Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the name for a group of common lung diseases, and it is one of the major challenges in respiratory healthcare. According to the World Health Organization, COPD was linked to 3.5 million deaths in 2021 and is the fourth leading cause of death globally, while in the UK, it contributes to approximately 30,000 deaths every year.
According to iData research, in 2023 alone, 15.2 million laparoscopic procedures were performed globally, while the Royal College of Surgeons of England cite that in the UK, 60,000 gall bladder removals are performed annually, but given the scope that laparoscopic procedures cover, this number is likely to be much higher.
When Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022, engineers, farmers, and tech entrepreneurs turned their tools to defence, scrambling to convert drones, develop electronic warfare (EW) systems, and build agile technologies fit for the battlefield. But whilst the urgency of war can fast-track innovation, it rarely makes for a stable business model.
Chris Smith, Co-Founder of Bloxx, a startup company built to reimagine how homeownership works – without mortgages, without interest, and without the assumption that renting must be forever, stepped away from a two-decade career in banking, armed with industry insight, knowledge that the industry as it stood could not serve the next generation, and an idea to change that.
Vanta has announced its $150 million Series D funding round at a $4.15 billion valuation. The round was led by new investor Wellington Management, and included existing investors, Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, Sequoia, J.P. Morgan, Craft Ventures, Y Combinator, Atlassian Ventures and CrowdStrike Ventures. The funding brings Vanta’s total funds raised to $504 million since 2021.
Weavr has announced their Associate Membership with Visa. As a Visa Associate Member and one of its embedded finance partners in Europe, Weavr is now empowering SaaS companies to integrate Visa-powered financial products into their platforms, focusing initially on the rapidly growing sector of employee benefits.
Exponential technologies, currently led by artificial intelligence, have reached all economic activities, agriculture being no exception. In this sense, in the digital acceleration of rural production, entrepreneurial talent is playing an outstanding role for its commitment to disruption and for delving into the possibilities offered by technological tools to improve the competitiveness of farms.
As part of the open innovation strategy launched last year, Fincantieri announces the opening of its Innovation Antenna in South Korea, supported operationally by Mind the Bridge. The initiative marks a key milestone in Fincantieri’s open innovation strategy and reinforces the Group’s commitment to international collaboration on advanced maritime technologies.











