During times of great uncertainty for businesses large and small, global affiliate network Awin is giving startups and SMEs a helping hand, by waiving the monthly fee for the first three months for companies launching an affiliate programme using its Awin Access self-managed solution. This is in addition to zero setup fees.
As a keen runner, I have always felt a little caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to headphones while exercising – from the inner earbuds, which while relatively comfortable, tend to be quite unstable and are prone to falling out; and the over-ear versions which are pretty sturdy but by the end of a run feel like they’ve pushed your ears through a mangle (and are not to mention very sweaty). My interest was piqued therefore, when I heard about a new earphone kid on the block, Drown Audio, so I was all-ears when I spoke to Founder and President, Mark O’Callaghan.
When Google for Startups announced its accelerator on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in November, it did not foresee how dramatically day-to-day life would soon change. The COVID-19 pandemic and its widespread health, social and economic consequences have made the goal of the program – to help founders build technology to solve serious issues facing our world – even more pressing.
STARTUP3 is a new business acceleration programme that aims to bring innovative tech ideas into the industry through its extensive business and growth programme and pool of corporates and investors! Funded by the European Union under the Horizon 2020 programme, it allows startups and SMEs to gain extensive and expensive set of business services for free, mentors from big European corporations, direct access to the corporations and investors.
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the economy hard, and small businesses in particular. The UK Government is moving at great pace to implement unprecedented economic assistance measures, but even with their best efforts, the dramatic drop in footfall over recent weeks has made it difficult for small businesses to survive even in the short interim period.
Coronavirus is on everyone’s lips, not literally but figuratively. And for very good reason. It seems so long ago already that the only thing in the news was all things Brexit, and how companies will need to adapt in order to survive, and now that has been brushed aside by a much bigger and more urgent threat – coronavirus.
For the UK, innovation has become a top priority. Indeed, adapting to the coronavirus economy is the most important objective for most businesses and those that innovate successfully will thrive. However, R&D has become a much more public discussion over the past few weeks. In the recent Budget, the Government put significant emphasis on increasing R&D activity. It recognises that the UK could be more of a global innovation hub.
As parent to a young child growing up in London, entrepreneur Chris Turner wanted a greater understanding of the air quality in the capital and how it impacts on peoples’ lives and that of his family. However, when he failed to find the air pollution monitor that he was looking for, he decided to set up his own company, BREATHE Tech, and create his own. Startups Magazine caught up with him to find out more.
Every business was once a single person with an idea. Some companies stay that way of course, but most founders will inevitably reach a point where they need help from others. If not before, then at the time when they’ve finished building a product, found a foothold in the market, and their natural next step is focusing on growth.
Farm491, the AgriTech incubator based at the Royal Agricultural University, has adapted its season of events exploring the future of British Farming to comply with the UK’s Covid-19 social distancing measures. The organisation has developed a programme of webinars throughout April, many of which will be available to everyone, with a few select online events being held exclusively for its members.
The current global situation has affected many different industries, businesses and individuals and it is safe to say we are only just getting into the real mix of it. A lot of people have been talking recently how this could change the world in some way forever. One area that is has affected in an interesting way in the insurance technology area. We decided to catch up with and ask a few questions to Christian Wiens, CEO and founder of Getsafe about the insurtech space, and the current situation for them.
When Monzo needed to launch their new business accounts, they asked Studio Output to help develop the visual identity. Over a series of design sprints, the partnership delivered an identity system with the simplicity and magic people love about Monzo, and the trust and reassurance businesses need from a bank.
UK startup OpenSpace, whose digital twin platform measures real-time passenger movement, have discovered a new use for their technology in the fight against coronavirus. The pioneering system currently deployed at St Pancras station in London, can monitor social distancing through detecting and visualising the distance between passengers in real-time. It can also compare historical weekly and daily information for trend analysis.






