We’ve got a femtech problem.

Before I was a banker, I was a founder. 

My background is in R&D, marketing, and business strategy, so lends itself well to where I find myself today.

Sadly, with only 10% of startups making it through their first year, there’s no doubt they face a challenge ahead of them. Reasons for this can include poor budgeting, misplaced marketing, lack of research, and/or choosing the wrong partners.

That whole Monday to Friday, nine to five institution most of us know as reality is apparently coming to an end…or so they say.

Launching a startup is an exciting time, but typically it can also be a little frantic as you struggle to juggle competing necessities before your launch date.

We know that email prospecting works.

Academy’s Head of Performance, Natalya Sverjensky, sat down with Academy grad Tavija (who recently joined the railtech division within Tracsis plc) and her mentor Magda, Director of Digital Delivery at Virgin Media O2.

With more than a decade of experience in early-stage investing Lian Michelson, Investment Director at Vala Capital, finds that, unlike men, women underplay what their business is worth when they pitch to VC investors. Here she gives her top tips for that successful pitch.

Last year, just a few weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine, I took a trip to Krakow, Poland (against my mother’s wishes).

Without a doubt, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are essential to the European economy.

Industry players are on a mission to differentiate themselves, while merchants and consumers are demanding innovative ways to pay for what they buy.  A seamless payment experience is becoming more and more important to consumers and therefore merchants as ecommerce continues to be as competitive as ever.

Physical assets such as stock, machinery, cash and business premises are often core to business operations and might be the first thing business owners think about when valuing a company on the balance sheet. 

Dry January is the annual campaign which urges participants to abstain from alcohol for a month. Paula Allen, Global Leader of Research and Total Wellbeing at TELUS Health shines a light on what businesses can learn from Dry January and how to identify and support substance use and addiction in the workplace.

Predictions are always hard to make.

What do we get if we take a dose of entrepreneurial impostor syndrome, media, and a female founder? The potential for a perfect storm that leads to business failure before it has even had the chance to bloom.

Among the questions I am most frequently asked is this one: When is the best time to pursue a start-up?

There’s no question that UK small businesses are feeling the strain right now. These SMEs are contending with a cocktail of rising overheads, while customers have less cash in their pockets to spend.

This is the second article in Anglia's series taking technology startups through the process of developing a new product. This time it focuses on the second step leading into full production. Your team has been busy developing the hardware and software as well as the aesthetic aspects, the overall look and feel, the user experience. You are now ready to build a prototype before doing final checks and pushing the button to start manufacturing.

While it’s easy to appreciate the insight that the aerospace industry can bring to consumer electronics and tech startups, the reverse extreme can be just as important. In this Launchpad feature, Sam Holland discusses NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research programme and considers what this means for startups and other up-and-coming tech companies.