While much of Europe sweats through a record-hot summer and the headlines are unusually quiet, the real action in tech investing is happening where few are looking. No IPO fireworks, no M&A frenzy – and yet, this is precisely the season when the most interesting trajectories quietly start to take shape.
I used to think the way you speak was just a part of who you are. A reflection of your roots. Your family. Your story. Something to be proud of.
But then I started noticing just how quickly some people make judgments based on someone’s accent. How a certain voice in a meeting gets listened to more seriously. How a regional twang gets laughed off.
In early July 2025, neobank giant Monzo was handed a £21 million fine by the FCA for onboarding thousands of customers deemed ‘high risk’. This followed a €3.5 million fine issued to Revolut earlier in the year for failing to address money laundering on its platform, and a £29 million fine levied against Starling Bank in October 2024 for deficiencies in its financial crime controls.
A year since Labour’s historic landslide, is the government doing enough to back British business? Mark Smith, UK & Ireland Managing Director at Ayming, argues that while the intent is there, Labour must accelerate the pace of delivery on innovation and reform if it’s serious about driving meaningful economic growth.
Even the most accomplished business leaders can secretly wrestle with crippling self-doubt. This is particularly true of SME leaders lacking significant peer networks with which to share concerns and challenges with. The consequences of this can be significant, hindering the bold decision-making and inspirational leadership an SME needs to grow and innovate.














