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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UK graduates take off with $1.5M in funding and Etihad Airways as first client

A couple of Manchester-based graduates have successfully launched the B2B travel-tech platform Arcube, with Etihad Airways as its first customer. In conjunction with the launch, Arcube is announcing a $1.5 million seed round to further develop the platform and its services, co-led by Fuel Ventures and Oxford Capital.

AI self-learning B2B sales messaging platform raises $600k pre-seed

Breakthrough, an AI self-learning B2B sales messaging startup that launched at the end of 2024, has already secured $600,000 in a pre-seed round, and secured customers including Fortune 500 companies.

Workspace of the issue: MyWorkSpot

MyWorkSpot is a flexible office and co-working provider based in Maidenhead, Berkshire. Currently operating three locations in the area, MyWorkSpot is “a home for startups, established local businesses, and even large international corporations, where we provide satellite offices or desks for employees who want to work closer to home,” explained David Johnston, Co-Founder of MyWorkSpot.

Where are they now?: SumUp

SumUp has become a recognisable name in the point-of-sale (PoS) space. Since its inception in 2012, the company has become a global fintech, supporting more than 3.5 million merchants in over 30 markets across the world.

UBS Global Entrepreneur Report 2025

UBS has published its first Global Entrepreneur Report, based on a survey of 156 UBS entrepreneur clients and network members across a full range of economic sectors. Their businesses account for approximately $19.1 billion in combined annual revenue, which equates to an average of $123 million each.

Mental wellness device, Pulsetto, tackles mental health issues & relieves stress

Nearly half of the global population is projected to experience a mental health disorder by age 75. It shows that there is an urgent need for more effective mental wellness solutions as relying on traditional medication, and even therapy hasn’t slowed the mental health pandemic.

VISARUN.AI secures $700K to automate visa application process with its AI platform

VISARUN.AI, an AI-powered visa-as-a-service platform, has raised $700,000 in pre-seed funding from Swiss and UAE-based angel investors with extensive experience in e-commerce and trading. The investment will fuel the company’s platform development, sales team expansion, and strategic market penetration initiatives.

1 in 4 businesses have no data strategy, creating an ‘AI Paradox’

Over one in four (26%) organisations have no formal data strategy in the UK and the US, despite increasing AI usage, creating an ‘AI Paradox’ for businesses, research has found.

Mindstone and Gamma partner in enterprise AI tools initiative

Mindstone, a global training platform and community focused on the practical use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for non-technical staff, and Gamma, the San Francisco-based provider of an AI-powered presentation platform, have announced a strategic partnership to accelerate the adoption of AI presentation tools among non-technical professionals.

High-Velocity Startups awards Jim with £2,000 grant

London based firm, High-Velocity Startups which was established in 2012, through its STRIVE Acceleration Fund has awarded the founder of Jim, Isham Broer, a University of Exeter student, with a £2,000 grant and accelerator support, for his startup business.

Galoy launches Lana to unlock digital asset collateralised lending

A new service that has been recently launched makes it easy and fast for innovative banks of any size to unlock the transformative potential of digital asset-backed lending.

MOSTLY AI launches industry-grade open source toolkit for synthetic data creation

Austrian synthetic data startup MOSTLY AI has announced the release of the world’s first industry-grade open source toolkit for producing synthetic data from real customer data. The open source toolkit is freely available now.

VTT and Oulu Port lead €12.8M project to strengthen cyber-physical security in ports

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and partners have launched a three-year project with Oulu Port aimed at enhancing secure situational awareness in critical cyber-physical systems.

MacroCycle raises $6.5M to solve plastic waste crisis with upcycling tech

MacroCycle Technologies – the startup using upcycling tech to cut the costs, energy, and carbon demands of the $700 billion plastic waste industry – has announced it has raised $6.5 million in seed funding.

Northcote Equity announces £160M first and final close of maiden fund

Northcote Equity, a newly established private equity firm, has announced the first and final close of its maiden fund, ‘Northcote Fund I’, at its hard cap of £160 million, only 16 weeks after launching the fundraise.

Cornwall’s Sellectronics named SME of the Year

Sellectronics, a manufacturing company based in Cornwall, has been crowned SME of the Year at the National Manufacturing Awards, in a ceremony held aboard the iconic Dixie Queen paddle steamer on the River Thames.

World’s first cultivated meat dog treat goes on sale

Meatly, a UK cultivated meat firm, has become the first company in the world to supply cultivated meat for pet food on sale. Produced in collaboration with plant-based dog food brand THE PACK, a limited-release of “Chick Bites” is on sale at Pets at Home Brentford, London from Friday 7th February.

Quantum computing would boost UK productivity and GDP growth, Government support is crucial
Quantum computing would boost UK productivity and GDP growth, Government support is crucial

New research from Oxford Economics predicts that quantum computing could give the UK an economy-wide productivity boost of up to 7% by 2045 – equivalent to every worker achieving an additional three weeks’ worth of productivity per year without working an extra hour.

Migrant startups in Berlin: a win-win strategy for Europe’s economy and innovation

On 30 January, the final of the Polish startup accelerator Axios took place in Berlin. Twenty-one entrepreneurial teams presented their projects to the jury – ranging from AI platforms for pet care to apps for people with insulin resistance. Participants tested their ideas, received valuable market expert recommendations, and explored new growth opportunities. The programme was supported by key IT industry players, including SOFTSWISS international tech company.

AI-enhanced drone technology can reduce the demining process

A new whitepaper from UK-Ukraine TechExchange, a collaborative forum around the key issues affecting the war in Ukraine and its future rebuild, explores how cutting-edge innovation can expedite the demining process and Ukraine’s post-war recovery.