting their businesses into the digital domain to stay in touch with changing consumer preferences.

The most-funded automated driving software supplier in Europe

The automated driving technology company, AImotive has announced a new investment round of $20m led by Lead Ventures, a Budapest based scale-up investor. With the fresh capital AImotive has become the largest VC-backed company developing automated driving technology in Europe, with total funding of $75m.

Aberdeenshire company nominated for national award

Aberdeenshire startup company, Legasea, has been nominated in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards, in the category of Disruptor of the Year.

£1m investment to help the nation get back on track after lockdown

Online toolkit for surviving modern alcohol-free society, One Year No Beer, has launched a £1.4m funding round on Seedrs. Already attracting £1.1m investment in the private stages of the round, One Year No Beer now opens its campaign to the wider public. The funding will be used to further develop the technology infrastructure of the business, allowing them to scale their lifestyle support system which facilitates sustained behavioural changes, through the power of community and connection.

Tech Entrepreneur Makes Six-Figure Investment in Manchester Startup

It’s a tough time for all businesses, but Manchester once again proves to be a hotspot for emerging new talent. Ambitious startup, The Shirt Society, has secured a substantial six figure investment from one of the city’s top tech investors: Scott Fletcher MBE.

No-deal Brexit fears trigger investors to seek international options

Growing fears of a no-deal Brexit will prompt an increasing number of British and international investors to move their financial assets overseas out of the UK, believes the CEO of a large independent financial advisory and fintech organisations.

Comau supports SMEs with a global solutions-based network

Comau has launched a global web-based networking platform designed to support general industry SMEs (Small Medium Enterprises) by creating a win-win ecosystem between ‘verified’ systems integrators and companies exploring automation opportunities.

When will the UK economy recover from the impact of COVID-19?

Four in ten (39%) small business owners believe it will take at least five years for the UK economy to fully recover from the impact of lockdown and COVID-19, according to a new poll.

Making transactions safer for retail and hospitality customers

Physical-digital payment platform, Thyngs has evolved its touch-free technology to deliver an instant order, pay and marketing solution that will help the retail and hospitality sector welcome customers back safely, and tackle the estimated £4bn loss expected across Europe, as a direct result of the global pandemic.

€3m raised to develop a paper-based sustainable energy source

Emerging from several years of academic research, BeFC is the inventor of bioenzymatic fuel cells based on papers and enzymes. The fuel cells offered by BeFC are naturally part of the renewable energy sector and have a low environmental impact.

Why workplace diversity is still a challenge today

The drive for businesses to make positive changes around inclusion and diversity in the workplace is now more important than it ever was before. To encourage businesses to take stand against discrimination and drive forward a progressive future, global workplace providers, Instant Offices have gathered and analysed data into what diversity and inclusion looks like around the world.

How to scale your business without a factory

With more than 266,000 small businesses having reopened since the end of April, kitchen worktop businesses and Instagram marketplaces have seen an entire new generation of entrepreneurs to be able to get their products lifted off the ground. However, for many individuals and micro-businesses, the prohibitive costs associated with the rapid and accurate production and manufacture of their creations often prevents them from scaling up and making considerable profits.

How to successfully message a recruiter for your dream job

Following the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, we have seen widespread business closures, pay cuts, reduced hours, and redundancies, resulting in many workers looking for a new venture. Today, LinkedIn is one of the go-to platforms for budding job hunters searching for a new role, therefore the competition is high. To help those looking to enter a new career field, online educational platform, Preply has provided tips on the things to consider when messaging a recruiter on LinkedIn.