Forward Partners, London-based venture capital firm specialising in supporting high growth, early-stage technology businesses, has launched its 2021 Founders Programme.
The ICT sector has been given a swift push at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, during 2020 the number of ICT specialists employed in the EU has increased by approximately 600,000 as compared to 2019. However, the gender gap prevailing in the ICT workforce in the EU, where only one in five ICT specialists is a woman, has retained its relevance.
UK startups and competition would be damaged if the government cracks down on mergers and acquisitions involving big tech companies, a new report argues. The report, released at the end of a Government consultation, warns that the plans will chill investment in British tech startups, hurting the UK’s competitiveness and attractiveness as a place for tech startups to do business.
It’s true what they say, timing is everything. For some businesses, the pandemic will go down in history as one of the biggest challenges to their supply chain management, human resources, and overall bottom line. But many of the businesses that started up during or post-pandemic will note the last 18 months as the foundation of their success.
Martin Hayman, Co-Founder of Twylu, an internal linking tool, commented: “It’s no secret that content is still king when it comes to optimising websites and pages for search engines. Every content marketer knows this all too well and that high-quality content is essential to drive visitors in today’s online world. However, relying on content alone is not enough. Using internal links is also necessary to support your SEO to drive traffic to your pages.
Two housing-related startups are the first companies to be invested in, and supported by, the Venture Studio from Crisis, the national homelessness charity.
Fiverr has announced the launch of Seller Plus, a subscription based loyalty program for freelancers. For $29 a month, freelancers who subscribe to the program can access a suite of benefits that include a dedicated success manager, faster payment clearance, growth program priority, priority support, advanced analytics and customer engagement tools, as well as exclusive events and educational content.
Digital technology companies from Greater Manchester are set to receive a free to access two-day masterclass to support with securing funding to help develop innovations and accelerate their growth in the region.
Following what INvolve call the biggest set-back for women’s equality in a generation, and as children and workers finally return to school and workplace, Suki Sandhu OBE has called on all companies to ‘stop shelving gender equality and set the precedent’ if we are to solve the gender inequality crisis caused by the pandemic.
OpenUK has announced its 2021 Kids Digital Glove Giveaway, sharing 5,000 Digital Gloves, sustainably made in the UK, and sponsored by Nominet and the Open Data Institute. With a focus on engaging children in practical open source software coding, whilst teaching the open source definition and the sustainable development goals, the course builds on OpenUK’s 2020 Summer Camp.
Environmental service company, Legasea has been named as a finalist in the Manufacturer MX Awards, in the category of Sustainable Manufacturing Company of the Year.
Xero has unveiled its redesigned flexible work program, giving its growing product and tech teams the opportunity to work where they perform best, at home, in the office or a mix of both.
AirBolt, a consumer and enterprise tracking and access company, has announced the closing of its $2m series seed fundraising round, with a majority growth investment led by 72Capital. The investment will accelerate plans to expand AirBolt’s range of connected devices and global partnerships. It will also allow AirBolt to grow more aggressively internationally, expand into new product categories, and enhance its global live tracking service to deliver more peace of mind to its growing community of users.
UK-based Prsnt, the instant gifting app, is going public later this month after a successful beta testing phase over the past six months during which the search term ‘online gift’ increased over 80% last year. The app enables users to choose a gift from hundreds of the UK’s high street brands (online or in-store) and sends it directly to another person’s smartphone.
QJumpers, a sourcing and recruitment software provider, has announced it’s AI Talent Sourcing. The tool scours publicly available information and uses AI to find, rank and engage highly qualified, passive job candidates that previously could not be found through traditional sourcing and advertising methods.
BP Ventures has €10m in-car digital payments provider, ryd. The company offers a single digital payment solution for drivers, for services such as fuel purchases, EV charging and car washing, via its app or through integration with smart car systems.
Cera, a UK based provider of at home healthcare services, has now delivered more than ten million in-person healthcare visits to older and vulnerable people throughout the UK, in their homes, since the outbreak of COVID-19.
A new survey of 2,000 UK adults has revealed the fate of COVID-inspired business launches.
World Suicide Prevention Day takes place on the 10th September 2021. Overseas employees face very specific challenges that can differ depending on their host nation. Employers must be aware of the support, or lack of it, available in different countries and ensure their provision leaves no gaps.
Making.com, an online platform that simplifies the connection between people looking for production technology and suppliers that offer it, has launched. It is a platform to group technologies around the products they help make, allowing creators of all sizes access to the ‘hidden network’ of machines, manufacturers, tooling suppliers and therefore the knowledge previously accessible only through long-established private networks.
