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.

Businesses are sleepwalking towards a costly talent exodus, with four in ten employees (38%) looking to change roles in either the next 6 or 12 months or once the economy has strengthened - rising to 55% for 18-34 year olds. That’s according to new research from Personio, the all-in-one HR software solution, which is calling on businesses to prioritise their people as we emerge from the pandemic, or risk paying the price. 

Britain’s most inspiring small businesses have been crowned winners in this year’s Small Awards, during an online awards ceremony that increasingly stunned guests, as eleven small businesses across the UK were presented with trophies on their doorsteps.

Research carried out by absence management platform, e-days, has revealed that levels of reluctance to return to the office have doubled in less than a year, with almost two thirds (60%) of the UK workforce reluctant to return to the office when the lifting of lockdown restrictions allows. 

Xero has announced a major milestone in the growth of the Xero ecosystem, with more than 1,000 certified apps connected to Xero.

As major economies reopen across the globe and consumer confidence rises, Sage has unveiled the true levels of resilience and optimism amongst SMEs across the UK, US and France. Sage’s recent sentiment survey shows that SMEs - the economic backbone of many countries - have reached a turning point and confidence has largely returned.

Morrisons is offering British entrepreneurs a fast-tracked route to a national market through a programme called ‘Growing British Brands’.

Virgin StartUp has released new research to celebrate funding its 4,000th founder. Virgin’s not-for-profit entrepreneurial hub reveals that one in three (33%) Brits dream of becoming an entrepreneur and would like to set up their own business.

For Mental Health Awareness Week (10-16 May 2021), Christine Husbands, Managing Director for RedArc has shared her thoughts on the potential for the forthcoming return to work, the so-called ‘re-entry’, to induce further anxieties amongst staff.

A new campaign to help small businesses take action on climate change, by becoming more sustainable and committing to Net Zero, is being launched by Small Business Britain.

Ski instructor marketplace, Maison Sport has completed a new round of funding, achieving a raise of £1.25m, following collaboration with a collective of investors, alongside a Seedrs crowdfunding campaign.

To support ambitious early-stage entrepreneurs developing technologies with the potential to shape the future economy, SFC Capital has invested £25m in 120 companies (April 2020 - April 2021).

The global value of marketplace unicorns has soared by 70% since January 2020, fuelled by a rise in innovation and adoption as a result of COVID and record-breaking levels of VC investment, according to new figures. 

According to research undertaken by GRiD for Mental Health Awareness Week (10th-16th May), of the four in five employees (79%) who currently have health and wellbeing concerns, stress and anxiety is the biggest issue for almost two thirds (62%).

With life in the UK beginning to unlock, many employees will be keen to re-book routine check-ups and medical procedures that were cancelled during the peak of the coronavirus crisis. There is, however, a huge backlog of appointments and GPs are still under an enormous strain.

Absence management platform, e-days, has launched its Absence Risk Profiling Report informed by its work with 5,000+ businesses over the last 10 years. The comprehensive report summarises a decade of anonymised data collected on businesses that are looking to improve absence and compresses years of conversations, analysis, and market statistics into one report.

A brand-new and unique smart banking app that encourages sustainable living is releasing a beta product in the coming weeks to start testing with early users before launching to the wider public this summer.

The International Live Events Association (ILEA) has partnered with the first Event Tech Live (ETL) USA and Canada, which takes place next month, spreading show news to its more than 45 branches around the world.

Israeli startup, EVR Motors has unveiled an innovative electric motor, based on a new patented topology, which it calls TSRF (Trapezoidal Stator Radial Flux). The company has successfully developed and tested the first prototypes of its lightweight and compact TSRF motor. EVR expects its new motor architecture will be adapted to a wide range of vehicles in cooperation with automotive OEMs and Tier 1s. A production-ready motor is scheduled to be introduced to the global market later this year.

Addressing climate change requires innovation across the world, across industries, and across startups and multi-national corporations. From distributed energy to storage solutions to efficiency and optimisation software - clean technology investment and innovation is surging.

The Hustle Awards 2021 is fast approaching, with applications open and in full swing we have seen so many amazing startups and founders already nominated, but who will be in charge of choosing the best of the best? Well let me introduce you to this years incredible judges...

Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, has awarded a Smart Grant to deep tech startup electronRx to support the development of their novel period pain relief technology, Ohmm.

Today (6th May) marks World Password Day. Since 2013, the first Thursday of May each year marks World Password Day, promoting better password habits to stay safe online.

NeuReality, an Israeli AI startup developing high performance AI compute platforms for cloud data centres and edge nodes, has unveiled NR1-P, a novel AI-centric inference platform. NeuReality has already started demonstrating its AI-centric platform to customers and partners.

Regardless of size, recruitment is often one of the most difficult areas for businesses to handle. Finding that vital talent via recruitment agencies requires an upfront investment that many businesses simply don’t have. The alternative, the DIY approach, is deeply time-consuming, taking anything from 12-40 hours from application to hire and it’s very easy to get wrong if you lack the experience.

On February 5, 2021, a hacker initiated a cyberattack on a small water plant in Florida. If successful, the attack would have caused multiple health complications for the 15,000 residents that the plant provides water for. This is just an example of the disastrous consequences of cyberattacks on smaller companies. But how to avoid them? 

A series of backers, including former c-suite executives from Barclays, American Express, Expedia and Hertz have invested in family travel tech startup tripAbrood, to further develop its revolutionary AI-powered family booking experience. tripAbrood has raised £645,000 seed funds in its second round of funding, bringing total funding to just shy of the £1m mark. It comes seven months after its September 2020 beta-launch.

Businesses should consider classing long-COVID as a disability, an employment expert has warned. Up to one million people are expected to require treatment for the condition after June, according to recent reports.

How can the British public help their local pub, restaurant, cafe or hotel recover from May 17th when venues reopen indoor seating?

Sprout.ai, the insurtech that enables insurance claims to be settled within just 24 hours, has announced that it has raised £8m/$11m in Series A funding. The round was led by one of Europe’s largest and most active early-stage investors, Octopus Ventures, and was joined by existing investors, Amadeus Capital Partners, Playfair Capital and Techstars. 

SafetyCulture, the global operations platform which empowers working teams to drive improvements in the workplace, has announced a A$2.2bn valuation (approx. £1.2bn), smashing past its previous unicorn status from April 2020.

Customers are set to increase their spending once vaccines have been rolled out, according to research by SAS. When asked if they would increase their spending, nearly a fifth (17%) said they would, compared to just a tenth (10%) who said they would reduce spending once vaccines were available.

Thanks to the new advancement, hoteliers will be able to manage multiple properties all in one place. Built by Bidroom’s in-house team of technical experts, the new web application offers a simpler solution for managing bookings and room rates, and an intuitive content management platform designed to easily update hotel information, images and offers.

Diginex Solutions, the disruptive impact technology company helping to solve the world’s most pressing challenges, has launched DiginexESG to help companies of all sizes and reporting experience make their ESG reporting faster, easier and more affordable. The platform also enables large organisations to collect ESG data in their B2B client network, allowing them to make more educated decisions around risk, lending, and value. 

Koa Health, a digital mental healthcare provider offering personalised employee solutions, has launched a new report titled Wellbeing at Work, exposing the impact of COVID-19 on mental health in businesses across the UK and organisations’ response to the crisis.

Demonstrating the importance of small business to the UK’s COVID-19 recovery, a new report from Xero, shows 410,000 small business jobs need to be created by the end of the year to return to the pre-pandemic jobs trajectory. 

Miso Robotics, the startup transforming the foodservice industry with intelligent automation, announced the release of its standalone software as a service (SaaS) offering, CookRight. Packed with expanded cooking capabilities and accessible through an affordable subscription model, CookRight is the world’s first artificial intelligence (AI) powered cooking platform able to automatically identify and track products and tasks.

The Mathys & Squire Scaleup Quarter team hosted a virtual pitch event on Monday 26th April 2021 to celebrate World IP Day. The theme for 2021 was ‘IP and SMEs: Taking your ideas to market’. With SMEs making up over 99% of all UK businesses and contributing around half of all business turnover in the UK, the importance of supporting such businesses in their growth and development is clear for driving economic recovery and human progress.

As Pink Orange Media celebrates its second year in business, the agency has set out a bold pledge to donate a portion of all client retainers to global charities and provide employment opportunities to struggling job-seekers.

Nesta, the UK’s innovation foundation for social good, and UK Research and Investment (UKRI) have announced a new two-year partnership to provide up to £6m in combined investment and grant funding for companies working to improve health outcomes in later life.

LOT Network, an international community of high-tech companies committed to protecting its members from costly litigation from patent assertion entities (PAEs, also known as 'patent trolls'), welcomes space tech startup company, Orbital Exploration Technologies (OrbitX), to its membership of more than 1,400 members. OrbitX is the first commercial space venture in the Philippines. 

Student and graduate entrepreneurs are receiving a £40,000 boost through Kingston University’s longstanding partnership with Santander Universities to launch and develop their startups this year.

Tally Market, the on-demand workspace platform for teams, announced that it has just closed a six-digit seed financing round. The oversubscribed round was funded by a group of prominent angel investors and startup veterans, and brings Tally Market’s funding to date to £330,000.

The 'NINJA Accelerator in Kenya' - powered by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in partnership with Double Feather Partners (DFP), Deloitte Tohmatsu Venture Support (DTVS), Deloitte Tohmatsu Financial Advisory (DTFA) and GrowthAfrica - kicked off this week with a virtual event hosted in Nairobi, highlighting five high potential Kenyan ventures, a tailored but intensive programme, as well as a chance to take part in an international experience from Nairobi to Tokyo, and now Silicon Valley.

Claudio D’Angelo, former Co-founder and co-managing partner of Ryse Asset Management, has announced the launch of his latest venture - an investment management firm designed to help digital healthcare and medtech startups deliver breakthroughs in healthcare systems.  

Creative workspace and business accelerator, Huckletree has announced Yvonne Eruteya as its new Financial Director to focus on future growth plans, that will include new workspace products and further expansion across the UK and Ireland.

The Texthelp Group has been recognised with The Queen’s Award For Enterprise in the International Trade category.

London-based AI scaleup, Vivacity Labs has been honoured with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise. The Vivacity Labs team was awarded the Innovation Award for its technology that supports government, regional bodies and local councils to re-think and optimise the way traffic and transport infrastructure is built and used.

Suss Ventures has backed five investment deals with a combined value of £570,000 in under half a year. The new investor matching service is funded by Sussex Innovation, the business incubator owned by the University of Sussex. Since it’s foundations in 2019, Suss Ventures has welcomed over 100 investors and fundraisers into its growing community and has hosted quarterly events welcoming over 300 attendees, comprising investors and founders.

Sage has launched a peer-to-peer (P2P) customer service platform in partnership with Limitless, to enhance its customer experience and enable small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) to recover stronger as UK lockdown measures lift.

Record numbers of businesses are now using AI-based systems to hire and fire staff. And sign-up to these systems has sky-rocketed during the pandemic as more and more companies look at remote ways to recruit people.

Israeli Agtech startup, RCK, has announced the completion of the first ever catalogue of cannabis strains that covers all the medical indications of the Israeli Medical Cannabis Agency (IMCA).

The participants of this year’s RESPOND accelerator cohort have been selected: from approx. 400 applications from 65 countries, the ten best have been selected to participate in this year’s program. The five-month program starts on 7th June.

New research from PeoplePerHour, the freelance jobs marketplace, shows more people have turned to freelancing alongside employee jobs during the pandemic.

GoDaddy has revealed that a micro-business ‘powerhouse’ has emerged in the North of England during the global pandemic, with growth in new ventures outstripping that in the South.

Funding Options, the marketplace for business finance, has launched Funding Cloud, a technology and data-driven platform that will bring unparalleled scale and speed to the SME finance sector. Lenders including Just Cash Flow, iwoca, YouLend, Optimum Finance and FIBR have already integrated with Funding Cloud to benefit from its innovative technology and as a highly efficient channel for customer acquisition. By Q4 this year, the company expects to have more than 30 lenders fully integrated.

From better work-life balance and wellbeing to zero commute time, working from home is said to have more than a few perks. According to a recent study by Instant Offices, Britons who have been working from home have accumulated 1.2 billion extra hours which means a mammoth figure of £21.9 billion worth of unpaid overtime is lost.

Pauline Kwasniak from Female Event Planners, MCI’s director of onsite services, James Kelley, and Kathryn Frankson, director of event marketing at Informa, are some of the latest judges to be announced for Event Technology Awards (ETA) 2021.   

Conducted by Frank Recruitment Group's specialist Salesforce recruitment arm, Mason Frank International, the survey asked over 1,800 IT professionals from around the world for their opinions on the tech jobs market, salaries, and benefits. The findings showed that 54% of respondents who would consider relocating to the UK for work would be open to pursuing opportunities beyond the capital. Among the cities mentioned by respondents as potential relocation options include Newcastle, Liverpool, and Leeds.

ABB Electrification’s Startup Challenge in collaboration with Microsoft and SynerLeap is scouting for startups. Applications are now being accepted with three winners set to each receive $30,000 for project development.

To mark Earth Day 2021, creative workspace and accelerator, Huckletree has announced a second wave of speakers for its upcoming Earthrise Summit, a virtual festival to unite sustainability leaders, founders, politicians, change makers and innovators from all corners of the world - to inspire people to take action. 

Corgee has secured its first pre-seed investment from Think Bigger Capital to develop its AI-powered finance app to make personal finance simpler for the UK’s 5.3 million self-employed.

A cohort of ten technology startups have graduated from the Techstars Hub71 accelerator, making compelling presentations to the community at the annual Demo Day. The portfolio companies hope to secure a total $15m in funding to support their rapid growth. 

2020 tied with 2016 as the hottest year on record as a result of human activities, according to NASA. Keeping business going during a pandemic has been front and centre this past year, but it’s possible that it’s distracted business leaders from another major crisis of our times - climate change.

As restrictions continue to lift and organisations prepare to bring employees back to the workplace, a new report from hackajob has revealed that 86% of technology professionals in the UK and Europe don't want to return to the office full time at all.

Payhawk, the platform for payments and expense management, has raised $20m. The Series A round is led by the US-based fund QED Investors, which has a strong track record of investing in 18 fintech unicorns, including Klarna and Nubank. Existing investor Earlybird Digital East, who led the $3.6m seed round in March 2020, is also contributing fresh capital.

The pandemic has forced a recruitment rethink, and a huge uptake in flexible talent acquisition services. UK-founded scaleup, Talent Works reported 400% growth in March 2020 compared to March 2021, and a sustained 20% month-on-month forecasted compound growth.

Research from Ezra has revealed that a fifth of UK workers feel they get less recognition within their career as a direct result of working remotely. It remains to be seen to what extent we will return to a full working environment, as COVID-19 restrictions see many continue to work from home for part of, if not their whole working week.

A team of top scientists from the University of Bristol have announced the formation of a new biotech company that is developing newly patented potential treatments for Coronavirus.

BIG MAMMA founders, Tigrane Seydoux and Victor Lugger have joined forces with Christine de Wendel to announce a €20m seed round to support the launch of a new, innovative payment method - Sunday, created by restaurateurs for restaurants.

Suss Ventures have contributed a six-figure sum alongside a multi-million investment drive. This raise marks a huge success for Suss Ventures who are synonymous with sourcing sustainable businesses for their community of impact-driven investors and corporate partners. The zero-effort payment system eliminates the worry of parking fines and is completely cashless, automated and secure.

Kickstart Innovation, one of Europe's zero-equity, open innovation platforms based in Zurich, is currently launching its sixth program, and welcoming applications from businesses across the world. The application period is from 15th April to 17th May.

An independent London teleshopping channel is offering small businesses with a unique product innovation the chance to sell their products for free in a TV advert worth up to £5,000 on Sky TV as part of its ‘Road to Recovery’ campaign.

With the annual Hustle Awards event planning in full swing, we are excited to announce that Sonya Barlow, award winning entrepreneur, founder of the LMFnetwork, diversity business coach and motivational speaker, as her efforts are focused on bridging the skills gap and creating inclusive cultures.

The global early-stage venture capital firm, Antler has unveiled the seven startups it has invested in during its third UK cohort.

When a startup embarks on the entrepreneurial journey it can be very daunting, and you may need some help and guidance along the way. Here at Startups Magazine we have created our second Survival Guide issue, sponsored by Digi-Key,  which will give you in depth advice and information from some of the industry's leading experts.

Market engagement platform Grip has partnered with the inaugural Event Tech Live (ETL) USA & Canada, set to take place from 8th until 9th June 2021. 

Vistage, business performance and leadership advancement organisation for small and medium-size businesses, has found that over 3 in 4 (74%) of SME leaders expect economic conditions to improve in the next year. The report has also found that a majority (84%) of companies anticipate revenue will continue to improve in the same period of time.

Clim8 Invest (Clim8), the investment platform to help consumers invest in companies that are focused on tackling climate change, has announced the launch of its mobile app. 

GENIE, an automated talent agent for the creative industry, has announced the closing of its second funding round, led by female led corporate advisor, Adelpha, taking their total funding to-date to £1.75m. GENIE also announced advertising industry legend, Sir John Hegarty as Chairman, as the team look to disrupt the ways companies hire talent in the post-COVID world.

More than two-thirds (70%) of sole traders in the UK enjoy being small and don’t aspire to grow in future, with 62% saying the benefits of being a sole trader far outweigh those of being a larger business. 

A new study by Lenstore has revealed the detrimental effects of spending time on your devices during COVID-19 and the effects this is having on your physical and mental health. 

On Tuesday, 6th of April, the new European rural innovation initiative REinA (Rural European Innovation Area) was launched. An initiative created with the aim of reducing the gap between the two sides of Europe and Spain, a growing and thriving urban side opposite to the empty, rural and deprived of a true future.

Indian tech startups are enjoying a period of sustained success. The pandemic, a tape-cutting Government budget, and record-levels of investment has spurred the subcontinent’s tech-heavy sectors to dizzying growth.

Deloitte has launched its third Gravity Challenge - a global technology innovation programme that encourages corporates, entrepreneurs and universities to use innovative space technology to solve real-world problems facing society, industry and the environment.

Over the past year, remote working has proven to be less of a hindrance and more of a benefit to a lot of UK businesses. As a result, business decision makers are more flexible when considering candidates for employment, with new research revealing that nearly three quarters (73%) are open to hiring people from anywhere in the UK, rather than just those local to their business. 

Banco Santander and the Global Sports Innovation Center powered by Microsoft (GSIC) present FootballCan 2041, a joint initiative to create the best innovation solutions to make football more inclusive, diverse and sustainable. This initiative aligns with Santander’s purpose to help people and businesses prosper, and with its strategy to have a positive impact on football and society.

Data from absence management platform, e-days, reveals that when comparing pre-pandemic levels in March 2019 to March 2021, the number of stress sickness days recorded has increased by 113%. 

Prsnt have raised £180,000 through Suss Ventures, the bespoke investor matching service at Sussex Innovation. The tech startup aims to dominate the gifting marketplace, by creating a peer-to-peer gift exchange platform to leverage the ‘feel good' factor of giving and receiving gifts. The investment will be used to streamline the app after its successful beta testing, and to grow its user base as part of ongoing business and technological development. 

The Event Technology Awards 2021 (ETA21) opens for submissions from 1st April and the first wave of judges has been announced, more than 75% of them new to the process.

Attic Self Storage has announced the launch of its eCommerce Accelerator Program, to celebrate the official opening this week of its brand new facility in Harrow, London. Attic also has several other sites across London, so will be championing budding entrepreneurs in the capital by offering them free units, workspaces and funding to help them scale their enterprises. 

Ziglu, the UK-based and FCA regulated cryptocurrency challenger, has launched Bitcoin Boost, an account that allows Ziglu users to earn interest equivalent to an annual percentage rate of 5% on their bitcoin.

Funding Options has joined forces with digital bank, Starling Bank to deliver business critical access to finance as SMEs across the UK rebuild following a turbulent year.

Intellectual property firm, Mathys & Squire will celebrate World IP Day 2021 on Monday 26th April by hosting a virtual pitching session inviting innovative UK-based startups and SMEs to showcase their business and innovations in front of an expert panel to win a prize of £3,000.

Triend Travel is a social marketplace that utilises user-generated video content with an innovative algorithm and technology which allows consumers to make personalised travel recommendations based on their love of travel.

Creative workspace and accelerator, Huckletree has announced it’s hosting Earthrise Summit, a virtual festival to unite sustainability leaders, founders, politicians, change makers and innovators from all corners of the world, to inspire people to take action.

Empathy, a platform helping families navigate the journey they face after losing a loved one, has announced the launch of its application on iOS and Android for users across the United States. Empathy’s technology-enabled platform is designed to guide families experiencing loss with purpose and compassion. Empathy is backed by $13m in a seed round co-led by General Catalyst and Aleph.

Towergate Health & Protection is warning employers that they could unwittingly be leaving themselves open to uninsured liabilities that could cost them hundreds of thousands of pounds if their employee benefits are not aligned with their contracts of employment. 

Psyomics, the innovative UK-based healthtech company, has launched its mental health assessment platform Censeo with two London based GP practices, to gather real world data and feedback prior to commercial launch later this year. 

It’s hard to believe that this month marked one year since the Prime Minister’s solemn address where millions of us were asked to stay at home.

The fifth edition of Digital Enterprise Show confirms its celebration in person at IFEMA, bringing together the entire technological ecosystem. DES2021 will guide Spanish companies to take advantage of NextGeneration EU European recovery funds and find the technological partner to drive the transformation of their business model.

New data released today by Innovate UK, points to a dramatic increase in the number of young people setting up their own businesses in the last decade – with the number nearly doubling (98% increase) from 2009 to 2020. What’s more, despite the pandemic - and in some cases inspired by the impact of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdowns - numbers continued to jump in 2020, with a 15% increase in the number of young people starting their own businesses from 2019.

Yeo Valley Organic, Britain’s largest organic brand, has created scannable QR codes that have been shaved into the hides of all 400 of their own British Friesian cows, to celebrate the national rollout of their connected  packaging. 

Small businesses have been some of the worst affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, lacking the resources needed to recover in the same manner as bigger companies. The new Help to Grow scheme announced by the UK Government plans to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) develop their digital competencies and boost their profits, while helping the nation expand its technological infrastructure. Here Neil Bellinger, head of EMEA at automation parts supplier EU Automation, explains what the new initiative means for the manufacturing sector.

Cash flow is the key motivation for SMEs applying for finance, according to an exclusive index of UK brokers by Europe’s leading small business lender iwoca. 

UK startup itsettled is looking to help SMEs struggling under the burden of late payment with their recently launched #GetTheUKPaid initiative. 

Fintech, Foodtech and Healthtech companies are defying pandemic pressures and driving strong hiring growth among British startups and scaleups, according to new research from leading start-up job site Work in Startups.

The 2021 workforce will have a completely different composition, facilitated by tools such as Global Teams, just launched by people management operating system Employment Hero.

Small businesses who want to improve their data quality and become better data-informed, but may lack the right skills to execute a successful strategy in response, have received a boost with the launch of a new Data Scientist degree apprenticeship by the University of Nottingham.

European satellite and communications startup, Hiber BV has secured €26m in EU and private investment to expand the world’s first global IoT (Internet of Things) satellite network. 

Xero has revealed that small business jobs have increased slightly for a fifth consecutive month in the UK, with year-on-year revenues also improving compared to January according to Xero Small Business Insights (XSBI).

Since 2016 the Startup Heatmap Europe crowns the most attractive startup hubs in Europe. Based on a representative sample of founders in Europe the survey reveals the Top 50 cities where founders would like to start a company if they could choose freely. 

A Shropshire web tech expert is giving up his time to make sure businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic get the digital support they need to recover.

Innovative travel technology company, TapTrip has partnered with industry leading, TravelPerk to integrate TravelSafe API, a new product designed for the wider travel ecosystem to help boost fluid business travel through traveller confidence and safety. 

Amazon announces the launch of the Amazon Launchpad Innovation Awards, a free competition designed to support emerging, innovative European startups by giving them chance to win a ‘Startup of the year’ prize of €100,000.

Visionary British female entrepreneurs are receiving Government backing to drive forward their novel innovations and business ideas, as the UK builds back better from the COVID-19 pandemic and progresses its climate change ambitions. 

Oxford Medical Products (OMP) has raised £1.2m in seed investment to develop a safe and affordable weight loss capsule, which uses the same mechanism of action as a gastric balloon, but can be taken at home. The funding will be used to complete pre-clinical testing, upscale and outsource manufacturing and grow the team.

Chelsea Football Club has launched a unique offering to help support local businesses get back on their feet, by inviting small companies with a London postcode to apply for free advertising space on matchdays.

We are excited to announce the ten startups selected to join the ABN AMRO & Techstars Future of Finance Accelerator, virtually in these pandemic times, in Amsterdam. Amsterdam is the birthplace of many financial innovations over centuries past that continue to influence the world of finance today.

A unique digital skills powerhouse is set to transform talent diversity in the North West’s tech sector, by breaking the barriers faced by those from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds and fast-tracking 450 people into careers in digital technology every year.

Creative workspace and accelerator, Huckletree has announced international law firm, CMS to join as their first sustainability programme partner alongside Silicon Valley Bank, and A/O Proptech - Europe’s largest proptech VC firm. All three will provide support and services to Huckletree’s educational programmes, members and events.

Cancer Research UK and Capital Enterprise, together with Roche UK, have launched the Cancer Tech Accelerator programme. This new initiative will help researchers translate their ideas and lifesaving discoveries into innovations that will improve the lives of cancer patients.  

Civic Tech platform, CitizenLab has announced a move to open up the core version of its community engagement software, in an effort to equip smaller organisations and communities with the tools to democratise policy-making by involving more citizens.

The next Mayor of London’s TechInvest, taking place 27th April, will celebrate 10 of London’s pioneering HealthTech startups. This upcoming TechInvest instalment will seek to identify industry leaders that are converging technologies with medicine and healthcare to improve the efficiency and delivery of prediction, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care.

Like Minded Females (LMF) Network joined efforts with online business school Jolt and technology venture firm, Balderton Capital to grant five Future Leaders scholarships to rising female tech talent from LMF’s community. The full bursaries will allow them to attend Jolt's Switch course, a programme designed to create pathways for those who want to begin a career in tech. 

Beautystack Founder and CEO, Sharmadean Reid has launched her latest venture, a new media platform called The Stack World that will bring together content, community and commerce and put intelligence at the core of the women’s media landscape. 

LawtechUK, the government-backed initiative within Tech Nation, to help transform the UK legal sector through technology, today brings to a close the Pilot stage of the first Lawtech Sandbox - a research and development initiative for lawtech scaleups - following a successful three month trial period.

There is not long left to appy for the opportunity to up-skill and up-scale your business, refine, develop and launch your product to market and secure a contract of work with Transport for Wales. 

Osu, the payment app for the UK’s self-employed, has announced the close of a £2.25m seed round, led by early-stage experts Creandum, to fund further growth to reach 10,000 customers this year. 

New data shows fears for pupils’ well-being, increased workloads and concerns about the toll on their own health have all contributed to a massive increase in stress for teachers during the pandemic.

Social impact fund Valloop, created to help employees and management buy the companies they work for, delivered compound annual growth of 16.1% over a five-year period between September 2015 and September 2020. 

The past 12 months have placed many obstacles and challenges in the path of businesses, as the pandemic took grip of the nation and workplace processes were forced to change to stay within government guidelines.

Sage has unveiled research showing that 1 in 2 (52%) UK adults dream about starting their own business.  However, over half (53%) of those feel that money worries are stopping them from turning the idea into a reality - a fear that has been exacerbated by the stresses of COVID-19. 

A pioneering new mindfulness training programme, powered by Virtual Reality (VR) training specialists Virti, has launched this month to help employees cope with the demands of their jobs during the pandemic.

As WhatsApp users are forced to share personal data with Facebook, a new competitor - YEO (Your Eyes Only) Messaging - has launched today, offering an alternative ultra-secure private messaging platform.

A year since it was awarded CBILS lender status, responsible lender, AskIf, can now reveal it has approved close to £4m to deserving SMEs and micro businesses, playing an essential role in the national push to help businesses survive and thrive. AskIf has delivered on its mission to be an inclusive lender with 17% of CBILS loans distributed to BAME-owned businesses, and 22% to female-led businesses. 

With many of us working from home, dogs crashing our virtual business meetings has not only become the norm, but the preferred. According to recent data, dogs gate crashing your virtual meeting may have other benefits such as better feelings of wellbeing and lower stress levels.

The findings of a new report shows that employee welfare has been catapulted to the top of the HR agenda for business leaders, with two-thirds of employees reporting a spike in support being offered to both furloughed and non-furloughed teams since May 2020. 

Hotel owner and restaurateur Maximilian Steurer is an early adopter of the paul&ernst bikes, a decision that proved particularly lucrative during the past year. Pastry chef Lisa Haas also opted for her own bike when starting her own business - during the height of the pandemic in 2020.

New research by money.co.uk has crowned Google as the most successful company to be started at university. The search engine sits at the top of the university startup league table with a current market capitalisation of $1.27 trillion (£926 billion). This is 12.7 million times greater than the $100,000 initial funding the company received in 1998. 

Launching one year after the first lockdown, creative workspace and accelerator, Huckletree has launched a new campaign with Otherway to address the year that’s been, celebrating the founders persevering and innovating despite the pandemic, whilst inspiring the companies of the future to be brave in the face of adversity.

A new report has revealed the devastating impact a year of lockdown has had on the mental health of those running business. According to a study by Harper James Solicitors the strain of the past 12 months has led to one counselling platform recording an 84% rise in demand.

An after-work programme designed to support people in starting social enterprises has enabled 18 businesses to launch, as well as helping some secure almost £20,000 in funding.

Figures collected by insurance broker PolicyBee show a large increase in sales of cyber insurance since the UK went into lockdown in March 2020.

Ihqlak Hussain’s new book, SUCCEED!: An Inspirational Toolkit for the Serious Entrepreneur, dives into the author’s own personal experience, coming from a tough background, working hard and successfully achieving his goals. This book offers easy to understand and must-read advice for budding entrepreneurs designed to highlight how to plan, develop and execute a new business venture.

Plymouth Startup Weekend is back this spring with a big question for business brains and creative thinkers everywhere: How can our cities rejuvenate culture and tourism post-pandemic? For Britain’s Ocean City, which was picked as one of the top ten places to travel in 2020 by Condé Nast Traveller magazine, this is an even bigger question. 

Bubo.AI is an AI solution for customer value-based pricing. Cloud technology and advanced analytics allow clients to determine the path to more profitability based on optimised prices. Founded and based in the UK, Bubo.AI won the ‘Best Emerging Technology in AI’ award in 2020.

A London-based software development company has launched a new initiative offering the country’s startups the opportunity to develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) as part of an economy-boosting scheme in the wake of the pandemic.

Rishi Sunak has predicted a rise in hybrid or flexible working in local hubs once the pandemic is over. Speaking on the Politico Westminster Insider podcast this month, he cited the rise of 'neighbourhood' serviced offices springing up across New York, and thinks these small local hubs for people who want to avoid the commute but don't want to work at home is something that should be picked up in the UK. 

A new report from The Entrepreneurs Network think tank by former Office for AI Adviser Séb Krier sets out eight key recommendations to make the UK the best place in the world for AI innovation.

Thirteen companies who are helping the UK’s healthcare, manufacturing and resource sectors recover from the impact of COVID-19 have been chosen to join Microsoft’s AI for Social Impact 2021 programme.

Challenges such as increasing traffic, rising emissions and limited space are affecting Metropolitan regions around the world, and these developments call for innovative approaches. The City of Hamburg aims to support smart solutions for the city of tomorrow, with the Future Hamburg Award. 

Healthtech company, NuroKor BioElectronics has announced plans to double its team and further its international expansion, following 12 months of rapid growth during which the company’s half-year sales rose by 156%.

As the vaccine continues to be rolled out across the UK, business confidence is at its highest point since the beginning of the pandemic. Here, businesses continue to be overwhelmingly supportive of the Government’s approach to help companies through COVID-19, with nearly four fifths either somewhat or very supportive of their initiatives.

Xero has announced it has signed BDO as a Xero Global Partner, as part of a new three year global agreement. Xero will become BDO’s preferred accounting solution for its Business, Services and Outsourcing clients in the small to medium business space - significantly growing the number of BDO clients on Xero over the next three years.

incspaces, a space-as-a-service operator with locations across London, Leeds, and Manchester, is urging workers to consider supporting their vital local economies as they begin to return to the office later this year. Under the Government’s roadmap to recovery, office workers are expected to begin a phased return to the workplace from 12th April as an increasing number of businesses are given the green light to reopen. The team behind the growing flex space initiative is keen to use this as an opportunity to support small firms.

Research from Ezra, a global provider of digital coaching, has found that UK office workers value their new norm of working from home so much that many would forsake career progression, company benefits and even a pay rise to maintain it.

We are currently living in two versions of Europe, on one hand, there is a thriving urban one, with big cities such as Madrid, Berlin, Brussels, Paris, Milan, etc., and on the other hand there is rural Europe, depopulated and lacking in possibilities, in a continuous decline and without horizon or prosperous future.  

CareLineLive, the all-in-one home care management software that increases efficiency, capacity, compliance and communication of both managers and carers by digitising their work flows, has announced that it has secured a £175k grant from the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK.

Sure Valley Ventures, the venture capital firm that invests in early stage software companies, has announced that it has led a Seed investment round of £1m for Polience Limited (“PreCog”), a security solution platform company that is able to provide data intelligence to combat crime, terrorism and protect vulnerable people.

Tech Nation has announced the release of its annual Tech Nation Report, the ultimate state-of-the-nation report on the UK tech sector. In its seventh year, the report lifts the lid on tech in an extraordinary 2020, revealing how the sector has changed, who the top performers were through the year, and the challenges and opportunities the UK faces as it navigates out of the pandemic and leaving the EU.

Global online sales grew 27.6% in 2020 to reach $4.28tn and the number of transactions needing customer support increased from one-in-eight to one-in-six. In response, eCommerce customer service specialist, eDesk is supercharging support for its 23,000 agents with AI advancements, expediting the company product roadmap.

Many of us have faced work challenges due to the long term restrictions implemented as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with unemployment estimated to be at its highest since 2016 at 4.9%.

The fourth edition of ChangeNOW has announced digital broadcasting from Paris and other live locations worldwide. A significant milestone for the planet, with the online streaming of inspiring content and meetings of impact actors, to create a global momentum of multi-stakeholder collaboration on our century’s issues.

The first national UK lockdown was announced one year ago on 23rd March, bringing with it social distancing restrictions that required physical office and store closures across the UK, changing the course of thousands of small businesses.

Cleantech engineering firm, Sunswap has recently secured half a million pounds in crowdfunding that will be used to rapidly scale the business and deploy their zero-emission TRU technology on the roads by the end of 2021. 

University of Bristol spin-out CytoSeek has raised a £3.5m seed round to develop new cell therapies to treat solid tumours in cancer patients. The funding is led by Science Creates Ventures (SCV), Bristol’s new deep tech EIS fund for science and engineering startups, and is the firm’s first investment since announcing its venture capital fund last December.

Loui Blake, serial entrepreneur and angel investor, invests in Embargo loyalty app and joins as an advisor following the tech startup’s significant growth during COVID-19.

Ibex Medical Analytics, the pioneer in AI-powered cancer diagnostics, has announced a $38m Series B financing round led by Octopus Ventures and 83North, with additional participation from aMoon, Planven Entrepreneur Ventures and Dell Technologies Capital, the corporate venture arm of Dell Technologies, bringing total funding of Ibex to $52m.