New NEBOSH-funded programme offers vital support to self-employed women, freelancers, and micro-business employees navigating menopause and mental health challenges.

Jentic has launched its AI Readiness Scorecard, the first automated assessment tool to pinpoint where and why enterprise AI pilots fail. The free solution aims to help organisations move from pilot to production by unblocking technical barriers.

From quiet cracking to bare minimum Mondays, 2025 gave workers plenty of food for thought with a new wave of workplace trends. While some of these trends encouraged workers to prioritise work/life balance and to strive within their role, others encouraged employees to simply turn up to work and do the bare minimum.

As many employed workers start to slow down for Christmas and meet up with friends and attend work Christmas events, a new YouGov survey has found that nearly half (44%) of smaller business owners in the UK say they have felt lonely or isolated while running their business. The research was carried out by YouGov on behalf of The Start Up Loans Company, part of the British Business Bank.

Flametree has recently announced that Mexican fintech NOVACARD has officially deployed Flametree’s agentic AI to power its next stage of growth. This collaboration will let NOVACARD scale efficiently while maintaining high-quality, personalised customer service.

Latitude59 kicked off today in Nairobi. It was officially opened by Daniel Schaer, the Ambassador-at-Large for African Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Henriette Geigeris, European Union Ambassador to Kenya, and Hon. William Kabogo Gitau, Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy in Kenya.

Two of the UK’s leading innovation organisations – Science Creates, the deeptech ecosystem supporting startups with lab space, training, and early-stage investment, and NCC, an innovation organisation helping businesses of all sizes bridge the gap between cutting-edge innovation and industrial application – announce a partnership to accelerate and scale the impact of the South West’s deeptech ecosystem.

On 3rd December, Campus Founders and Dieter Schwarz Foundation celebrated the official opening of its new startup and co-innovation space GRAVITY, marking a major milestone for the development of a collaborative and future-oriented innovation ecosystem in Heilbronn.

Virgin Red has announced a new transfer partnership with Capital on Tap, enabling small business owners to convert their Capital on Tap Rewards Points into Virgin Points – unlocking access to flights, hotels, cruises, unique experiences, and more on Virgin Red and Flying Club.

Transformational cooling technology that could massively reduce the environmental impact and costs of the booming data centre industry is to be made commercially available thanks to Dew Point Systems Ltd, a new University of Hull spin-out.

Engineers at the University have developed super performing cooling systems that can reduce associated electricity costs and carbon emissions by up to 90%.

Independent drone advisors, Drone Major, have launched a first-of-its-kind managed procurement services platform for the global drone industry, which will help power Britain’s procurement process and drive innovation across small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK’s drone sector.

2025 has been a transformative year for global technology. Rapid deployment of advanced connectivity infrastructure, AI-driven solutions and increased focus on data sovereignty have all redefined how enterprises operate.

Last week, Google boss Sundar Pichai told BBC News that there was some irrationality in the current AI boom, warning that no company will be immune to the impact of the AI bubble bursting. Just days after, Nvidia announced that its earnings were up 60% year-on-year, stronger than projections. Its CEO, Jensen Huang, told analysts on Wednesday that talk on an AI bubble was wide of the mark.

Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) will bring back Innovation Park for the 2026 edition. Building on its success in 2025, the expanded initiative in Congress Square connects investors directly with game-changing startups, maximising investment opportunities.

Deltek, the intelligent platform for project-based businesses, unveils a new framework to help UK small and mid-sized firms strengthen their confidence and build sustainable growth in 2026.    

Once again AllBright everywoman has gathered a group of exceptionally talented women from across the breadth of the UK to recognise their hard work, talent, and dedication at the 2025 Tide everywoman Entrepreneur Awards, in association with BGF, the UK’s longest-running programme celebrating female founders.

FASTA, a programme backed by the UK Agri-Tech Centre and delivered in partnership with the Carbon Trust, has launched to help UK-based innovators scale the technologies needed to support sustainable farming in the UK.

The nation’s favourite small businesses have been revealed, showcasing the UK’s love for small firms ahead of Small Business Saturday (6th December).  

A major highlight of Quantum.Tech World, taking place 25th - 26th June 2026 at the Encore Boston Harbour, Boston, will be the expanded Startup PitchFest. A high-conviction platform designed to accelerate the most promising companies building across quantum, AI, HPC, data-centre infrastructure, biotech, pharma tech and next-generation deeptech.

Small businesses are the beating heart of the UK economy: creating jobs, energising high streets, and boosting communities. But while they’re vital to growth, new research from HSBC UK shows many entrepreneurs are struggling to promote themselves and attract new customers.