During the pandemic, virtual events have given everyone a chance to socialise with loved ones during difficult times. It has also helped work events continue in a new dynamic, with many employees favouring the virtual experience over in-person events. But now, in a post Freedom Day world, there is a strong desire to return to physical events.
Vira Health, a digital health company focused on improving long term health for women, has raised £1.5m in seed funding from LocalGlobe, MMC Ventures, and angel investors including Megumi Ikeda, Managing Director, Hearst Ventures, Andrea Zitna of Elvie, former Spotify executive Sofia Bendz, founder of GoCardless Matt Robinson, and Simon Lambert, former CTO, MOO.com, and Treatwell.
New data released by Tech Nation and Dealroom analyses the UK’s position on the global tech stage in comparison to the US and China. Analysis finds that the UK ranks third in the world for its number of tech businesses valued above $10bn.
Sanofi’s acquisition of Cambridge UK-based, Kymab in early 2021, in a deal worth up to $1.45bn, was the largest sale of a UK biotech company on record, but was soon dwarfed by the $6.9bn acquisition of GW Pharmaceuticals by Jazz. These announcements drew global attention to the UK life science and healthtech sectors, and form part of a growing trend in these industries for increased funding, commercial and M&A activity.
Rising numbers of people are returning to trains and buses to get work, newly released figures reveal. The data found that in some parts of London footfall was up almost 300% last week compared to the same time in June 2020.
If your business is still using out-of-date systems and servers, then it’s high time that you started thinking about moving it over to the cloud. Not only will this help to reduce costs, but it can also make your life a whole lot easier.
As we say goodbye to lockdown restrictions, new research from Sky Connect, Sky’s new B2B telecoms business, celebrates the strength and adaptability of British small businesses with a third revealing that the secret to their resilience over the past year is sheer hard work and motivation. The majority of the UK’s SMEs (80%) – which make up over 99% of the business population – believe they have shown resilience at its best throughout the pandemic.
Kuano.ai, a software platform for rapid, cost effective quantum modelling of enzymes, has raised £1m in seed funding from ACF Investors, o2h Ventures and a syndicate of Cambridge-based angel investors. The funding will accelerate the company’s growth as it moves further towards commercialisation.
It has been a record first half of the year for VC investment into London’s fintech sector, with new research from Dealroom.co and London & Partners revealing London-based fintech firms have already raised more VC investment than any other year, in only six months.
Unibuddy, the number one peer-to-peer university recruitment platform that has helped 770,000 students from over 180 countries make better decisions about their higher education journey, has raised $20m in funding. The Series B round was led by Highland Europe with additional participation from Stride.VC. Unibuddy has raised a total of $32m since its inception in 2017.
Bia Care has launched its virtual clinic to improve menopause care by combining technology with personalised treatments. The remote care solution ensures that women are provided with the knowledge needed to control their symptoms, access clinically-validated treatment options, and are given the ability to share their experiences in a confidential setting.
European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund is investing €5m in the Israeli medical startup, NanoVation, for accelerating the development of its high accuracy respiratory monitor and for launching initial marketing efforts in the EU. The investment is part of the EIC’s strategy to identify and support high impact startups and small companies and assist them in scaling up game changing technologies.
The Government’s policy on face-masks will create ‘misery and confusion’ for workers using trains, a transport expert said today. Dash Tabor warned Boris Johnson’s plan to scrap mandatory coverings may also lead to millions of employees steering clear of public transport.
An ambitious UK tech firm is aiming to take on US celebrity video calling service Cameo – by launching a ‘bigger and better’ platform.
MSDUK, an organisation that champions the inclusion of Ethnic Minority Businesses (EMBs) and founders in corporate supply chains, has partnered with Unilever, WPP, Google and Dow to launch the UK’s first accelerator programme focused on helping 300 EMBs to become supply chain ready.
Fertility, menopause, maternity and gender confirmation benefits are often only available from health and wellbeing packages for the very largest corporations. As a specialist in supporting SMEs and startups, Towergate Health & Protection is now making this level of progressive care accessible to companies of all sizes.
Desana, a startup transforming how global employers utilise workspace, has announced that it has raised a $4m seed round. The oversubscribed round was led by Berlin-based PropTech 1 Ventures, BGF and existing investor Techstart Ventures, with participation from GroundBreak Ventures and the Accel Scout programme.
Every three seconds someone develops Alzheimer’s. And although there are currently 44 million people worldwide living with the disease, there has been no new treatment approved in the last 14 years and over 400 clinical studies have failed. There has been €540bn spent on Alzheimer’s and Dementia globally. It has also been estimated that the number of Alzheimer’s patients are expected to triple by 2050.
eBay UK has announced the launch of the 5th eBay for Business Awards, designed to celebrate the growing talent of entrepreneurs across the country.
Israeli startup, AiVF has unveiled a scientific study which shows for the first time that genetic characteristics in embryos can be extracted using novel AI-based computer vision technologies. The study, presented this week at the prestigious ESHRE (European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology) annual conference, was carried out by researchers at AiVF, which specialises in AI technology for digitising IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation) clinics, together with researchers led by Dr. Marcos Meseguer from the IVIRMA clinic in Valencia, Spain.
