Weaver Labs, a UK startup that is driving growth through connectivity, will work in collaboration with OroraTech as part of a Track & Trust consortium led by Datarella.

As COVID restrictions are lifting and the world is opening back up again, businesses are keen to get back to travelling.

Following on from the easing of national lockdown restrictions in April, Real Business Rescue have released their quarterly Business Distress Index for Q2 (April - June 2020), uncovering a post-pandemic health check on SMEs in the UK. You can view the full report here. 

Europe’s largest Business Show is back for 2021, returning to London’s ExCeL on the 24th & 25th of November, helping small businesses grow and develop. The 43rd edition of the show will reveal the secrets of business adaptation, innovation and survival as we recover from the pandemic.

Human Performance specialists Virti have launched an AI-powered feedback suite of tools designed to help businesses meaningfully engage with and learn from their employees. 

The Big Score, organised by Startups.be ScaleUps.eu in collaboration with VLAIO and Voka, welcomes 35 project leaders from international organisations who will present their operational challenges in full transparency to hundreds of impactful startups, who will be able to explain their technology live or remote. A unique format and a win-win where companies like AB InBev, Nestlé, Procter and Gamble, Toyota, Engie, Dow and Volvo can discover niche solutions that make their processes more climate friendly. And the startups? They can score the deal of a life time.

Local citations and Amazon PPC complete the top three skills searched for by UK businesses, as it seems businesses and workers look to a much more digital future. 

Believed to be the UK’s first online ante and neonatal clinic, Naytal, gives women instant access pregnancy and for postnatal healthcare.

The future belongs to those who can tell their story. The founders of Lone Design Club Accelerates and 5 Stories are partnering to help fashion businesses build that future.

The UK’s longest running index of disruptive new startups, the Startups 100, has released its 2021 lineup and named Multiverse, the startup launched by Euan Blair, as number one.

Playfair Capital, Tech Nation and Google for Startups are joining forces for the sixth edition of their Female Founder Office Hours initiative. This event will be the largest yet, with over 300 female founders and 120 VCs from some of the world’s leading funds, and expected to be as big as success as past years, as data from the previous five events shows that over 27% of companies that have attended have gone on to secure funding from VCs, angel investors or other sources.

Chosen from over 150 international submissions, eight seed and early-stage innovators from around the world went head-to-head for a chance to work with the UK’s leading retailer, in the Tesco Agri T-Jam Final with World Agri-Tech on Monday October 18.

Global funding for start-ups exploded this year, with the cyber security market riding its own wave, accelerated by the pandemic boom. In the first half of 2021, the market has already surpassed the $7.8bn raised the previous year.  

Globalisation Partners, which makes it fast and easy for companies to hire anyone, anywhere within minutes, via its global employment platform, today announced Sir Richard Branson will headline its PANGEO Conference taking place October 20-22, 2021. 

Anglia Components announces the launch of Anglia Unicorn, a dedicated division to help technology startups get off the drawing board and into the market faster. Anglia Unicorn was conceived to provide startups with the innovative technology ideas they need and offers engineering resources, evaluation hardware and software tools along with samples from Anglia’s world class technology partners, all free of charge.

European companies with female-only founders receive less than one percent of all VC capital investment despite the number of female-led companies almost doubling over the past decade, research by Yoppie, the pioneers of personalised menstrual wellness and period care has revealed.

It goes without saying that the past two years have been, for the most part, unpredictable. In both our professional and personal lives, we’ve all had to pivot and adapt to situations we never thought imaginable. In fact, according to the World Uncertainty Index (Ahir) we’re living in the most uncertain time in human history. 

The potential business success stories of tomorrow have been unveiled at the Santander X Entrepreneurship Awards 2021, a prestigious UK-wide entrepreneurial business pitching competition for students and recent graduates.

New data from Untapped AI has revealed more than 4 in 5 people have described themselves as feeling in the grip of change fatigue in September, exhausted with workplace and social uncertainty.

A green robotics company, slashing the cost of maintaining wind turbines, is flying high after securing £1.6m in its latest funding round.

In their previous article, entitled 'The top 5 trends to watch out for, beyond 2021!' MarketNgage discussed what's shaping the healthcare industry and what is their impact on the future. In this article they discuss the top healthtech startups that are taking the world by storm with their futuristic products and innovative thinking.

Forward Partners, London-based venture capital firm specialising in supporting high growth, early-stage technology businesses, has launched its 2021 Founders Programme.

74% of UK small businesses have upped their social media use for promotional purposes throughout the pandemic, with 43% using e-commerce more and 30% increasing their use of paid social media adverts.  

Mental health charity, Oakleaf, which is based in Guildford and supports people through training and wellbeing social activities, has partnered with Professional Training Solutions (PTS), a provider of employability, apprenticeship courses and training programmes. PTS works across London, Surrey and the South East, and together they will deliver an employability programme to help individuals get started or return to a work environment. 

UK-based fintech startup, Minted, surveyed over 1,100 people to reveal that more than half of people (54%) have no investments at all, mostly due to a lack of understanding.

The University of Salford and HOST, the Home of Skills & Technology, have won a bid to establish the first ‘Unity Centre of Excellence on Campus’ in the region, which will be aimed at bringing immersive technology skills, jobs and business innovation support to the area.

PassFort, the SaaS RegTech provider whose platform automates financial crime and compliance processes, has announced the close of its Series A funding, which gives the firm access to $16.2m. The money will be used to realise PassFort’s global growth plans and its ambition to be the category leader in compliance automation for regulated businesses.

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.

As the furlough scheme ends and unemployment is set to rise, TheJobApp, an app set to change the temp recruitment industry, is helping attract more people to gig-working as the UK struggles to fill thousands of vacancies due to skill shortages.

OVHcloud have announced its partnership with SETsquared to offer its cloud solutions and Startup Program benefits to their member startups.

UK healthtech company Vagus has developed a 30-second electrocardiogram test performed with a smartwatch app. The technology is a massive boost for preventive healthcare.

PixelMax, a Manchester-based tech startup, has launched an immersive 3D platform to solve the hybrid working challenge.

Monolith AI, an Artificial Intelligence Engineering (AIE) software, has announced £8.5m in Series A funding, taking its total capital raised to £10.6m. The round was led by New York-based global private equity and venture capital firm Insight Partners, with existing investors Pentech and Touchstone supporting the round. Also joining the round is the founder of Formula E and Extreme E, Alejandro Agag, Apex Black and the Stanford Angels of the UK.

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.

Techstars, the worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs succeed, announces the launch of two new accelerator programs in Paris and Stockholm. The launch showcases Techstars’ commitment to investing in startup talent in Europe, where it plans to invest in more than 100 startups in 2022 through its various accelerator programs in seven countries. Both programs will be fully funded by Techstars, following the recent July close of a new $150m fund, intended to support more local entrepreneurs looking for global exposure.   

London is the leading destination to grow a technology business outside of Silicon Valley, according to a comprehensive ranking of international startup hubs compiled by Startup Genome for its annual Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2021.

Grapevine has won the Business Travel Innovation Faceoff at this year’s Business Travel Show Europe. The hybrid event took place at ExCeL London and online on 30th September and 1st October. It returns as a fully in person event at ExCeL for 2022, running 28-29 June alongside TravelTech Show and The Meetings Show.

Talent Works, the collaborative talent acquisition company, is working with Individual Placement & Support (IPS) specialist IPS Grow to hire 1,500 employment specialists by 2024.

30 early-stage businesses have been selected to take part in the second intake of a startup support programme, establishing the next generation of Manchester’s trailblazing tech firms.

Are you a startup business that’s been initiated since January 2020? IET London: Savoy Place has launched a competition to find one deserving technology or engineering-focused startup business to support throughout 2022.

While the pandemic threatened the survival of small businesses, an unprecedented surge in support from the public has boosted independents, helping to turn fortunes around.

The Positive Beauty Growth Platform has been launched by Unilever. It's an initiative which aims to partner with scaleups and startups to drive innovation and brand growth. 

GIANT Health has officially launched the Digital Therapeutics conference track, co-curated by Research2Guidance, a leading global management consultancy specialising in the digital health market, as part of the GIANT Health Event 2021 held from November 30th until December 1st 2021.

The leading accelerator program for FemTech startups will provide rising stars with the tools and mentorship to help revolutionise the under-prioritised and under-funded women’s health sector.

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.

The Imperial College Innovation Fund (ICIF) announced it had led a £1m seed investment round for UK energy storage startup, Cheesecake Energy Ltd (CEL). The round, which includes Perivoli Innovations, and prominent business angels, will fund the development of CEL’s’s manufacturing capabilities and its lead eTanker storage system.

European health startup, Sanome, has raised £2m in its first round of funding from leading UK and European HealthTech specialist investors.

Businesses must take care to keep up with changes in the market as the pandemic has prevented 31% of businesses from innovating, according to research released by Ayming Group, the business performance consultancy specialising in innovation.

LinkedIn has announced their annual 2021 Top UK Startups, a list of the best emerging startups to work for. Using a four pillar methodology, they have measured and ranked employment growth, engagement, job interest and talent attraction. The top companies are fast-growing and have successfully embraced flexible working, thus pioneering a new vision for the future of work in the UK.

A new report from hackajob reveals that while the COVID-19 pandemic has changed tech workers expectations on remote working, it has set them up for a clash with employers.

Xero has announced the formation of a prompt payment task force of leading experts, brought together to find new solutions to the late payment crisis which has had a stranglehold on small firms for decades.

Scaleway, the European cloud provider, has launched a special green tech edition of its Startup Programs, in partnership with the Greentech Alliance, a community of over 1,000 Greentech companies and 500+ top-tier VCs, media and experts from around the world.

Otolo, recent Hustle Awards winner and an online global community for people and businesses with a passion for hospitality is proud to be supporting the industry by offering free exclusive mentoring places to 60 people in their Autumn Mentoring Circles programme.

Startup OLÉ, the great technological event for entrepreneurs after the summer, has come to an end. The modality of this seventh edition was mixed, being the 6th and 7th of September in digital format and from the 8th to the 10th in person in Salamanca. To facilitate access to all the content, Startup OLÉ'21 was broadcast in its entirety completely free and openly through its Youtube channel.

New research released by Ricoh Europe has revealed that employers are failing to invest in technology to maintain productivity across their remote workforce, despite concerns about their output.

Europe’s largest business show is back for 2021, returning to London’s ExCeL on the 24th & 25th November! This year we are launching a new event - Working From Home Live, running alongside The Business Show and Retrain Expo.

Reaching over 500k womxn around the world Femtech Media's Virtual Femtech Week hopes to increase awareness of available femtech solutions available that can replace or bridge gaps in traditional healthcare, increasing women’s access to safe, affordable, and equitable care.

Non-profit organisation, NorthInvest, and specialist technology communications agency, Social Tech Communications, have announced their strategic partnership in a bid to provide vital support in PR ad marketing to the northern ecosystem of tech startups, helping budding entrepreneurs achieve their growth potential.

London is the leading destination to grow a technology business outside of Silicon Valley, according to a comprehensive ranking of international startup hubs compiled by Startup Genome for its annual Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2021. Despite Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic, London maintained its second-place ranking tied with New York for the second year in a row.

As the spotlight shines on the UK tech sector for the next day of London Tech Week, Tech Nation, has announced 15 new companies selected to join the Future Fifty programme - Tech Nation’s growth programme for late-stage digital businesses.

Boundary Technologies, based in Edinburgh, is launching a Home Security Saviours campaign, in which it offers to buy out 50 of the most in-need customers stuck with traditional alarm companies.

Sam Conniff has written, directored and presented of The Uncertainty Experts. Having experienced the negative impact of uncertainty at its full force and overcoming it, Sam embarked on a discovery journey to equip people and business with the competence to battle uncertainty and transform their lives for the better.

Faced with obstacles like gender discrimination, financial security, geographical bias, or availability of funding, entrepreneurs are demanding stronger community support. As a response, a new global movement of ecosystem builders is raising €2.7mn within two years to implement innovation projects that will democratise entrepreneurship and empower founders.

Creative workspace and accelerator, Huckletree has announced the launch of its Futures Hub, a redesign of their flagship space in its White City workspace - including three new focused ecosystems for innovative businesses to make their home - Future Living, FoodTech and Creative Labs.

Tanso Technologies, a Munich-based sustainability tech startup has announced the closing of its $1.9m pre-seed financing round. The round was led by UVC Partners, a B2B technology investor with a strong focus on enterprise software, with participation of early-stage investors Picus Capital, Possible Ventures (formerly Inventures), and business angels.

WeWork has launched Growth Campus Europe, an initiative targeted to boost economic recovery across nine European countries; Germany, France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Norway and Czech Republic.

Investment firm, Spex Capital and London’s life sciences cluster organisation, MedCity open today their first joint call as part of their exclusive partnership to identify and fund the next generation of digital health and medtech innovators.

Microsoft Deputy CTO brings decades of climate science, technology, and business acumen to the Climate Intelligence innovator.

Leaps by Bayer, the impact investment arm of Bayer AG, announced that it has co-led a $15m Series A investment round in agriculture and biotechnology innovator, Andes, with Cavallo Ventures. Other new investors Builders VC, Germin8, Accelr8 and Wilson Sonsini participated, alongside existing investors KdT Ventures and Endurance.

British mental health startup, MYNDUP has raised £300,000 in an oversubscribed third round of seed funding. Founded in February 2020, the company has now received £500,000 in investment and grants since December last year, with investors recognising MYNDUP’s innovative offering and potential for further growth.

Akribian, a Swedish startup, is spearheading the way in which children learn maths through short adventure game-based learning that helps children retain information and encourages long term academic success. Its first product 'Count on me!' is a maths app based on a new concept of Game-Embedded Teaching (GET) which combines science and game design to encourage children to discover the magic of mathematics and accelerate their learning. 

Bobacino, the startup bringing a unique boba experience to a growing audience of boba enthusiasts, announced it is partnering with PopID, the facial recognition payment company, to offer consumers a faster, easier and safer way to pay.

Whether these businesses will opt for working from home full time or hybrid working - where employees split their time between home and the office - remains somewhat unclear at this point. For some, a return to pre-pandemic office life is on the cards, but for others, there's simply no going back to the way things were.

Releaf, an agtech startup that develops proprietary hardware and software solutions that makes African farmers and food factories more efficient and profitable, has raised $2.7m seed funding in a round led by Samurai Incubate Africa, Future Africa and Consonance Investment Managers with participation from Stephen Pagliuca, Chairman of Bain Capital and Justin Kan (Twitch). Releaf also secured $1.5m in grants from The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) and USAID.

Tech Nation has announced the 32 climate tech companies who have been accepted into Net Zero 2.0 - the second iteration of the Net Zero programme.

FedEx Express has announced the launch of the Small Business Grant Competition in Europe. The competition offers a total grant pool of nearly €250.000 to European small businesses to help them grow and achieve their ambitions. For the first time, the competition will be run as a single pan-European contest, open to small businesses based in 16 countries.

Has COVID made you complacent to other workplace risks? Adapting to a new way of operating has now become the norm for many small businesses. Demonstrating a fair presentation of all workplace risks could save SMEs money on insurance premiums.

OLIO, the community sustainability app, has announced a $43m Series B round to fund its fight against the $1.3trn of food waste created globally each year.

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.

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. 

Research by DNV and World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) reveals that despite the growing attention in the public, among legislators and companies, the shift to business models that design waste out of the system seems to progress slowly, and circular economy is rising on corporate agendas across geographies.

Diversity in entrepreneurship is boosted through the launch of Barclays Eagle Labs' 12-week virtual accelerator programme which helps early-stage tech businesses founded by one or more Black entrepreneurs.

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.

Algbra, a sustainable and values-focused digital finance provider dedicated to providing ethical finance solutions and promoting financial wellbeing, has attracted a wide range of high-profile backers. The Seed investment round, led by New World Group and SFC Capital earlier this year, was oversubscribed.

According to research by iwoca, almost 80 new businesses were created every hour across the UK in the first half of 2021. Analysis of Companies House data reveals that 340,534 businesses were registered in the UK between January and June 2021, an increase of 32% from 257,243 over the same time period in 2019.

A new study by card payment provider, Dojo, reveals the daily habits of some of successful female entrepreneurs, to see just how their routines contribute to their success. 

Endeavor Nigeria has unveiled the inaugural cohort of entrepreneurs for its ten-week Endeavor ScaleUp Program that aims to support Nigeria’s most promising business leaders. 

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.

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.

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.

In 2020, Siemens Smart Infrastructure and WUN H2 partnered up to build a hydrogen production plant in Germany. The plant will run on renewable energy and will be carbon-free, contributing to Germany’s pledge to become gas-neutral by 2050. However exciting the news, Siemens is an established business within automation industry, the road to carbon neutrality is often harder for small manufacturers. Here Neil Ballinger, head of EMEA at automation parts supplier EU Automation, shares some tips.

Guy Rigby, Founder and now Chair of the Entrepreneurial Services Group at Smith & Williamson, and his fellow crew member, entrepreneur, investor and sports enthusiast, David Murray – will row across the Atlantic Ocean as part of the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge in 'The Entrepreneur Ship'. Rigby and Murray will begin their row from the Canaries to Antigua on 12th December 2021, hoping to arrive in February 2022. The completed challenge will see them recognised as the oldest pair in the world to row any ocean.

COVID-19 has shown the power of clinical trials. It took less than 300 days for one vaccine to go from being an idea in a lab to be ready for administering to the general public. The question now is how we can accelerate clinical trials for other diseases, at a time when the healthcare industry is stretched and doesn’t have the capacity to run patient research at the speed or scale that’s needed.

Here, we caught up with Dr Matt Wilson, Founder and CEO of research automation platform, uMed, who is on a mission to help more healthcare providers and their patients take part in clinical studies.

Startup OLÉ, a technological event for entrepreneurs, returns with 400 international speakers from 36 different nationalities. The way this edition will be available will be mixed, with the 6th and 7th of September being presented in digital format and the 8th to the 10th in person in Salamanca, Spain. To facilitate access to all the content, Startup OLÉ'21 will be streamed in its entirety, completely free of charge and on their YouTube channel.

Unleash live, an AI video analytics platform, have announced an $8m Series A funding round led by SafetyCulture. Unleash live’s AI powered real time analytics platform, ‘Intelligent Remote Vision’, generates immediate insights that enable enterprises to materially drive down costs, raise productivity, increase accuracy, and improve safety. The company has seen over 500% growth since March 2020.

38% of respondents have been approached over five times for a new job in the last year. That’s according to research from Talent Works, which surveyed software and government professionals to determine their opinions on different working policies and how often they are approached for new job roles. The survey also found that five percent have been approached more than ten times in the past year.

Botify has announced that they have closed $55m in Series C funding led y InfraVia Growth, with participation from Bpifrance through its Large Venture fund, as well as existing investors Eurazeo and Ventech. Nicolas Herschtel from InfraVia and Antoine Izsak from Bpifrance Large Venture will join Botify’s Board of Directors.

iwoca have launched its cash advance product on Funding Xchange for small business online sellers. iwoca will be using Open Banking to offer automated revenue-based repayments to e-commerce businesses with a business bank account on the marketplace.

Office workers feel less confident in their potential for progression at work than freelancers, according to new data from freelance platform, Fiverr. The COVID-19 pandemic has not been easy for workers, from furlough to job losses, the UK workforce has taken more than just a financial hit.

Sayata has raised $17m in series A funding that will drive expansion into several new insurance lines. Team8 Capital and Vertex Ventures led the round, who joined original investors Elron, Kamet, and OurCrowd.

One of the UK’s most well regarded businesswomen, Angela De Souza and BBC presenter, Janey Lee Grace, will be coming together to celebrate the success of business women across the globe.

AgTech startup Fieldin has completed a $30m Series B funding round, led by Fortissimo Capital, with the participation of Zeev Ventures, Icon Ventures, Luxembourg-based Maor Investments, and Akkadian ventures.

Fed up with restrictions, isolation, cancelled holidays, not being able to make plans - everyone has suffered through the pandemic, quite aside from those who have been hit by the virus itself.

SurePay, inventor and provider of Confirmation of Payee (CoP), has raised a €12.2m round led by Connected Capital with Iris Capital, joining Rabo Frontier Ventures to boost the company’s international expansion.

Inspirational entrepreneurs from across the UK are officially kicking off this year’s Small Business Saturday UK, as the campaign gets underway with its 100 day countdown. Aiming to support, celebrate and send out a ‘big thank you’ to small businesses for the important role they play within communities, particularly throughout the pandemic, the 2021 SmallBiz100 is showcasing a diverse range of independent businesses from across the country. 

Play Well For Life (PWFL) are a for-purpose games studio that has developed an approach to the traditional board game. Merging the latest immersive technologies with the power of game-based learning, they offer a fun and engaging table-top game that stimulates social interactions and promotes mental wellbeing. The company is launching a crowdfunding campaign on September 28th to finance the next phase of development.

Tech Nation have revealed new data on the Tech Nation Global Talent Visa, providing insights into the global talent pool working in the UK’s digital technology sector.

Rocket Academy, a startup providing online coding courses, has announced it has raised $1.1m in pre-seed funding. The investment comes from a consortium of 50 marquee tech investors and venture capitalists including entrepreneurs Darius Cheung from 99.co, Marcus Tan from Carousell and Stanley Tang from DoorDash, former Singapore Ambassador to the UN Kishore Mahbubani, SEA tech leaders’ investment network XA Network, and VC firms Taurus Ventures and Hustle Fund.

Sure Valley Ventures, the venture capital firm that invests in deep technology and software startups, is pleased to announce that it has invested in a €3m funding round completed by Ambisense, the IoT and AI enabled environmental risk assessment business. BGF has led the round and, together with Sure Valley Ventures, existing investors Atlantic Bridge and Enterprise Ireland have participated.

A new series shines a spotlight on 25 of the UK’s most innovative entrepreneurs and their ground-breaking businesses that are revolutionising the way we live. An entrepreneur who invented 3D printed personalised gummy vitamins tailored to people’s nutritional needs, lifestyles and goals is just one of the highlights of a new documentary featuring weird and wonderful ideas that will change the world.

WeWork has announced that WeWork On Demand, the company’s pay-as-you-go offering to access workspace and meeting rooms, is now available in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Singapore, and Australia. 

Instagram have announced the launch of its first Small Business Mentorship programme in the UK, in partnership with Small Business Britain. Aimed at supporting the country’s entrepreneurs and small businesses after an unprecedented 18 months, the mentorship programme will celebrate their creativity and resilience, as many have turned to Instagram to survive and thrive.  

Lenders could see the time they spend processing the average loan reduce by more than 85% with the adoption of open banking technology, according to research from Yolt Technology Services (YTS), an open banking provider in Europe.

Research platform, Atheneum have announced they have secured a £110m growth capital funding round led by Guidepost Growth Equity. Existing investors also participated in the round including Crosslantic Capital Management, Michael Brehm, Vogel Communications Group, and the founding management team of Atheneum.

Cloud hosting provider Krystal has set out a blueprint for the future of businesses and the planet, as they announce their millionth tree has been planted way ahead of its 2022 goal. 

LawtechUK has published a feasibility study and proof of concept for a new technological approach to the late payment challenges facing British business. This would work as an ‘SME online dispute resolution’ platform, produced in partnership with a consortium of legal, technology and alternative dispute resolution experts from the University of Oxford, Oxford Computing Consultants, Resolve Disputes Online and Jur.

Brilliant female entrepreneurs across the UK are being encouraged to apply to take part in a campaign which showcases inspiring women running their own businesses, and offers support.

UTP have launched a new eBook for SMEs, offering advice about how to future-proof their businesses.

OurCrowd has announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Azerbaijan Investment Company (AIC), represented by the Chairman of its Supervisory Board, Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan, Mikayil Jabbarov, to promote strategic cooperation in the field of investment by the Government of Azerbaijan in OurCrowd’s portfolio.

A new survey has revealed that 85% of SMEs in the UK are familiar with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), but more than half are still not cleaning their data and therefore not adhering to the GDPR’s legal requirements. 

In celebration of Startups Magazine's 'Women in Tech' issue, Startups Magazine and Inspiration Space have joined forces to host Entrepreneurship Decoded, a live event that brings together ambitious female founders for an honest conversation about what it really takes to start and grow a brand in 2021 and beyond.

Startups Magazine will once again be exhibiting at The Business Show at London’s ExCeL from 24th-25th November.

New research released by Ricoh Europe revealed that just 35% of employers trust their staff fully while working remotely, with 39% suggesting their people don’t work as hard or effectively as in the office.

Startups looking to enter franchise agreements should pay careful attention to the contracts they enter into, a leading law firm has said. Harper James Solicitors said many franchisors are often willing to include a force majeure clause, which changes the franchisee’s obligations in the event of extraordinary circumstances - like the ones that devastated many businesses in the last 18 months.

Only seven percent of UK business owners have created a truly scalable business model, according to new research from Worcestershire based business support provider, BizSmart.

Tramshed Tech, a startup ecosystem and a fast growing business incubator in Wales is launching a startup academy supported by Google for startups. Workshops will take place every Thursday, beginning 30th September 2021.

iov42, an emerging British startup, which builds blockchain-inspired identification tools, has been chosen over corporate giants including EY, Vodafone and Deloitte to secure a spot as one of only seven tenderers selected to design and develop the next-gen of the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI). The flagship project from the European Commission hopes to leverage blockchain technology to improve standards of cross-border services for public administrations across the EU.

Aerospace Xelerated has announced its call for applications is open. Formerly the ATI Boeing Accelerator, the programme is being led by industry partner Boeing for its third year, with further industry partners to be announced. The programme will be investing into startups building autonomous and AI solutions that advance the way aircraft are built, from the factory floor all the way to the passenger journey.

The largest business festival in the Baltics, sTARTUp Day, will take place on 25th–27th August, creating a startup-minded buzz in the Estonian National Museum and around Tartu. It is also possible to participate in the event online, and a total of 3,000 participants are expected. To celebrate the fifth anniversary year, more than 150 speakers will be performing, the activities will take place on four stages, there are almost 50 seminars, and more than 30 side events to take part in.

Whilst many say young people have been hugely affected by the pandemic, new polling reveals a new wave of optimism when it comes to the study and the career choices of today’s school leavers.

Sam Jones, the founder of Gener8 - a free-to-use web browser that lets people take back control and earn from their online data - has announced a £2.1m funding round that closed not long after appearing on Dragons’ Den.

Mental health technology company, Paranimo is expanding its platform offering to the charity sector following its successful launch to the general public. Developed with the support of Bristol-based Amdaris, the move will see Paranimo empower charities to offer tailored mental health support, however, whenever and wherever users choose. 

Pearson College London, part of Pearson, a FTSE 100 and global education company, is inviting early stage startups and entrepreneurs to apply for their annual incubator programme.

Sapien kicked off its venture ambitions by leading a six-figure funding round for Manchester based sports VR company, Rezzil to support the development of its consumer platform, launching on Facebook’s Oculus Quest platform.

In today’s increasingly digital-led way of life, retailers, service providers and other businesses are digitalising more of their operations and dealing with customers across a range of channels - whether it’s via a website, mobile app, email and other messaging formats, social media, or even the old-fashioned phone call.

Finnish eco-sneaker startup, Rens, has announced its ambition to raise up to $1m via Kickstarter for the manufacture of its new Nomad performance shoe.

Following the inaugural Virtual Interiors Event in February 2021, which saw approximately 4,000 industry professionals from 83 countries gather online, a new thought leadership festival will take place 20th – 24th September named VI:Insights.

Xilinx invests in semiconductor startup to drive further collaboration on Open Compute Project-compliant device security for data centres.

It’s fair to say investment banks don’t have the best reputation for offering employees the perfect work/life balance, but one such firm - Numis - is setting out to change things.

Monta, the electric vehicle (EV) charging app, has announced its expansion into the UK today to help meet a national shortage of charge points.

Live Tech Games today announces that ITV has injected a £2.5 million investment into the pioneering tech startup, via the Studio 55 Ventures arm, for a minority stake. The ITV team selected Live Tech Games as part of its wider strategy to enhance ITV’s reach amongst 16-34 year olds.

 A recruitment company that's shaking up the international space industry, Britain's first carbon negative ice cream company, and a key disruptor in sustainable fashion-tech are all among the finalists in the Lloyds Bank British Business Excellence Awards 2021.

European travel startup, Framey has closed a $1M Seed funding round led by ICE Capital from Dubai, and backed by Europe based JECO Capital. The company, planning to disrupt the way people plan their trips, will use the funds to invest in its technology, scale up its operations and launch globally.

A study of 250 business owners in London and Greater South East England by Vistage, the CEO coaching and peer advisory organisation for small and medium sized businesses, has revealed that the majority of respondents remain positive in spite of ongoing challenges, with 84% claiming they are optimistic about the next 12 months.

New data from European small business lender, iwoca, revealed how embedded finance will play a vital role for small businesses as they look to recover from the pandemic.

A British AI tech startup Kortical, which helps companies use Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities, has improved 10x their success rate of generating positive outcomes across their organisations vs the industry average.

An online brand protection business, SnapDragon Monitoring has raised £1.2m in its latest funding round, bringing the total raised to just over £3m, from ACF Investors, Mercia, and Scottish Enterprise, to help brand owners identify and remove fakes, copycats and online threats, using intellectual property to do so.

It’s back – the ideas incubator programme that launched the 2021 drinking water initiative of the year and delivered the UK’s reigning top Tech Innovator.

Over 80 budding entrepreneurs from across the UK are participating in the Santander X Entrepreneurship Awards 2021 and are in with a chance of receiving up to £75,000 of business development support at the competition final, due to take place at Wembley Stadium in London in October.

As part of a new edition of ICT Spring (September 14th and 15th), the renowned global tech conference organised since 2010, Mastermind Summit & Competition will take place on September 15th at the European Conference Center Luxembourg. This event - dedicated to the startup ecosystem - aims to promote and spread best practices, foster emulation between entrepreneurs and VCs and offer recognition to the best international startups of the ecosystem. Mastermind is composed of a one day conference and a startup competition where three key categories will be represented: FinTech, DeepTech and NewSpace.

Innovative business travel company TapTrip has teamed up with Trainline Partner Solutions (TPS), Trainline’s B2B arm and a leading distributor of global rail content, to further elevate and streamline its service to business users as rail becomes the primary source of travel for more and more domestic business customers post-Covid.

Xero has unveiled its most comprehensive improvements to bank reconciliation on the platform in a decade, to help give small business owners more time back in their day.

The latest Microsoft Inspire event proved once again to be an insightful and valuable event for all of Microsoft’s partners. It has proved to be an invaluable tool to measure the company's future and where it sees itself in a post-pandemic world.

 The largest global brands in the technology industry today announce their collective commitment to champion racial equity at Black Tech Fest '21, a live festival celebrating Black culture, showcasing innovation, and creating pathways for underrepresented talent. The three-day event will take place online and in person from 19th to 21st October during UK Black History Month. Last year, over 40,000 people streamed Black Tech Fest content across Black History Month and 3,500 attendees from over 20 countries attended the festival, the biggest celebration of its kind in Europe. See here to pre-register.

A pioneering scheme designed to support startup businesses and stimulate growth in Wales is showcasing the best of innovation and tech talent in August.

Thinkific Labs, a platform for creating, marketing, and selling online courses, today announced the launch of the third annual Think in Color Summit.

 

The UK startup is simplifying the world of podcasting and making it more accessible for the storytellers of tomorrow.

HumanForest, a sustainable e-bike sharing app, has announced a marketing partnership with digital wealth manager, Nutmeg.

Perci Health, the world’s first online platform that gives people access to support from multidisciplinary cancer teams, has launched today with £1.5m of seed funding. The backers are an assortment of influential oncologists and cancer surgeons from major cancer centres across the UK.

Foodsteps, a food technology startup that allows businesses to easily calculate, reduce, and label the environmental impact of their food, has formally launched in the UK today. The company is the first UK-based tech firm to provide carbon tracking and impact labelling to restaurants and caterers as well as food businesses.

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.

NEXUS have a £3,000,000 fund to invest in 2021 and are open to consider all innovative Creative, Tech and Digital UK startup business ideas with priority interest in the following sectors: Tech, VR, Gaming, Digital, Media, Smart Screen/TV, Music, Fashion & Textiles, Events, Film and Dance.

The European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth will make her first official visit to Spain on 9th and 10th September 2021, inaugurating the Startup OLÉ technology event in Salamanca on the 9th. 

It’s no secret that the pandemic has significantly challenged the events industry. Even with lockdown restrictions lifted, a hesitancy to return to large indoor events is predicted to continue for some time. In order to meet these changing customer needs and help to revive corporate events safely, Eventurous Ltd, a full-service events agency near Atherstone in the West Midlands, has launched an exciting new tipi hire service - creating an unusual and inspiring venue solution for business use.

As lockdown restrictions ease and public mobility increases, new research reveals three-quarters (75%) of people have health, safety and security concerns when visiting their nearest city, signalling a need for new security innovations and greater public reassurance on their return to UK cities.

TOCA Football, the world’s only technology-enabled soccer experiences and entertainment company, today announced the completion of its Series E funding round, totaling $40m. Leading the round are current investors WestRiver Group (WRG), RNS TOCA Partners LLC, and D2 Futbol Investors, LLC., who are joined by a group of new investors including Jared Smith, co-founder and former COO of Experience Management (XM) company Qualtrics. This round brings TOCA’s total capital raised to $105m.

ABB Electrification’s Startup Challenge, in collaboration with Microsoft and SynerLeap, has announced its 2021 winning line-up, as Machine Learning, advanced AI and 3D modelling scale-up safe, smart and sustainable solutions.

Five innovative UK start-ups have been shortlisted for the Top Tier Impact (TTI) Group’s inaugural Global Impact Awards, celebrating entrepreneurs around the world at the cutting edge of sustainability and positive impact.

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.

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.

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.

As we successfully hosted the 2021 Hustle Awards last night at the Finsbury Business Centre (in-person finally!) and had a virtual livestream too, we saw five incredible startups take the prize across the five different categories, plus an array of talent that was also shortlisted and five amazing runner-ups. But not only that we saw our community again, and what an amazing feeling that was to be able to speak to some of you face-to-face!

The UK’s first-ever ‘Laptop Library’ has launched to help support and educate the nation’s most underprivileged children. The initiative, launched by grassroots charity CC Foundation in partnership with leading IT service provider Totality Services, will give hundreds of children access to use and borrow laptops.

Digital Catapult’s Machine Intelligence Garage programme is onboarding 10 new pioneering startups who are pushing the limits of machine and artificial intelligence to solve everyday problems. 

Greyparrot, the London based tech company disrupting the recycling industry by providing waste analytics to monitor, sort, and audit waste at scale, was selected among hundreds of candidates as one of the World Economic Forum’s “Technology Pioneers”. Previous to founding Greyparrot in 2019, co-founders Mikela Druckman, Ambarish Mitra and Nikola Sivacki had built some of the most cutting edge deep-learning computer vision systems in the world. Now they are committed to applying this technology to the recycling sector, extracting the value of materials that would otherwise end up in landfills, oceans or incinerated.

Innovate UK is releasing new data which reveals the proportion of women setting up businesses has not only remained stagnant at just over a quarter of the total number of new businesses for the last decade, but seen a slight dip since 2010/11 when it was at 28.7%, compared to 27.3% today. Innovate UK’s Women in Innovation Awards looks to help balance the playing field in business by providing more support to female entrepreneurs from across the UK.

Digital insurer Getsafe recently reached two significant milestones: With 10,000 customers in the United Kingdom and close to 200,000 customers in its native market, Germany, Getsafe is now the largest neo-insurer in Europe. The company currently offers contents insurance with five extensions in the UK and a larger product portfolio in Germany.

Over the course of the last year and a half, online shopping and e-commerce has, at times, been the only way consumers have been able to shop, leading to record breaking rises in people engaging with online retailers. This record volume of e-commerce purchases in 2020 has resulted in a corresponding surge in returns made by consumers who have either changed their minds or aren’t satisfied with their purchase after delivery.

The Hustle Awards 2021 is very nearly here and we cannot wait to celebrate with you all next week - whether that be from the lovely Finsbury Business Centre and Clerkenworks or from the comfort of your own sofa. From startups to freelancers, The Hustle Awards aims to recognise all the founders, co-founders and team members that have disrupted, impacted and taken a risk or a leap of faith with their business. But who has made the shortlist...

WeVee, the first fully-integrated electric vehicle leasing platform, which launched in the UK (home to Cazoo, Cinch and Carwow), is now valued at $14m after its latest investment injection to support the global expansion of the eMobility lifestyle platform, allowing it to broaden its service lines.

The NEXUS ESG Startup Programme is designed to give founders the practical knowledge to launch and scale their creative and digital businesses.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

An ambitious UK tech firm is aiming to take on US celebrity video calling service Cameo - by launching a 'bigger and better' platform.

Specialist M&A advisory firm Ciesco has confirmed that Chip[s] Board, which develops bioplastics from food waste, has completed fundraising to support the next stage of its development.

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.

eBay UK has announced the launch of the 5th eBay for Business Awards, designed to celebrate the growing talent of entrepreneurs across the country. 

Europe's greatest festival of Health Tech Innovation in returning - save the date: 30th November - 1st December 2021.

For most people, technology has become an indispensable part of their lives. A trend that the pandemic has accelerated even more. 

Now in its second year, the ABB Electrification Startup challenge saw an unprecedented level of entries from global startups across 28 countries. Competing applicants took up the challenge to seek out and develop next generation solutions using IIoT and digitalisation to enable a low-carbon society and provide sustainable practices.

Leading sports travel operator, Sportsbreaks.com, are the first platform to provide match breaks for Chelsea’s 2021/22 Premier League fixtures. With the announcement of their Official Ticket and Hotel Breaks for the upcoming Premier League campaign, Chelsea fans can purchase their tickets from £129pp. Thanks to Sportsbreaks.com, fans can beat the rush, and secure their Premier League match breaks before they go on general sale.

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.

People in the UK’s most deprived areas could play a greater role in the post pandemic recovery than was previously realised and give the Government’s levelling up agenda a significant shot in the arm.

Purina has announced the six startups that have been selected as the winners of the UNLEASHED 2021 Accelerator Lab Programme. The winning companies are actively engaged in advancing pet care by creating fully digitised solutions, based in sustainability and pet wellbeing.

Small business sales suggest a gradual return to pre-COVID sales rates, the Small Business Index from Xero, reveals. The Index was unchanged at 86 points in May, reflecting that overall conditions in small businesses were steady despite the winding back of some business trading restrictions.

Five healthtech startups have officially become the first cohort of the Edison Accelerator in EMEA - a healthcare startup and scaleup acceleration programme designed by GE Healthcare in partnership with innovation organisation, Wayra UK. 

Less than a quarter of UK tech leaders find it easy to find quality tech candidates. That’s according to a recent survey by Talent Works, which surveyed 400 tech leaders in the UK and US to determine the state of hiring tech talent in both markets.

New research has revealed that more British businesses have been set up at the start of this year than any first quarter in history. The study by cloud accounting company, Ember found that from January to March this year, 211,368 companies were incorporated at Companies House.

The world’s leading event technology expo, Event Tech Live (ETL) returns to the Old Truman Brewery on November 3rd until 4th with the virtual show running for a full five days, from November 1st to 5th.

The UK’s largest ecommerce investor and a leading digital insights specialist have joined forces to help accelerate business transition online.

A new survey of 750 UK business leaders has revealed how the pandemic has affected long-term digital transformation plans.

Over a third (35%) of UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) believe the pandemic has been a positive catalyst for change as digital skills soared during lockdown, according to the findings of PayPal’s inaugural report, The Business of Change: Recovery and Rebuild.

Startup OLÉ is becoming the first deep tech startup event in Europe. This ground-breaking event is associated with the fourth wave of innovation on the European continent, as Startup OLÉ is the event for universities and university startups, which are the cradle of science.

UnderPinned has hit its funding target of over £500k within an hour of going live on crowdfunding platform Crowdcube. Having quadrupled their community and launched accelerator programme with day one profitability since their last round, they’re raising to amplify marketing and further enter US & European markets.

ReLondon is set to convene leaders and innovators from across the capital and beyond for the fourth Circular Economy Week (#CEweekLDN), which took place 14th – 18th June. The week showcased some of London’s most promising circular economy approaches to inspire action and encourage organisations and individuals to waste less and reuse, repair, share and recycle more. The aim is to promote polices, practices and behaviours that can accelerate the growth of the circular economy and place it firmly on the agenda for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November.

A technology hub has launched two unique business incubation programmes in response to post-COVID needs by building a peer powered community and bringing world-class innovation and growth opportunities to the region’s most promising entrepreneurs.

TravelTech Show, taking place virtually on 14-15 September 2021, has committed to supporting startups in the travel technology space by creating a £25,000 fund that startups can apply to access. The fund supports startups from across the globe founded with the last 48 months and have not raised more than £2M in funding with subsidised exhibiting options and additional marketing and PR support.

UK-based healthtech firm Kiteline, formerly known as Liminal Health, has secured £370,000 in funding to meet the demand for support for those living with chronic conditions, including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and, most recently, long COVID.

CRL have shortlisted 16 startups as potential participants for the CRL Accelerator programme. Over the past six weeks, the CRL team have been working with the group, supporting them to identify the biggest questions and assumptions that need to be understood before they could progress their business to the next stage.

Putting a sustainable spin on laundry, Oxwash, the UK-based startup backed by Twitter Co-founder Biz Stone has raised £2.08m ($3M) in seed expansion investment, to clean up the traditional and environmentally costly washing and dry cleaning sector with its space-age technology.

According to government data, SMEs made up over 99% of the total business population at the start of 2020 - and this is the reason why thriving SMEs remain the backbone of rebuilding our economy. Across the UK, SMEs are getting back on their feet, employing workers and providing important services which fuel our local economies.

Environment-savvy small firms have been stirred into action by the pandemic and propelled saving the planet to the top of their agenda. And business owners now see sustainability as a critical issue and want to take action as lockdown restrictions ease.

Eleven startup companies from Bristol’s world-leading tech scene have been shortlisted to pitch and demo their innovative products at SETsquared Bristol’s flagship Tech-Xpo 2021 event on 30 June.

To help catalyse London’s green recovery from the pandemic, ReLondon today launched a support package to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) reap the financial and environmental benefits of the circular economy. 

Insurtech startup Urban Jungle, famous for its £5 per month renters insurance, has announced the launch of its new Building and Contents insurance product - targeted at younger homeowners, who it says have been ‘ignored’ by the big insurance companies. 

A major new resource to showcase the opportunities for investing in the UK creative industries sector is being unveiled at a National launch event on 21st June. 

Launching this month, British brand The Good Level offers high quality, full spectrum CBD oils, balms and jellies all made with UK-grown hemp. Born of the founders’ frustration in trying to find consistently high-quality CBD products for themselves, The Good Level’s range of cold-pressed CBD products offer a natural choice to support daily mental and physical wellbeing.  

Israeli agritech startup, Edete Precision Technologies for Agriculture, which has thus far focused on developing a technological solution for artificial pollination of insect-pollinated crops such as almonds, is expanding its services to wind-pollinated crops. They will start with pistachios, one of the world's fastest growing crops.

Next September 14th and 15th, more than 100 international experts will participate in a new edition of ICT Spring, the renowned tech summit. The event, organised since 2010, will take place at the European Convention Center Luxembourg, at the very heart of Europe: ICT Spring will therefore be the first largest in-person event of the year. Today, the organisers are announcing the various topics that will be discussed during the different summits, as well as the first experts who will share their knowledge and best practices, during what promises to be an exceptional edition.

Businesses are increasingly optimistic about emerging from COVID-19 - and say that utilising social media and new technology will be key to that recovery.

Kaelo is a design company on a mission to create a brand new global product category, providing the drinking experience of the future. Founded by serial inventor, Kevin Jabou, the company’s first product is described as an open bottle host; a fully patented dry-cold chamber that can be integrated into any table or countertop, to serve a drink perfectly chilled.

With an already booming tech and innovation sector, Cyprus has its eyes on becoming the next multicultural hub for innovation, startups and technology.

Government plans to give millions of staff a default right to work from home are 'not feasible' and will be 'very damaging' to businesses, an expert in employment law has warned. 

Perlego, the world’s largest online subscription service for educational books, has announced its launch in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France, further cementing its position as one of the UK’s fastest growing EdTech startups.

Oslo Innovation Week welcomes you to the core of Nordic innovation - a platform for facilitating actions and thought-provoking concepts for bold and new innovation.

New app matches pitchers with retail buyers and investors using 30 second video pitches. Serial retail technology entrepreneur, Chris Brown, has launched the world’s first ‘speed-dating for business’ mobile app, Pitchsocial.

The Newton Venture Program is unveiling its first diverse cohort of investment trainees set to make the worlds of tech and venture capital more representative and is opening applications for its next program.

London-based tech startup, UtterBerry has recently developed innovative 5G technology, which will transform Welsh farming and tourism thanks to funding and support from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the Welsh Government. Now the technology is ready, UtterBerry will begin revolutionising farming and tourism through the DCMS 5G Testbed Project.

The UK has seen a huge rise in the number of independent businesses being set up over the past year. New analysis from The University of Law Business school shows 854,948 independent businesses have been established since 23rd March 2020, representing a 43% increase compared to the same period a year before (594,957).

Tractable, the AI company helping insurers with accident and disaster recovery, has announced a $60m Series D investment led by Insight Partners and Georgian. The round doubles the total raised by Tractable from $55m to $115m and values the company at $1bn - making it the UK’s first computer vision unicorn. 

New data reveals that almost one in five (17%) of small business owners expect their revenues to grow by 10% in the first six months after lockdown guidelines are completely relaxed.

Research from Ezra, provider of digital coaching, has found that UK employees are working longer hours than ever thanks to remote working. However, the lack of structured office hours is having a detrimental effect on employee work-life balance and wellbeing and, therefore, the quality of their work.

The first Event Tech Live (ETL) US and Canada wrapped on Thursday 10th June, content keeping to the high mark set on days one and two, Top Tech to Embrace to Achieve Effective Gamification and Back to the Future, Perhaps among the sessions and Canapii winning gold in the coveted StartUp Competition.

National enterprise charity Hatch Enterprise has launched three new impact programmes, with support from the players of the People's Postcode Lottery, NatWest and Adobe, which aims to help hundreds of UK entrepreneurs launch and grow businesses that have a social or environmental impact.

Beyond HERizons, a new initiative from London & Partners’ Silicon Valley comes to the UK (SVC2UK) programme designed to specifically tackle the funding gap that exists in the investment landscape, launches its inaugural cohort of female founders today.

Tech Nation launches the Diversity & Inclusion Toolkit; a comprehensive guide to address diversity challenges in tech companies and the UK tech sector, in order to help build a strong, diverse and inclusive tech sector.

Sunbit, the preferred buy now, pay later (BNPL) technology for everyday needs and services, today announced a $130 million series D round of funding. The round was led by returning investor Group 11, a leading venture capital firm known for backing some of the most disruptive fintech companies.

The DEEP Startup Ecosystem Accelerator is up and running. They selected the first generation of ecosystem projects coming from Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

We’re on the cusp of a new wave of innovation, with deep tech leading the way to a better future for our society and its home planet.

Hays Technology, the recruiting experts and global super connectors, Empact Ventures, have launched ’Super Connect for Good’ for the second year running, a European ‘Tech for Good’ competition in a bid to uncover the best emerging tech startups and scaleups creating a positive impact on people’s lives through technology.

A northern startup powering up an advanced generation of data-driven luxe sportswear has secured £7.5M to take wearable health technology to new heights.

The UK needs a new order of chivalry specifically to recognise invention and innovation and elevate the status of entrepreneurship, science, and technology in the eyes of the public, according to think tank, The Entrepreneurs Network. The proposal - outlined in a new report, Honours for Innovators, and supported by MPs and leading figures from the UK entrepreneurship and technology community - would see the 'Elizabethan Order' honour up to 273 individuals each year for their achievements and contribution to innovation.

Fintech Week London is taking place at a number of select venues in London and online between 12th and 16th July 2021.

Businesses specialising in providing sustainable and eco-services today urge the government to use the G7 talks to turbocharge Britain’s green revolution. 

The mobile tax assistant, Taxfix strengthens its management level with expertise from Silicon Valley and the banking sector. The two new additions, Bjoern Heckel and Franziska von Arnim, will support the Taxfix leadership team and take strategic growth to new heights in the next phase of Taxfix’s development.

Pioneering tech startups will have the chance to join the UK’s cyber security experts in their mission to keep the country safe online thanks to a new initiative.

New research has revealed that half of the UK’s newest entrepreneurs are Millennials. The study found that people between the ages of 25 and 40 have set up 49% of new businesses in the country since July 2020.

Metro Bank has just launched a startup accelerator programme in partnership with corporate innovation specialists, L Marks with the aim of finding innovative solutions to help the bank support its customers and local businesses.

Deeptech Labs (DTL), a new post-seed accelerator aimed at deep technology (deeptech) startups, has been founded in Cambridge to bring the benefits of its innovation ecosystem to post-Seed deeptech companies from the UK and Europe.

VenueScanner has secured a $1.5m funding round led by Rianta Capital and ACF Investors. Launched to enable individuals, businesses and event organisers to find better and more affordable venues, it is helping undiscovered and independent venues reimagine how they use their space and fill their down-time.

“Build a product to scratch your own itch” says entrepreneur Guy Stern after founding his own legal technology solution, Legal Connection, to improve communication and offer an ‘umbrella platform’ for the legal industry.

The Modern Milkman, a fast-growing sustainable grocery startup that offers doorstep grocery delivery in return and reuse packaging without single-use plastics, has announced the closing of a funding round led by global venture capital and private equity firm Insight Partners. Existing investors ETF Partners and Serial Investor Simon Murphy also participated in the round.

Remote, the HR technology platform for international payroll, benefits and compliance, has announced exponential growth since its $35m Series A funding in November 2020, including substantial increases across customers, employees, country availability and new product offerings.

New research from small business lender, iwoca, suggests that although the initial easing of restrictions has helped recovery for some SMEs, around a third are still sacrificing customer numbers with existing COVID restrictions in place.

Members of the UK business community have signed an open letter asking the Government to extend its funding deadlines for startups in the wake of the pandemic.

The UK’s largest ecommerce investor and a digital insights specialist have joined forces to help accelerate business transition online.

This year CRL ran their first in-person Hackathon event where business and design students from Brunel University had the chance to join this year’s startup cohort team for two weeks and collaborate closely with the founders to help them test and develop their customer and commercial opportunities.

PocketLaw, the Swedish legal tech solution providing a one-stop shop for businesses’ legal needs, has announced that it has launched in the UK.

A survey of real estate and IT professionals across a range of industries has revealed that better remote working technology is perceived to be twice as important as workplace testing.

Alibaba Group’s Tmall Global has announced the launch of the UK and Ireland edition of ‘Go Global 11.11 Pitch Fest’, a virtual event designed to help international brands grow their businesses globally. Following the success of Pitch Fest 2020 in the US, the programme will be opened up to British and Irish brands looking to find success in China.

Clim8 Invest (Clim8) launched its crowdfunding campaign on Crowdcube on Tuesday and has already smashed its target by 168%, raising £1.26m by the end of Day 1. The latest round is set to fuel its product roadmap and team.

The invitation-only network for Founders and CEOs of the most successful tech businesses, Fast Growth Icons, has announced the return of its physical London event, taking place on 5th-6th July 2021.

The pandemic has inspired long-term digital transformation projects, with UK businesses set to increase IT spending and hiring in the year ahead, new research from Studio Graphene has revealed.

Nearly three quarters of employers (73%) believe the pandemic will mean long-term changes in the way they support the health and wellbeing of staff, according to research undertaken on behalf of GRiD, the industry body for the group risk protection sector.

The application of artificial intelligence to automate diagnostics is one of the solutions that are already being implemented. DES2021, in collaboration with EIT Health, has brought together experts from companies such as T-Systems Iberia, Novartis and Ferrer to analyse the impact of technology on the health and pharmaceutical sector.

Reactive Reality, the leading augmented reality (AR) company increasing sales and brand loyalty for fashion e-commerce brands by enabling them to offer virtual fitting rooms to their customers, has announced the opening of a new office in Minato-ku, Tokyo along with the appointment of their Japan Country Manager, Keiichi Iwamoto. This move continues the company’s international expansion, adding to offices in Graz, Austria, and Milpitas, California.

Swedish tech startup, Staccs, has launched its brand new, premium streaming on-demand service for filmed music concerts in the Nordics. Opening the doors to a world of iconic and legendary concert moments, Staccs is providing fans the opportunity to relive their favourite gigs, on demand, advert free - and in the highest quality possible. It also opens up new revenue streams for the music industry, whereby legacy video content can be marketed in a new and innovative way - benefiting the content owners. The new home for concerts on demand, Staccs presents a new and unique commercial opportunity for the industry.

Banco Santander (through Santander Universities) and Oxentia Foundation are launching the Santander X Global Challenge | Helping Businesses Prosper for entrepreneurs with innovative, scalable solutions to help SMEs - the main driver of economic growth, job creation and social unity - digitalise and be more efficient.

Mobility technology company, WhereIsMyTransport is set to successfully close the second funding round for capital to expand its already impressive portfolio of mobility data and solutions for emerging-market megacities. This will bring the total raised by the company during its Series A funding to $22m.

Black, Asian and mixed background tech entrepreneurs from London and Greater Manchester will join a five-day virtual trade mission starting today (7th to 11th June). The mission will see fifteen companies ‘touch-down’ in North America to meet with corporates and startups to explore new investment and export opportunities and accelerate their expansion plans in the US market.

Kavida.ai, a supply chain resiliency startup, founded in 2020, has secured £300,000 ($425,000) in pre seed capital from strategic investors. The company provides enterprises with decision intelligence tools to prevent and mitigate supply chain disruptions in a range of sectors including apparel, FMCG, food, retail and pharma.

Businesses are divided over the future of remote work and employee training over the next 12 months, new research from Soffos.ai has revealed.

People management platform, Employment Hero has revealed new data on how employees and employers are managing mental health support in the workplace.  

Suss Ventures has sourced a six-figure sum for sports engineering startup, E-Nano which will support their current raise. The robotics startup uses its cloud platform to measure, analyse and feedback real time data to sport field managers and groundskeepers.

The competition enforcer’s new regulator for Big Tech risks damaging competition and innovation in the UK, argues a report from The Entrepreneurs Network and the International Center for Law and Economics (ICLE). The report argues that by limiting acquisitions, and implementing a series of burdensome regulations around product changes, the regulator will decrease the amount of funding going to startups, and hurt Big Tech firms’ attempts to compete with each other.

UK workers are putting in an additional 20 working days per year by skipping all or some of their lunch breaks, new research has found. The data from flexible office specialist, Workthere, has analysed the UK’s lunchtime habits, both before and during COVID restrictions.  

We know that when starting out it can be very daunting and you may need a little help when it comes to direction, discipline and planning. That is why we have decided to create another version of the extremely popular Survival Guide. Brought to you by Startups Magazine and Digi-Key Electronics, this second edition of the Survival Guide brings you resources in the ten step entrepreneurial journey.

Majority (83%) of UK cities are interested in acquiring office space, indicating an increased demand in returning to the physical workplace, according to insights from Orega Offices. The findings were based on data obtained from 18 cities across the UK, analysing average keyword monthly search data to reveal ‘the cities where office space is most-in demand’.

Penfold, the pensions challenger making saving for the future easier today, has announced the close of a £6m investment round to accelerate growth and expand its team. 

The NatWest Accelerator supports and empowers UK entrepreneurs and business owners to scale their businesses to the next level. Through our specialist Accelerator programmes we provide wrap around support and access to expertise, removing barriers and providing more opportunities to help customers grow.

Event Tech Live (ETL) will make its debut in the States and Canada next week from June 8th until the 10th.

The Inspiring Fifty UK awards, hosted by accelerateHER, opens nominations to spotlight women excelling in technology careers across the UK and showcase 50 incredible trailblazing leaders.

Meet Disco: A combination of improved purchasing power and super-safe security structures, extension features a referral program within the add-on, and auto-fill shopping cart for all the favourite merchants.

Event Tech Live’s competition for startups is now open to the public.

New research from GovGrant, with data commissioned from CBI Economics, has revealed that just 10% of UK SMEs own Intellectual Property (IP) rights. This scenario is further exacerbated by the fact that the UK’s top ten patent applicants are predominantly made up of large firms, but still make up almost a fifth (18%) of IP applications. This suggests large firms dominate SMEs when it comes to applying for patents. 

Creative England and the British Business Bank’s Start-Up Loans programme have announced a new partnership, establishing an accessible source of financial and business support for creative entrepreneurs across the UK. The partnership provides vital support for creative businesses - many of whom struggle to access traditional forms of finance - to start, grow and develop their IP.

Environment-savvy small firms have been stirred into action by the pandemic and propelled saving the planet to the top of their agenda. And business owners now see sustainability as a critical issue and want to take action as lockdown restrictions ease.

Dutch artificial intelligence company, Sentinels has raised £4.9m (€5.7m) in a seed funding round, led by INKEF Capital, complemented by strategic angel investors and industry leaders - including several members of the early Adyen team. The startup has now raised a total of £7.3m (€8.4m) to date. 

COVID-19 rocked the world and demanded many changes to the way we went about our daily lives.  As a result, this pivotal year has led to a renewed focus on the health of our planet post-pandemic. Many have recognised the positive reaction to the world slowing down on our natural surroundings, and many have taken the opportunities that this huge period of change has offered to drive their ambition to make a difference.

Accelerator programme, Lloyd’s Lab, run in association with L Marks, is currently on the look-out for innovative InsurTech startups to take part in its latest cohort, Cohort 7. The core aim is to find startups that can help them either grow the market or operate better.

After the wettest May since records began, many of us could do with a sunny holiday. There’s reason to be hopeful, with the UK government permitting international travel since 17th May and the EU agreeing to open its doors to vaccinated travellers.

Spain’s Impress, the new generation of orthodontic chains in Europe, has raised a $50m Series A round. This marks the biggest Series A round in Southern Europe.

Business festival sTARTUp Day has announced the programme of this year's hybrid event. The festival brings to the stage over a hundred speakers in the course of two festival days and one side event day. On 25th-27th August, the Estonian National Museum in Tartu will become a meeting place for all the startup-minded people, with performers sharing their experiences on four stages, dozens of practical seminars, sTARTUp Pitching Powered by EstBAN, and many side events.

Thrive Therapeutic Software has closed its latest round of funding in a record ten days, raising a total of £2.5m in funding and signifying one of the fastest investments of its kind for a UK company in the digital health sector.

Next-gen banking and impact app, Novus has teamed up with Visa to launch a unique mobile banking application that rewards conscious consumers for sustainable purchasing choices in a bid to generate positive impact from everyday payments.

Sky Media, the advertising sales arm of Sky, has announced the return of SME100, a £2m support scheme for small businesses, giving them free access to the power of TV advertising through AdSmart as they recover from the pandemic.

GEICO, the second-largest auto insurer in the US, is partnering with Tractable to accelerate its auto claim and repair process. Tractable’s proprietary computer vision technology, trained on millions of historical claims, assesses vehicle damage like a human appraiser. Inserting AI into the process, GEICO will be able to accurately review estimates within seconds while also reducing administrative overhead.

Smarthome security startup, Boundary Technologies has announced that it has secured a £3.7m investment to scaleup following the successful launch of its first product, including £1.5m from Skyscanner’s Co-founder, Gareth Williams - his biggest angel investment to date.

London-based startup and innovation house Satori is excited to launch its brand new, big volume, high precision, industrial-grade 3D printer via a Kickstarter campaign launching on 25th May at 1PM BST.

ICAS World Ltd (ICAS), a global provider of mental health and employee wellness services has acquired the NHS-commissioned mental health tech startup, Hello Tomo.  The acquisition is the first major milestone for ICAS as it rolls out its new global digital health strategy, tapping into the $121bn mental wellness market and expanding its support for the 790 million people around the world currently affected by a mental health condition.

Overture Life, the IVF process automation startup, has announced that it has raised $15M in Series B funding, bringing its fundraising total to $37m as it continues to attract investments in its mission to democratise In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF).

“My ‘lightbulb’ moment came when I was wedged into someone’s armpit. Now I want to help other people avoid this and get back to work safely...”. A commuter left frustrated at constantly having to travel on crowded trains has invented an app to help people move around more safely. 

UK-based business, Cook My Grub, has exceeded its initial fundraising target by 150%, raising over £750,000 in just four weeks after receiving major investor interest. The challenger brand, which was conceived and launched within only seven months, is expected to shake up the food industry with a revolutionary platform that provides hungry local diners with access to home-cooked food that isn’t available on the high street.

More than half (57%) of SME owners plan to expand trade to new territories outside the EU and at home after the pandemic with the help of online tools, according to global small business platform, Xero.

The Women’s Business Awards has launched the call for entries for its annual competition. The Women’s Business Awards features over 20 categories including Businesswoman of the Year, Employer of the Year, and Diversity & Inclusion Award.

The finalists of the Future Hamburg Award, Hamburg's international startup award, have been announced: ten European startups with smart solutions for the city of the future have qualified for this year’s award shortlist.

PointGrab, a maker of smart sensors that help businesses maintain social distancing in post-COVID offices, has completed a £3.4m equity raise led by specialist venture capitalist EMV Capital.

On 19th May, creative workspace and accelerator, Huckletree hosted Earthrise Summit, a virtual festival uniting sustainability leaders, politicians, and innovators from key cities including New York, Wyoming, Amsterdam, Paris, Dublin and London to inspire people to take action. 

Despite the trials and tribulations of last year over three quarters (83%) of UK businesses met or surpassed their growth target according to a new study by Oracle NetSuite, the same percentage as a similar report conducted prior to the pandemic.

Ethnicity is a greater challenge than gender when establishing and growing a business according to new research from Santander UK and PRECIOUS, the UK’s longest standing online platform for ambitious women of colour.

A new ‘coinless, not cashless’ solution by British startup Shrap has just started real life trials - with the first in Rochford in Essex as part of Community Access to Cash Pilots and will run until the end of September. Shrap will enable businesses such as pubs, cafés, restaurants and shops to continue to accept cash but without the hassle and expense of coins. The trial is backed by major banks, consumer groups and business organisations. 

To raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development, the UN-designated 20 May as World Bee Day. In Cork, an Irish Agtech startup, ApisProtect is working on revolutionising beekeeping by working with beekeepers around the world to develop innovative technology to remotely monitor honey bees.

A massive 74% of consumers believe that retailers don’t supply enough information to help guide conscious and ethical purchasing decisions, according to new research by lifestyle and impact-driven banking app, Novus.

Vinehealth, a UK digital health tech company has received a Class 1 Medical Device CE mark for its Vinehealth Cancer Companion mobile application for patients and VinehealthPRO web application for clinicians. 

More than three quarters of SMEs with restrictive budgets are struggling to compete with bigger organisations due to the lack of access to innovative technology, impacting their ability to grow and enlist talent, according to new research.

Nearly three-quarters (74%) of entrepreneurs and investors say they have witnessed discrimination within the startup community, harming the growth of many early-stage businesses.

The UK tech industry has expanded ten fold in the last ten years, enabling the creation of hundreds of fast growing tech companies that are set to challenge Silicon Valley in the coming decade, according to analysis by Dealroom.co and the Digital Economy Council. 

Sonovate, provider of on-demand business finance and technology solutions to the global contract workforce sector, funded a record £55m in March - cementing its status as one of the UK’s most established and scalable fintechs.

CEMEX Ventures, open innovation unit and corporate venture capital of CEMEX, launches Construction Startup Competition 2021 and renews its alliance with Ferrovial, Hilti, VINCI Group´s Leonard and NOVA by Saint-Gobain.

As lockdown restrictions lift, small businesses across the country are finally beginning to look to the future. And having survived the pandemic, many will be looking to secure new funding to help them thrive in the post-COVID-19 age. Recent figures indicate the signs for UK startups are positive.

Algbra, a sustainable and values-focused digital finance provider dedicated to bringing an end to community and ethnicity based financial inequality has launched. Founded by Chief Executive Zeiad Idris and Chief Operating Officer Fizel Nejabat, the firm’s mission is to educate, engage and empower overlooked minority communities and facilitate their ability to take control of their finances. Algbra has raised £3.75m in fundraising and is backed by SFC Capital, British Business Investments and New World Group.

finnCap Group, a provider of strategic advisory and capital raising services to growth companies, has announced a partnership with YourGamePlan to help embed enterprise in schools across the country and empower the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Diversity VC, Crowdcube and Frontline Ventures has announced the launch of the ‘Diversity VC: Parental Leave Guide’ as part of a collective of 25 top VC and tech firms. The guide, a first of its kind for the VC industry, aims to set the standard for parental leave policies and offers step-by-step advice on how VCs can create them. The guide is focused on the UK, and we hope the principals will be useful for other countries.

It is that time of year again, and hasn’t it come round quickly? As we introduce you to the cohort for Central Research Laboratory’s 2021 accelerator program, there are some similarities from last year, but also a number of exciting changes.

Banco Santander (through Santander Universities) and Oxentia Foundation are launching the Santander X Global Challenge | Helping Businesses Prosper for entrepreneurs with innovative, scalable solutions to help SMEs - the main driver of economic growth, job creation and social unity - digitalise and be more efficient.

Start Up Loans, part of the British Business Bank, today sets out its commitment to unlock the talent of thousands more people across the UK by helping them to start their own business.

Almost a quarter (22%) of 16-17 year olds have decided to pursue a career in tech since the pandemic. That’s according to research from UK scaleup Talent Works, which surveyed UK students and tech professionals in the early stages of their careers on their education and the journey into tech.

Creative workspace and accelerator, Huckletree has revealed non-alcoholic drinks brand, Reformed Character Drinks and fashion force for good Manchester Fashion Movement, as the winning businesses of its ‘Entrepreneur in Residence’ programme.

Farly is a tech marketplace aiming to solve the rise in fast fashion which is currently poisoning the environment - and instead, offers users a slow, more conscious, and exciting place to shop online.