More than six weeks after the Government ordered people to work from home many businesses have gone under while others remain fighting for survival. Yet thousands are also finding a way to get through – often by diversifying the way they work and seeking out new opportunities. In this special report by Harper James Solicitors – who support more than 1,000 firms from start up to scale up five firms share the story of their life in lockdown.
Fractory, the award-winning Manchester cloud manufacturing startup, has announced the launch of SafeKey, an antimicrobial multitool that kills harmful bacteria, such as Covid-19, in as little as two hours.
LuggageHero, a leading luggage-storage network, is bucking the trend by showing that investing in travel startups is not over during these uncertain times surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a devastating impact on businesses and the economy in the UK. Access to finance for business, as provided by banks and financial services institutions, is imperative in these trying times. Whether you’re a shopkeeper, sole trader or multi-national company, the chances are you need help right now, and getting access to that support is a top priority.
As we emerge blinking into the light post lockdown, what will the ‘new normal’ look like? The questions that I am overhearing have changed very recently, from those covering how to survive during lockdown, to those focused around how to get back to normal working? In truth, the questions vary from the theoretical to the practical, but in essence they all ask, ‘how will we adapt to the ‘new normal’?
Depending on who you pay attention to, the current crisis is either a great time to be starting a business, or a pretty terrible one. There are growth opportunities out there, for sure, but there is also a huge amount of uncertainty with which to contend.
London based FinTech Flagstone, developer of the UK’s largest cash deposit marketplace, has raised $15m (£12m) in venture capital in a round led by OMERS Ventures and supported by existing investors including Kindred Capital and Moneysupermarket Group plc.
North Wales fintech startup, monva has announced it has exceeded its initial crowdfunding target of £250,000, as it enters a period of overfunding across the next two weeks.
With most countries in some form of lockdown to slow the spread of CoVid-19, the business landscape for both startups and investors is almost unrecognisable to the start of 2020.
Grenade is one of the UK’s leading healthy snacking FMCG brands, offering high protein and low sugar nutrition products. Officially launched in 2010, Grenade successfully secured a prominent position in the Sunday Times’ Fast Track Top 100 for four consecutive years, with its products now sold by leading retailers in over 80 countries worldwide. Here we talk through defining moments in developing Grenade, whilst providing top tips for female entrepreneurs inspired to launch and grow their own business.
The Institute of Economic Development (IED) has today launched the Commission for Economic Renewal, which will bring together some of the UK’s foremost economic development practitioners and academics to formulate the policies and interventions it believes will be needed to rebuild economies in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Leadership is required more than ever in this COVID-19 world and according to Gallup and their extensive surveying of the US workforce, a very specific type of Leadership is required in times of crisis.
The UK government has taken a number of steps to support businesses and entrepreneurs during the Coronavirus pandemic. One of its flagship schemes is the Future Fund, a £250m package that provides a financial lifeline for innovative startups.
Covid has dominated our lives for the last month. Business models that have existed for years have disappeared overnight. However, it’s not all doom and gloom for startups. Covid has also created a huge opportunity for us to serve people in new and surprising ways.
Small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) should check the security and data protection of the technology they are using during COVID-19 lockdown, urges the MCA. Although there has been a rapid adoption of technology by firms, some have not been able to assess security quickly enough, risking exposure of confidential data and client information. The MCA has created a free checklist for SMEs to ensure that they ask the right questions about technology and how staff could use it before it is purchased.
Bot-Hive, a digital marketplace for robotics and AI solutions has successfully completed a six-figure equity funding round. Bot-Hive is a digital marketplace which connects SMEs with the right automation technology for their business and shows them the best way to introduce robots to their workflow processes.
Provider of technology solutions for merchants, banks and capital markets firms, FIS has announced that FIS Ventures, the newly created corporate venture investment division of FIS, has launched an effort to invest a target of $150m in promising fintech startups over the next three years.
Hub71, Abu Dhabi’s growing tech ecosystem, has expanded to 51 startups with the announcement of 15 new joiners to the Hub71 Incentive Program. The Hub71 Selection Committee prioritized global startups in the field of HealthTech and EdTech, which provide essential technologies to support the private and public sector as they adapt to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Founded in early 2019, Funded.club provides recruiting services for startups and scale-ups. Rather than charging based on a percentage of annual salary, Funded.club receives only low success fees that come in 70-80% less than a regular recruiting agency, irrespective of the salary offered or how long it takes to fill a position.
Does design really impact how your brand is perceived? We break down how this ‘hidden’ visual language of design can be used to influence in branding.
