“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.