Anna Wood

Anna Wood is the Editor of Startups Magazine. She joined the team in June 2023 as Deputy Editor, and has since been promoted to Editor of the publication. When it comes to the startup sector, Anna has a keen interest in spacetech, biotech, medtech, anything that flies, and shining a light on the gender and diversity funding gap. Outside of work hours, you can find Anna tucking into a book, a nice meal, and playing her Switch!

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Female leaders love tech, but US and UK representation fails to match

Eighty nine percent of female tech leaders are thriving, but opportunities are still limited with women still making a tiny fraction of tech leadership with just 5% in the UK and 11% in the US according to a new report from AND Digital.

LGBTQ-friendly firms significantly more innovative

LGBTQ-friendly policies can have a significant impact on innovation in major US firms, according to new research from Aalto University and the University of Vaasa. Existing studies have found a link between profitability and workplace diversity more generally, yet this is the first to specifically examine sexuality and gender-inclusivity as it relates to innovation.

Start Up Loans ambassador stories

British Business Bank’s Start Up Loan is a government-backed personal loan for business purposes that is available to individuals looking to start or grow a business in the UK. It has provided support to aspiring entrepreneurs across the UK. In addition to the finance, successful applicants also receive 12 months of free mentoring and exclusive business offers which can help them succeed in their journey.

The ‘Doorbell of Dreams’ is coming to a town near you

Are you one of the third of Brits who would love to own their own business one day? Would you jump at the chance to get your business idea in front of a global audience of up to 100 million and get feedback from some of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs? Now’s your chance…

One in three UK small businesses stuck in “survival mode”

A new report from global HR, payroll, and employment platform Employment Hero is calling for an urgent rethink of how the UK defines and measures productivity, as new data reveals a striking disconnect between how productivity is understood by SMEs and their employees.

Embedl raises €5.5M to boost AI efficiency in embedded defence, automotive, and robotics

Swedish deeptech company Embedl has raised €5.5 million in a pre-series A funding round from Chalmers Ventures, Fairpoint Capital, SEB Greentech, Spintop Ventures,  and STOAF.

Skills vital to propelling UK’s ambitious spending review AI growth plan

As Keir Starmer announced ambitious plans for UK AI growth at London Tech Week, and Rachel Reeves outlined £86 billion in the Spending Review for tech funding, skills investment must accompany infrastructure investment. This comes as the UK ranks 13th globally for AI readiness, according to Coursera’s inaugural AI Maturity Index.

Orbit Capital launches €100M Growth Debt II fund

Orbit Capital is bringing venture debt to Central and Eastern Europe with its Growth Debt II fund. The fund will hold €100 million, allowing technology companies to accelerate further growth. This second fund follows on the success of Growth Debt I, which held €40 million.

Forest riders clock 24M km in 2024, saving London 1,104 tonnes of CO₂e
Forest riders clock 24M km in 2024, saving London 1,104 tonnes of CO₂e

Forest, one of London’s e-bike operators, has launched its latest Sustainability Report, highlighting how the company is supporting the capital’s shift to more sustainable and affordable forms of travel.

Gcore for Startups to help scale early-stage companies

Gcore, the Edge AI, Cloud, network, and security solutions provider, has announced the launch of Gcore for Startups, an AI-native program designed to meet the real infrastructure needs of startups.

Renow raises €1.8M to reshape Europe’s €150Bn returns and resale market with AI platform

Renow, the Nordic startup modernising how returned and second-hand goods are handled and resold, has raised €1.8 million in seed funding to expand its AI-powered recommerce platform across Northern Europe, opening new hubs in Sweden and Norway, and aiming to launch in the Danish and Beneluxian markets.

Emma Jones CBE appointed as new Small Business Commissioner

Emma Jones CBE, Founder of Enterprise Nation, has just been announced as the new Small Business Commissioner, supporting the Government’s mission to support small businesses in the UK.

Deadline extended for everywoman Entrepreneur Awards

The nominations deadline for this year’s everywoman Entrepreneur Awards, in association with BGF, has been extended.

London’s SME job growth slumps to 0.7% as capital trails behind

London’s small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are struggling to keep pace with the rest of the UK’s employment recovery, with the capital recording the weakest job growth in May, a new report from HR, payroll, and employment platform Employment Hero shows.

Native Teams unveils “Gig Pay,” automating global gig economy compliance and payments

Native Teams, the global platform for work payments, unveils Gig Pay, the end-to-end automated payroll and wallet solution engineered to turn compliance deadlines into growth drivers.

Half of UK firms risk breaches from poor data

As UK businesses race to adopt AI, nearly half (47%) of data leaders admit their organisation’s cavalier approach to the rapidly emerging technology could lead to inevitable data leaks or privacy breaches, offering a stark warning from new research from AND Digital.

Ones to watch: deeptech

In the March/April 2025 issue of Startups Magazine, we introduced four startups that we believe are the ones to watch in the deeptech space.

Optalysys launches hardware solution for blockchain transactions

Optalysys, a company enabling the future of secure computing, has launched the world’s first dedicated enterprise-grade server for blockchain – LightLocker Node, designed to enable Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) and ensure complete confidentiality on any transaction.

Newcastle named top British city to work for an SME

Newcastle upon Tyne is ranked the best city to work for a small business in Britain, according to new research released today by iwoca, one of Europe’s largest SME lenders.

Sensay founder calls for AI shake-up in policymaking as firm launches first AI government

Dan Thomson, Founder and CEO of AI startup Sensay, has urged governments worldwide to deploy AI in their policymaking, as the firm launches the world’s first AI-powered government to experiment with new cutting-edge ways of developing policy.