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.